Google: Google-Wiz deal talks: Here’s a look at the tech giant’s biggest acquisitions

Despite heightened regulatory scrutiny in recent years, Google parent Alphabet is reportedly in talks to acquire New York-based cybersecurity startup Qiz for nearly $23 billion, as the search engine giant looks to take on rivals Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure in the cloud computing space. If it goes through, it would be the tech giant’s biggest acquisition to date, nearly twice what it paid for Motorola Mobility in 2012.

To keep up with the competition, Google has made some big deals over the past decade. In light of the biggest deal ever, here’s a look at some of its major acquisitions.

Mandian: In 2022, Google acquired cybersecurity company Mandiant for $5.4 billion to up its cloud game. While retaining the brand name, the company added Mandiant to Google Cloud to help organizations improve threat, incident, and exposure management.

Simplify: Google made another acquisition in 2022, an Israeli cybersecurity startup called Siempligy, to expand its security offerings in the face of growing attacks. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed by the companies, but a source told Reuters that Google paid about $500 million in cash for Siemplify.

FitBit: In January 2021, Google completed its acquisition of wearable health company FitBit for $2.1 billion. This came a year after the Justice Department and a group of state attorneys general sued Google, accusing it of abusing its dominant position in online search in violation of antitrust laws.

Looker: In February 2020, the tech giant announced it had acquired data analytics startup Looker for $2.6 billion, the company’s first acquisition under Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurien.

Nest Laboratories: In 2014, Google bought Nest Labs, which makes hardware like thermostats and smoke detectors, for $3.2 billion in cash. After that deal, Nest began operating independently, and its co-founder, Matt Rogers, joined Google.

Waze: In 2013, Google acquired the mapping company Waze for $1.15 billion.

Motorola Mobility: In the largest transaction to date, Google bought Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion in 2012. Analysts questioned the tech giant’s motives for the deal for more than a year after it closed. Google ultimately sold Motorola to Lenovo less than two years later for just $2.91 billion.