**[Seoul Economic Daily]**
**Google Re-engages in Acquisition Talks for Cybersecurity Startup Wiz**
Google has re-entered negotiations to acquire the cybersecurity startup Wiz, which specializes in identifying and eliminating security risks in large-scale data stored in the cloud. According to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 17th (local time), Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is in final negotiations to acquire Wiz for $30 billion (approximately 43.35 trillion KRW), with a contract expected to be signed soon.
Based in New York, Wiz was founded in 2020 and had a corporate valuation of approximately $16 billion as of the end of last year. Google had previously attempted to acquire Wiz last year but faced obstacles related to antitrust concerns, investor worries, and disagreements on whether Wiz would operate as a separate division or be integrated into Google’s cloud computing division. At that time, the U.S. Department of Justice had filed two antitrust lawsuits against Google for alleged illegal monopolistic practices in the online search market, leading Wiz and some investors to doubt Google’s ability to secure approval from regulatory authorities.
However, expectations for acquisition approval have heightened with the business-friendly administration of Donald Trump taking office in the U.S. The lack of progress after Wiz’s move to prepare for an initial public offering (IPO) following last year’s breakdown in negotiations has also motivated the resumption of talks. If concluded, this deal would be Google’s largest acquisition to date, surpassing its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility in 2012 by 2.5 times. The WSJ described the potential Wiz acquisition as a test of the Trump administration’s resolve on antitrust regulations, which could set a precedent for other tech companies pursuing mergers and acquisitions.