Startups can often be a long and arduous journey, and it can take decades to get an outcome that satisfies both entrepreneurs and their investors. But in five short years, an Israeli cybersecurity company has managed to be acquired for an eye-popping $32 billion. And their acquirer is Google, which has made the biggest acquisition in its history.
In the fast-evolving world of cybersecurity, few companies have made as meteoric a rise as Wiz. Founded in March 2020 by a quartet of seasoned entrepreneurs, Wiz has become one of the biggest startup success stories of all time. Announced in March 2025, the deal not only marks one of the largest tech acquisitions in recent history but also underscores the growing importance of cloud security in an increasingly digital world. So, how did Wiz—a company barely old enough to celebrate its fifth birthday—catch the eye of a tech titan like Google? The answer lies in a potent mix of timing, talent, and a razor-sharp focus on securing the cloud.
An Experienced Founding Team
Wiz’s story begins with its founders: Assaf Rappaport (CEO), Ami Luttwak (CTO), Yinon Costica (VP Product), and Roy Reznik (VP R&D). Wiz wasn’t their first stab at entrepreneurship. The four previously collaborated at Adallom, a cybersecurity firm they built and sold to Microsoft for $320 million in 2015. Their time at Microsoft, particularly within Azure’s Cloud Security Group, gave them an insider’s view of the challenges and opportunities in cloud security—an expertise they would later channel into Wiz.
When they launched the company in 2020, the timing couldn’t have been more serendipitous. The COVID-19 pandemic was pushing businesses worldwide to embrace remote work and accelerate digital transformation, driving an unprecedented shift to cloud-based operations. With that shift came a pressing need for robust security solutions, and Wiz was ready to deliver.
Seizing the Cloud Security Moment
Wiz’s mission was clear: empower companies to secure their public cloud infrastructure with cutting-edge solutions. Its vision went further, aiming to revolutionize cybersecurity by enabling organizations to proactively identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in their cloud environments. Specializing in Cloud Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP), Wiz carved out a niche in a crowded market by offering products compatible with all major cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. This versatility, paired with a relentless focus on innovation, integrity, and customer satisfaction, quickly set Wiz apart.
The numbers tell the story of its success. By 2024, Wiz had racked up an estimated $500 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), with ambitions to double that figure by 2025. Its client list reads like a who’s who of corporate giants, with about 40% of Fortune 100 companies—including Slack, Mars, BMW, DocuSign, Plaid, and Agoda—relying on its solutions. For a company just four years old at the time, this level of market penetration was nothing short of remarkable.
From Startup to Tech Titan Target
Wiz’s rapid growth didn’t go unnoticed. Headquartered in Israel, the company expanded its workforce and global reach to meet soaring demand, collaborating with major cloud providers and building a team of cybersecurity veterans. Each founder reportedly holds a 10% stake, a testament to their confidence in Wiz’s trajectory—and a stake that’s now paying off handsomely. In 2023, Google made an initial $23 billion offer to acquire the startup, a sign of its strategic interest in bolstering its cloud security offerings amid fierce competition from Amazon and Microsoft. But Wiz held out, and two years later, that patience paid off with Alphabet’s jaw-dropping $32 billion bid.
The acquisition reflects Google’s determination to strengthen its position in the cloud computing race. As businesses increasingly rely on cloud infrastructure, security has become a make-or-break factor, and Wiz’s expertise fills a critical gap. The deal dwarfs its founders’ previous $320 million exit with Adallom, signaling just how far they’ve come—and how much the market values their vision. And with all founders becoming billionaires after the acquisition, they’ve shown that it’s possible to take a company from founding to a massive exit in 5 years flat.