Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is in advanced talks to acquire Israeli cybersecurity firm Wiz in a deal valued at approximately $30 billion, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The agreement could be finalized soon, barring any last-minute obstacles.
If completed, the acquisition would mark the largest exit ever for an Israeli company — by a wide margin. The current record for the largest deal in Israel’s high-tech sector is Intel’s $15 billion purchase of Mobileye in 2017.
This is not the first time Alphabet and Wiz have held discussions about a potential acquisition. Last summer, the two companies came close to signing a $23 billion deal, but negotiations fell apart amid concerns raised by Wiz and some of its investors over the time it might take to clear regulatory hurdles. The current talks are also expected to face rigorous regulatory scrutiny. However, if successful, the deal would rank among the largest tech acquisitions of the year.
Wiz, founded by Israeli entrepreneurs, provides cloud security software and is headquartered in New York, with additional offices in the U.S. and Israel. The company already works with major global cloud providers, including Amazon, Microsoft and Google.
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Acquiring Wiz would represent Alphabet’s largest deal ever and a significant step into the cybersecurity sector. In recent years, as cybercrime and security threats have escalated, leading tech companies have sought to bolster their defense capabilities.
The potential deal also underscores Israel’s status as a global cybersecurity powerhouse. Numerous Israeli firms in the sector have been acquired by multinational corporations in recent years, often for substantial sums. However, a $30 billion acquisition of Wiz would set a new benchmark.
According to reports, the proposed purchase price has increased significantly from $23 billion in earlier negotiations to $30 billion, reflecting the high market valuation of Wiz’s technology and its business potential.
Since its founding, Wiz has experienced rapid growth, raising significant funding from prominent investors. Its technology enables organizations to detect and address security vulnerabilities within their cloud environments — a critical need as more companies shift to cloud-based infrastructure.
Neither Google nor Wiz has issued an official comment on the ongoing talks, but industry sources suggest that, if the deal moves forward, it could have a major impact on the global cybersecurity market.