Google close to acquiring Israeli cybersecurity start-up Wiz for $23 billion - WSJ report

Google is in advanced talks to acquire Israeli cybersecurity start-up Wiz for $23 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday.

The report noted that the deal would be made with Google's parent company, Alphabet, and would be the largest acquisition in its history. It also noted that the deal could materialize soon should the negotiations remain intact. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that Alphabet is considering the deal during intense antitrust scrutiny of the company and other tech giants. It also noted that the acquisition would propel Alphabet as a leader in cloud computing, which it has apparently lagged behind competitors in recent years. 

Israeli-founded Wiz has offices in Israel, US

Wiz is a cloud security start-up founded in 2020 by Israelis Assaf Rappaport, Yinon Costica, Roy Reznik, and Ami Luttwak. Its headquarters are in New York City, though it has offices in the US and Israel. The company's valuation has sharply risen since its founding, and the Wall Street Journal stated that it raised $1 billion earlier in 2024 at a valuation of $12 billion. 

The report also listed some of the venture capitalist firms funding Wiz, including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Index Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners.