Co-founders of Wiz, Assaf Rappaport, Yinon Costica, Roy Reznik, and Ami Luttwak, have revolutionized cloud security, quickly becoming one of the biggest tech exits in history. The company was founded in March 2020, and by August 2022, it had scaled from $1M ARR (annual recurring revenue) to $100M ARR in 18 months. This achievement would make it the first software company in the world to accomplish such a remarkable feat in such a short span of time.
Behind Wiz’s success
The cybersecurity platform made waves in the tech world through its use of agentless APIs (application programming interfaces) to create comprehensive maps of cloud environments, allowing it to systematically identify security risks and provide real-time developer feedback.
According to Wiz, the agentless system marks the company as the first CNAPP (cloud-native application protection platform) to “fully integrate native AI security into its platform.” At a time when threats to the cloud service ecosystem are constantly evolving, the open-source software provides much-needed security that has been missing.
Assaf Gilead of Globes noted that Google’s acquisition of Wiz in March 2025 emphasized the growing need for enhanced cybersecurity. Historically, Google’s network security has lagged significantly behind its biggest competitors, Microsoft and Amazon. The promise of Wiz’s success and potential encouraged the conglomerate to close the gap between its competitors, making Wiz not one but two offers of acquisition, with the final deal amounting to $32 billion.
The team that brought Wiz to life
One cannot speak to the company’s immense success without emphasizing the seeds of camaraderie, family, and passion from which it developed. In an interview with Calcalist, Yinon Costica, one of the founders of Wiz and vice president of product, described how “they’re a team that met on a bus to the IDF Induction Center… and have been working together ever since.”
The humble and simple culture of the four Wiz founders has had a significant impact on its growth and success as a company. Gili Ranaan, a distinguished Israeli venture capitalist, remembers investing in the company, not because of a magnificent presentation but because of an impressive team.
According to an interview with Calcalist, Ranaan recalled calling Assaf Rappaport, asking for a meeting, and being turned down because Rappaport heard that he “changes CEOs after meeting them.”
Rappaport’s grounded and honest energy is what convinced Raanan that he was worth investing in, even going so far as to say that “this is the first time [he’s] heard such a thing. This guy is special.” After failing to arrange a meeting in Michmoret due to Rappaport’s lack of a car, they ended up connecting at a gas station and signing the deal on a napkin.
The immense success of Wiz, wholly attributed to its innovative, passionate, and creative founders, marks a point of solidarity and strength in a time of fear and uncertainty for Israel. In an op-ed for The Jerusalem Post, Dan Perry called this moment a “testament to Israel’s enduring tech prowess and a defiant vote of confidence in a country in crisis.” In a time fraught with criticism, condemnation, and admonishment, Israeli successes illuminate the existence of prosperity amid crisis.