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Google to buy Wiz for $32B

reuters.com

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Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#171

Post by stego-tech »

InkCanon wrote: post #17
whitepoplar wrote: post #10

Can anyone with security expertise clarify what Wiz actually does? Is it a legitimate company or is it fuzzy consultingware?

Would also be interested in this. I don't know anyone who uses Wiz. Google says they had 350 million in revenue last year, aiming for 1 billion this year. So 100x revenue TTM. Crazy stuff.

That's because A) big companies that use it don't really like bragging about their security tooling, lest it be used to better profile their infrastructure by attackers, and B) it's basically enterprise-only and insanely expensive.

Source: worked for a large enterprise company that used it, and I loved it. Phenomenal tool, will be a shame to see it die (or at least its non-GCP aspects wither and die) under Alphabet's ownership.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#172

Post by hyperbrainer »

nashashmi wrote: post #89
hyperbrainer wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. The company’s previous biggest deal was its $12.5bn acquisition of Motorola Mobility in 2012, which it sold two years later for $2.9bn. [0] [0] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/18/google-pa...

Can’t help but predict that this will be a similar outcome. If they did not have a security division, this acquisition could work. But colliding two heavy security behemoths together is like the collision of two galaxies with a higher enteopy.

What I don't understand is how you get to a valuation of $32B. My quick googling showed me that the revenue for Wiz is about $700M. Even if I assume the existing customers + name + platform/assets is worth several billion, where is this number coming from?

To be clear: I am young and ignorant. I am trying to learn, not criticise

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#173

Post by blackhawkC17 »

guappa wrote: post #88
rvnx wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure if it's a very wise move to hire foreign intelligence offers and give them access to the core of your tech products and to the customers data.

Probably the entire company's purpose is to gain access to secrets. Anyway, Chomsky claims that there's 0 distinction between USA and Israel, so if you see it from that point of view, it makes little difference.

A dumb conspiracy theory. Israel has mandatory conscription (barring some cases), and many of the smart ones are recruited into Unit 8200. It's not surprising that they go on to start cyber companies once conscription ends, given that's a major focus of the Unit.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#175

Post by Protostome »

jacooper wrote: post #160
shilgapira wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How dare the founders be born in a country!

You are saying this as if the founder is a normal civilian. The guy served in unit 8200 and 81 around the beginning of the 2000s(Second Intifada, first g a z a war, if not more), and overstayed his mandatory service. This isn't a normal company, just like every Israeli security "startup" with founders coming from idf intelligence units. Even ignoring this, 32b for such a company just doesn't make sense.

Yes, the world is a very simple, non-complex system. People can be either child killing monsters or complete saints.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#176

Post by more_corn »

Marsymars wrote: post #157
_countzero_ wrote: post #98

This seems like a silly and ridiculous acquisition. Surely for $32 billion almost any security technology could be replicated? You could hire several thousand best in class engineers and build whatever Wiz has in house… buying this almost makes it seem like Google has no idea how to build new innovative products, which I guess a lot of people already think. For Instagram and WhatsApp it was the user base and growth t…

> You could hire several thousand best in class engineers How easy is this? Especially if you're doing it on an accelerated timeline, it seems like you'd have to pay above market to poach thousands of best-in-class engineers, and then you're stuck with higher salary expenses forever.

Google already employs some of the best software engineers in the world. In fact they’ve been laying off thousands of them. Google, like most big companies struggles to innovate because succeeding at a big company and making something fresh and new are different and often mutually exclusive skills. If they could have built it themselves they would have.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#177

Post by more_corn »

InkCanon wrote: post #154
_countzero_ wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah but Google is a trillion dollar company. Why do they need to spend $32billion on a company whose only value add seems to be they are good at finding exploits? You could hire every cyber security researcher in the country for $32billion.

It is a difficult question to answer. For example, why did Google acquire YouTube in the early 2010s? A platform technically and engineering wise similar to YouTube would have been very easy to replicate. IMO the best explanation goes back all the way to the days of Standard Oil/Carnegie Steel company - and quite possibly even the East India Company. There's an enormous benefit to consolidate various businesses under…

Google did in fact have a product that was technically similar and in fact superior to YouTube. Remember Google Video? It was better and people hated it.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#178

Post by Kipters »

JKCalhoun wrote: post #132
neom wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you'd be so kind for those of us that haven't touched cloud in 5/10 years, what is Wiz? from reading the google announcement: solving the supply chain hybrid cloud security issues? I could google I know but you seem to know what you are talking about, so if you'd be so kind. :)

I thought they made smart lightbulbs (I have some "WiZ" ones installed in fact).

I was worried it was that WiZ, luckily it's not Their bulbs are one of the few WiFi bulbs that don't require an app to operate (only for the initial configuration)

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#179

Post by Ylpertnodi »

sudo-i wrote: post #129
kamranjon wrote: post #107

I’m just curious if anyone here has actually heard of this company before this announcement? If you have, what is your opinion on this acquisition?

Growing up in the NYC area this is what I think of when someone says the wiz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiz_(store)

I have 'wiz' lights in my place - home-networked lighting system. Which works. Well. For me....so glad g hasn't acquired them.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#180

Post by mi_lk »

popol1991 wrote: post #143
kamranjon wrote: post #107

I’m just curious if anyone here has actually heard of this company before this announcement? If you have, what is your opinion on this acquisition?

They are huge in the cybersecurity space, led by veteran founders, solve real problems, fastest growth to $100M ARR in the history...

In cybersecurity history or the history?
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