Google signs its biggest check by buying Wiz for $ 32 billion

After eight months of procrastination and a first offer discarded, Wiz and Google finally agreed. Alphabet, parent company of the Mountain View giant, has officially announced the acquisition of the Israeli cybersecurity nugget for the astronomical sum of $ 32 billion.

Google Cloud is growing, but cybersecurity remains its Achille heel against Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, Palo Alto Networks or Crowdstrike. Wiz, with its expertise in the proactive management of threats through AI, brings exactly what was missing: a technology capable of detecting and preventing flaws even before they materialize.

Last July, however, the story seemed badly embarked. Wiz had politely refused a first Google proposal valued at 23 billion. Assaf Rappaport, its emblematic manager, had chosen to rule out the offer in order to continue to build his business, which he considered able to go even higher. At the time, in an internal note that became famous, he claimed to be flattered by the interest of the American giant … but preferred to bet on the talent and independence of his teams to continue the adventure.

This courageous refusal had aroused real media interest. According to the Wall Street Journalthe initial failure was also linked to the doubts of investors on the regulatory authorizations necessary for such a gigantic operation. This time, however, nothing could hinder the alphabet path, which put on the table an additional 9 billion to convince the managers and shareholders of Wiz.

For Alphabet, it is neither more nor less of the largest acquisition ever made, far ahead of the emblematic acquisition of Motorola Mobility in 2011 for 12.5 billion dollars. Google Cloud, already reinforced by the acquisition of mandiant in 2022 for $ 5.4 billionthus confirms its desire to establish its position on the highly disputed market for cloud safety.

For its part, WIZ, born only in 2020, quickly established itself as an essential player in cybersecurity thanks to an innovative approach based on artificial intelligence. Its meteoric ascent was marked by strategic acquisitions, notably RAFTT in 2023, then Gem Security and Dazz in 2024.

With an already acquired strategic clientele – BMW, Docusign or Shell – WIZ today joins a technological giant with almost unlimited means. For Assaf Rappaport, the initial bet has proven to pay: this alliance with Google will allow Wiz to further accelerate its development while benefiting from considerable technological and financial support.

The transaction should be finalized soon, subject to the green light from the competent authorities. But one thing is certain, the world of cybersecurity has just experienced a historic moment, just a few weeks from the flagship event “Next” organized by Google Cloud in Las Vegas in early April.