Okta vs Wiz: Founders, CEOs and History
Okta was founded in 2009 by Todd McKinnon, Frederic Kerrest and is led by Todd McKinnon. Wiz was founded in 2020 by Assaf Rappaport, Yinon Costica, Ami Luttwak and is led by Assaf Rappaport.
Company facts
Founders
Okta
Todd McKinnon
Todd McKinnon co-founded Okta in 2009 and has been its CEO since the start. At Salesforce he ran engineering during its early growth, which shaped his view that SaaS adoption would make identity, not the network perimeter, the core of enterprise security.
Frederic Kerrest
Frederic Kerrest co-founded Okta with Todd McKinnon in 2009 and led its early sales, partnerships and operations as chief operating officer, later serving as executive vice chairman.
Wiz
Assaf Rappaport
Assaf Rappaport is co-founder and CEO of Wiz. He led the company's fundraising from its $100 million Series A in 2020 to its $1 billion round at a $12 billion valuation in 2024, declined Google's $23 billion offer in July 2024, and then agreed to the $32 billi…
Yinon Costica
Yinon Costica co-founded Wiz in 2020. Having served extensively in the elite Unit 8200 of the Israeli Defense Forces, he brought absolutely unparalleled expertise in nation-state level cyber threats.
Ami Luttwak
Ami Luttwak co-founded Wiz in 2020. As the absolutely critical technical genius (also a Unit 8200 veteran), he built the core engineering engine capable of plugging directly into massive AWS and Azure APIs to instantly find zero-day vulnerabilities without req…
Roy Reznik
Roy Reznik co-founded Wiz in 2020. He managed the incredibly complex, massive backend scaling required to analyze billions of cloud configuration files across massive Fortune 500 networks in real-time, completely revolutionizing how quickly enterprises could d…
CEOs and their tenures
Okta
- Todd McKinnon2009–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Has led Okta since founding, through its 2017 IPO, the 2021 Auth0 deal and its turn to GAAP profitability in fiscal 2025.
Source - Frederic Kerrest2009–2023
Co-Founder; former COO and Executive Vice Chairman
As Co-Founder and Vice Chairman, he provided the absolutely essential business and sales acumen required to scale the company, perfectly complementing Todd McKinnon's technical expertise.
Source - Brett Tighe2022–present
Chief Financial Officer
Oversaw margin expansion to a 30% free cash flow margin in fiscal 2026, the cash settlement of the 2026 convertible notes and the share buyback.
Source
Wiz
- Assaf Rappaport2020–present
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Leads Wiz's strategy and led the company through its funding rounds and the sale to Alphabet.
Source - Dali Rajic2024–present
President and Chief Operating Officer
Recruited as President and COO (formerly of Zscaler), he brings absolute enterprise sales discipline, heavily preparing the massive cybersecurity darling for a highly anticipated IPO.
Source
Timeline: Okta and Wiz side by side
2009Okta
Founded as Saasure in San Francisco
Todd McKinnon and Frederic Kerrest start the company; it is soon renamed Okta.
2015Okta
$1.2 Billion Valuation
Okta raised $75 million in September 2015 at a valuation of about $1.2 billion.
2017Okta
Nasdaq IPO (OKTA)
Okta lists in April 2017 at $17 per share, raising about $187 million.
2019Okta
Azuqua Acquired
Okta bought the workflow-automation company Azuqua in 2019 for about $52.5 million.
2020Wiz
Founding and Series A
Founded in January; raised a $100 million Series A in December.
2021Okta
Auth0 acquisition closes
Okta completes its roughly $6.5 billion all-stock purchase of Auth0 in May 2021, adding customer identity.
2021Wiz
Series B and C
Raised $250 million across a Series B at a $1.7 billion valuation, then $250 million in October at a $6 billion valuation.
2022Okta
Lapsus$ Breach
Okta disclosed in March 2022 that the Lapsus$ group had accessed a support engineer's laptop at a contractor.
2023Okta
Support system breach
An October 2023 compromise of Okta's customer support system exposed customer data and hurt trust.
2023Okta
Acquired Spera Security
Okta acquired Spera Security.
2023Wiz
Series D
Raised $300 million in February at a $10 billion valuation.
2023Wiz
Acquired Raftt
Wiz acquired Raftt for $50 million.
2024Wiz
Series E, acquisitions, and declined Google offer
Raised $1 billion at $12 billion in May, bought Gem Security and Dazz, and declined Google's $23 billion offer in July.
2025Okta
First full year of GAAP profit
Fiscal 2025 revenue reaches $2.610 billion with $28 million of GAAP net income.
2025Okta
Acquired Axiom Security
Okta acquired Axiom Security.
2025Wiz
Alphabet agreement and U.S. clearance
Agreed to a $32 billion sale to Alphabet in March; the deal cleared U.S. antitrust review in November.
2026Okta
Fiscal 2026: $2.919B revenue, $235M net income
Revenue grows 12% and free cash flow reaches $863 million.
2026Okta
Permiso deal and Okta for AI Agents
Okta agrees to buy Permiso Security in July 2026 and launches AI agent identity products at Oktane in September 2026.
2026Wiz
EU approval and closing
European Commission approved the deal unconditionally in February; it closed on March 11.
Acquisitions
Okta
- Permiso Security2026Undisclosed
- Axiom Security2025Undisclosed
- Spera Security2023Undisclosed
- Auth02021$6.5B
Questions about Okta vs Wiz
Who is the CEO of Okta, Inc. and Wiz, Inc.?
Okta, Inc. is led by Todd McKinnon and Wiz, Inc. is led by Assaf Rappaport. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Okta, Inc. founded vs Wiz, Inc.?
Okta, Inc. was founded in 2009 — 11 years before Wiz, Inc., which was founded in 2020. Okta, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Wiz, Inc..
How many employees does Okta, Inc. have compared to Wiz, Inc.?
Okta, Inc. employs approximately 6,366 people, while Wiz, Inc. employs approximately 1,800. Okta, Inc. has the larger workforce at 6,366 employees, compared to Wiz, Inc.'s 1,800. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Okta, Inc. and Wiz, Inc. headquartered?
Both Okta, Inc. and Wiz, Inc. are headquartered in United States. Their local rules and tax obligations may still differ.
Who founded Okta, Inc. and Wiz, Inc.?
Okta, Inc. was founded by Todd McKinnon, Frederic Kerrest. Wiz, Inc. was founded by Assaf Rappaport, Yinon Costica, Ami Luttwak, Roy Reznik.
Which company has a longer operating history — Okta, Inc. or Wiz, Inc.?
Okta, Inc. has been operating for approximately 17 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Wiz, Inc. has been in operation for around 6 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Okta vs Wiz overview