
Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz ends talks with Google on $23 billion deal
CNN
Wiz has ended talks with Google parent Alphabet on a proposed $23 billion deal in which the Israeli cybersecurity startup would have become the US tech giant’s largest ever acquisition, according to a Wiz memo seen by Reuters.
Wiz has ended talks with Google parent Alphabet on a proposed $23 billion deal in which the Israeli cybersecurity startup 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. “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 (GOOGL) 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. CNN reported earlier this month that Alphabet was in advanced talks to buy Wiz for roughly $23 billion, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The United States and the European Union avoided the worst-case scenario: a damaging, all-out trade war between allies that threatened to raise prices on a large number of goods and slow two of the world’s largest economies. The framework delivered a sense of relief for both sides – but few are cheering the arrangement itself.