ISRAELI cybersecurity startup Wiz has ended talks with Google-parent Alphabet on a reported US$23 billion deal in which it would have become the US tech giant’s largest-ever acquisition, according to a Wiz memo seen by Reuters.
Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport said the company would now focus on an initial public offering, as it had planned earlier, and aims to achieve an annual recurring revenue of US$1 billion.
“Saying no to such humbling offers is tough, but with our exceptional team, I feel confident in making that choice,” Rappaport said in the 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.
Reuters reported earlier this month that Alphabet was in advanced talks to buy Wiz for roughly US$23 billion, citing a person familiar with the matter, a valuation nearly double of what Wiz had announced in May, when it raised US$1 billion in a private funding round at a US$12 billion valuation.
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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 US$33 billion 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 Aphabet’s second big acquisition in the cybersecurity space, since its US$5.4 billion purchase of Mandiant in 2022. REUTERS
