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Google Nears $23 Billion Deal for Cybersecurity Firm Wiz, WSJ Reports

Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, US, on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. Alphabet Inc. is expected to release earnings figures on February 2. Photographer: Marlena Sloss/Bloomberg (Marlena Sloss/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Google parent Alphabet Inc. is in advanced talks to buy cybersecurity startup Wiz in a deal that could fetch $23 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The deal would be Alphabet’s largest acquisition ever and could come together “soon,” the newspaper said. 

A purchase of Wiz could help boost Alphabet’s efforts in cloud computing, an area in which it’s lagged competitors, the WSJ said. The deal would follow on its $5.4 billion purchase of fellow cybersecurity firm Mandiant Inc. in 2022, which was at the time one of its largest acquisitions ever. 

Alphabet didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular office hours. 

New York-based Wiz was valued at $12 billion during a May funding round that drew investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Thrive Capital. The company, which was founded in 2020, identifies and removes risks in cloud environments.

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