Cybersecurity firm Wiz calls off $23bn deal with Google

Mumbai — Israeli cybersecurity start-up Wiz has ended talks with Google-parent Alphabet on a reported $23bn deal in which it would have become the US tech giant’s largest acquisition.

Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport said the company would now focus on an initial public offering, as it had planned earlier, and aimed to achieve an annual recurring revenue of $1bn.

“Saying no to such humbling offers is tough, but with our exceptional team, I feel confident in making that choice,” Rappaport said in a memo, referring to an acquisition offer.

Neither Alphabet nor Wiz have officially acknowledged deal talks. The Wiz memo did not name Google or Alphabet.

Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while Wiz declined to comment.

Earlier this month Alphabet was in advanced talks to buy Wiz for about $23bn, citing a person familiar with the matter, a valuation nearly double of what Wiz had announced in May, when it raised $1bn in a private funding round at a $12bn valuation.

Wiz provides cloud-based cybersecurity solutions that help companies identify and remove critical risks on cloud platforms, powered by artificial intelligence.

Wiz’s decision to call off the deal will be a setback for Google, which has been investing in its cloud infrastructure and focusing on winning clients for the cloud business that generated more than $33bn in revenues last year.

The fallout is a second blow for Alphabet in the M&A space in recent times, after reports of its decision to walk away from a deal for online marketing software company HubSpot.

Wiz would have been Alphabet’s second big acquisition in the cybersecurity space, since its $5.4bn purchase of Mandiant in 2022.

Reuters