Assaf Rappaport (Hebrew: אסף רפפורט; born 28 August 1983) is an Israeli entrepreneur and cybersecurity executive. He is a co-founder and chief executive officer of Wiz, a cloud security company, and a co-founder of the cybersecurity startup Adallom. Rappaport previously was the head of Microsoft’s Israel Research and Development (R&D) Center. He gained significant recognition following the announcement in March 2025 that Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, intended to acquire Wiz for approximately US$32 billion, which, if completed, would mark the largest acquisition of an Israeli technology company to date.[1][2]
Assaf Rappaport | |
|---|---|
אסף רפפורט | |
.jpg) Rappaport in 2024 | |
| Born | 28 August 1983 Israel |
| Education | |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, cybersecurity executive |
| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of Wiz; co-founder of Adallom |
Early life and education
editRappaport was born on 28 August 1983, in Israel.[3] He graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, physics, and mathematics. He later earned a master’s degree (MSc) in computer science from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.[3]
During his academic years, Rappaport was selected for the Talpiot program, an elite Israel Defense Forces (IDF) unit that combines rigorous academic studies with leadership and technological training.[3]
Military service
editRappaport enlisted for mandatory service in 2001. He joined IDF's Talpiot program.[4] After finishing Talpiot, he served in Unit 81, a top-secret technological unit, and then served as a captain in Unit 8200, the IDF’s cyber and signal intelligence corps.[1] During this time, he met Roy Reznik, Ami Luttwak, and Yinon Costica, all of whom would become his future business partners.[5]
Career
editEarly roles
editAfter his military service, Rappaport briefly worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company before starting his own cybersecurity venture.[5][better source needed][6]
Adallom (2012–2015)
editIn 2012, Rappaport co-founded Adallom, a cloud access security broker (CASB), with Ami Luttwak and Roy Reznik. Adallom specialized in protecting data in software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. Within three years, it was acquired by Microsoft in July 2015 for approximately $320 million.[1][7]
Microsoft (2015–2019)
editFollowing the acquisition, Rappaport and his co-founders moved to Microsoft. At the age of 34, he was appointed head of Microsoft’s Israel Research & Development Center, which employed around 1,500 people.[1] He also led the company’s Cloud Security Group, working to improve security offerings within Azure.[citation needed]
Wiz (2020–present)
editFounding and early growth
editIn January 2020, Rappaport left Microsoft to co-found Wiz with Ami Luttwak, Roy Reznik, and Yinon Costica.[2] Wiz provides a platform for real-time security risk assessment across multiple cloud environments, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, and Google Cloud.[5] The company aimed to offer a cloud security platform capable of scanning across major cloud providers.
Wiz emerged from stealth mode in December 2020 with a US$100 million Series A funding round.[8] By mid-2021, Wiz had achieved “unicorn” status after raising several hundred million dollars in additional funding, placing its valuation at around $6 billion.[8][better source needed] In February 2023, Wiz secured another $300 million in funding, bringing its valuation to $10 billion,[8] followed by a US$1 billion Series E in May 2024 that increased its valuation to $12 billion.[8] Venture capital firms such as Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, Insight Partners, and prominent tech executives participated in these rounds, making Wiz one of the fastest-growing software-as-a-service companies on record. According to various sources, Wiz reached $100 million in annual recurring revenue within 18 months of operation.[5][better source needed]
Acquisition by Google
editBy 2023, Wiz served over 40% of Fortune 100 companies.[5][better source needed][9] In mid-2024, reports suggested that Alphabet was interested in acquiring Wiz. Although Rappaport initially rejected an offer of about $23 billion to explore an initial public offering (IPO), negotiations resumed amid a weakening IPO market. On 18 March 2025, Alphabet announced it had entered into an agreement to acquire Wiz for $32 billion in cash, subject to regulatory approvals.[2] The deal, if finalized, would be the largest in Google’s history, as well as the largest acquisition of an Israeli technology company.[1][3] Wiz is expected to be integrated under Google Cloud while retaining its independence in serving multi-cloud customers.[2] With an estimated 10 percent stake in the company, Rappaport is expected to make over $3 billion before taxes once the acquisition is finalised.[10]
Personal life
editRappaport came out as gay at a young age and is in a long-term relationship with Ophir, a former educator who now works in the high-tech sector. He became the first CEO in Israel to introduce surrogacy grants for both same-sex and heterosexual couples at Wiz.
Rappaport is known for his preference for simplicity and convenience over material wealth. He chooses public transportation over owning a car, citing parking difficulties in his area. His leadership style is described as unconventional, engaging with employees as equals and typically dressing casually in jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt.
Rappaport is also recognized for his outspoken political views. He has actively participated in protests against the Israeli government’s controversial judicial reform efforts. In response to these reforms, he announced that Wiz would transfer funds out of Israel, retaining only what was necessary for salaries and essential operations.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Still rents, rides public transit: How billionaire CEO Assaf Rappaport led Wiz to a record exit". Ynetnews. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d "From Waze to Wiz: How Google learned to love Israeli tech". The Times of Israel. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Congratulations to Assaf Rappaport... on the acquisition of Wiz by Google". The Taub Faculty of Computer Science, Technion. 19 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ Rappaport, Assaf (14 April 2021). "7 lessons from reaching a $1.7 billion valuation in just one year". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Cloud Captains: How Assaf Rappaport and His Extraordinary Co-founders Built the World's Fastest-Growing Company". Index Ventures. 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ Ohana, Lior (19 March 2025). "Still rents, rides public transit: How billionaire CEO Assaf Rappaport led Wiz to a record exit". Ynetnews. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ^ "Adallom – Wikipedia (archived info)". Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Wiz, Inc. – Wikipedia (archived info)". Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ "Report: Wiz Business Breakdown & Founding Story | Contrary Research". research.contrary.com. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ^ "Wiz founders to pocket over $3 billion each in Google deal". Calcalist. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.