Google Makes $32B Bet on Israeli Cyber Unicorn Wiz
Google has sealed a $32 billion deal to acquire Israeli cybersecurity firm Wiz, a transaction finalized less than a year after stalled talks between the two in mid-2024.
The Alphabet-owned giant plans to fold Wiz into Google Cloud once customary closing conditions are met, marking its largest acquisition ever—eclipsing the $12.5 billion Motorola Mobility purchase in 2012. Last year, a $23 billion deal was on the table, but Wiz pulled back, eyeing an IPO and wary of antitrust scrutiny, per the Financial Times. The $9 billion jump in price reflects Wiz’s rising value and Google’s determination to secure it.
Wiz, founded in Israel in 2020 and now New York-based under CEO Assaf Rappaport, brings AI-powered cloud security tools—real-time threat detection and response—to the table. Google sees this as a booster shot for Google Cloud, accelerating two key trends in the AI era: enhanced cloud security and multi-cloud adoption.
The combined entity aims to overhaul how customers design, operate, and automate security, offering automated platforms for cyber teams, cutting costs, countering emerging threats, and driving multi-cloud strategies.
Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, called it a move to “turbocharge improved cloud security,” while Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian highlighted a shared vision to simplify cybersecurity for all organizations.