Google has agreed to acquire cybersecurity startup Wiz for $32 billion (46.5 trillion KRW).

In a press release issued today, Google announced that it has signed an acquisition agreement with Wiz for this amount.

The acquisition will be paid entirely in cash, and upon closing, Wiz will join Google’s cloud computing division, “Google Cloud,” the company explained.

This deal marks the largest acquisition in Google’s history, surpassing the $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility in 2012 by more than 2.5 times.

Google outlined the rationale for the acquisition, stating, “This represents an investment by Google Cloud to accelerate two major, rapidly growing trends in the AI era: enhanced cloud security and the ability to leverage ‘multicloud’ environments.”

Headquartered in New York, Wiz provides services that identify and eliminate security risks in large-scale data stored in the cloud. Founded in 2020, the company was valued at $16 billion as of late last year.

Google’s acquisition price is double that valuation and reflects a 40% increase—$9 billion more—than the $23 billion it offered last year.

Wiz counts major cloud companies such as Amazon and Microsoft (MS), in addition to Google, among its clients.

Google anticipates that Wiz’s security technology will bolster its cloud service competitiveness, helping it close the gap with Amazon and Microsoft in the cloud computing market, where it has lagged behind.

However, a key variable remains: the deal’s final closure is subject to antitrust scrutiny from competition authorities.

Last year alone, the U.S. Department of Justice filed two antitrust lawsuits against Google, targeting its alleged illegal monopolistic practices in the online search market and other areas. This led Wiz and some investors to express skepticism about whether regulatory approval for the merger could be secured.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) previously noted that Google’s negotiations to acquire Wiz would serve as a test of the Trump administration’s stance on antitrust regulation and could set a precedent for other tech industry mergers and acquisitions.

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