From Waze to Wiz, Google Bets Big on Israeli Tech — Even in the Eye of the Storm

Deal shows how much upside there is in Israel righting its trajectory

In what is now the largest acquisition in both Google’s and Israel’s history — and the fourth-largest tech deal of all time — the tech giant agreed in recent weeks to acquire Israeli cloud security startup Wiz for a staggering $32 billion. The deal is a defining moment for the global cybersecurity industry, a testament to Israel’s enduring tech prowess, and a defiant vote of confidence in a country in crisis. It’s also a wake-up call to Israel: There is much to lose if you continue along your path to self-destruction.

That a startup founded in 2020 could reach this valuation in under five years is astonishing in any context. But for this to happen amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas and escalating global calls to boycott or isolate the country makes the acquisition all the more significant (even if the company is now “registered” in the U.S.

Wiz is far from Google’s first foray into Israeli tech. In 2013 bought Waze for $1.1 billion. The crowd-sourced navigation app transformed Google Maps and helped solidify Israel's image as the "Startup Nation." In the years since, Google has quietly built out a massive R&D presence in Israel, employing over 2,000 engineers focused on AI, cybersecurity, navigation, cloud infrastructure, and even core Search functions.

Other acquisitions like Elastifile, Alooma, and SlickLogin, all Israel-origin startups, complemented this strategy. But Wiz marks a new peak. Founded by ex-Microsoft Israel R&D heads, Wiz has grown into the most valuable cloud security company on the planet in record time. It claims its tools are now used by over 40% of the Fortune 100.

It also catapults Google into a rarefied list of the biggest tech acquirers in history. Only a handful of deals have ever topped the $30 billion mark: