Palo Alto Networks vs Wiz: Founders, CEOs and History
Palo Alto Networks was founded in 2005 by Nir Zuk and is led by Nikesh Arora. Wiz was founded in 2020 by Assaf Rappaport, Yinon Costica, Ami Luttwak and is led by Assaf Rappaport.
Company facts
Palo Alto Networks
- Founded
- 2005
- Headquarters
- Santa Clara, California, United States
- Current CEO
- Nikesh Arora
- Employees
- 16,068
Wiz
- Founded
- 2020
- Headquarters
- New York, New York, United States
- Current CEO
- Assaf Rappaport
- Employees
- 1,800
Founders
Palo Alto Networks
Nir Zuk
Nir Zuk is the Israeli-American engineer who founded Palo Alto Networks in 2005 and has served as its chief technology officer.
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 is co-founder and VP of Product at Wiz, responsible for the product direction of the platform across cloud posture, code security, and runtime protection.
Ami Luttwak
Ami Luttwak is co-founder and CTO of Wiz. He oversees technology and is a public face of the Wiz Research team, which has disclosed cloud vulnerabilities including ChaosDB, OMIGOD, and ExtraReplica.
Roy Reznik
Roy Reznik is co-founder and VP of R&D at Wiz, leading engineering. In October 2024 he told CNBC that Wiz had reached $500 million in ARR and aimed to double it in 2025.
CEOs and their tenures
Palo Alto Networks
- Mark McLaughlin2011–2018
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Became vice chairman when Nikesh Arora took over on June 6, 2018.
Source - Nikesh Arora2018–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Since 2018, Arora has led more than a dozen acquisitions, moved the revenue mix toward subscriptions, launched the 2024 platformization strategy and closed the $25 billion CyberArk deal.
Source - Dipak Golechha2021–present
Chief Financial Officer
Oversees financial guidance including the target of a 40% adjusted free cash flow margin in fiscal 2028.
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
Appointed in February 2024 to run go-to-market and operations as Wiz scaled toward $1 billion in ARR.
Source
Timeline: Palo Alto Networks and Wiz side by side
2005Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks Founded by Nir Zuk
Nir Zuk incorporates Palo Alto Networks in Santa Clara, California, developing application-aware network security architectures.
2007Palo Alto Networks
First Next-Generation Firewall (PA-4000 Series) Released
Palo Alto Networks ships the industry's first commercial Next-Generation Firewall, providing deep packet inspection and application identification via App-ID.
2012Palo Alto Networks
Initial Public Offering on the NYSE
Palo Alto Networks lists on the NYSE under ticker PANW at $42 per share, raising about $260 million. It later moved its listing to Nasdaq in 2021.
2018Palo Alto Networks
Nikesh Arora Appointed CEO
Former Google and SoftBank executive Nikesh Arora assumes leadership as CEO, initiating an aggressive multi-billion-dollar cloud security acquisition wave.
2019Palo Alto Networks
Prisma Cloud and Cortex Suites Launched
The company unifies its cloud security and AI-driven security operations center (SOC) capabilities into Prisma Cloud and Cortex platforms alongside Strata firewalls.
2020Wiz
Founding and Series A
Founded in January; raised a $100 million Series A in December.
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.
2023Wiz
Series D
Raised $300 million in February at a $10 billion valuation.
2024Palo Alto Networks
Enterprise 'Platformization' Acceleration
In February 2024 the company cut guidance to fund platformization incentives, offering customers free periods to consolidate onto its platforms; the stock fell about 28% the next day.
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.
2025Palo Alto Networks
Fiscal 2025 revenue of $9.22 billion
Revenue grew 15% to $9.22 billion with GAAP net income of $1.13 billion; in July 2025 the company agreed to buy CyberArk.
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.
2026Palo Alto Networks
CyberArk and Chronosphere acquisitions close
Palo Alto completed the $3.35 billion Chronosphere deal in January 2026 and the roughly $25 billion CyberArk deal in February 2026, adding observability and identity security.
2026Palo Alto Networks
Fiscal 2026 revenue of $11.48 billion
Revenue rose 24.5% to $11.48 billion and NGS ARR rose 63% to $9.10 billion for the year ended July 31, 2026.
2026Wiz
EU approval and closing
European Commission approved the deal unconditionally in February; it closed on March 11.
Acquisitions
Palo Alto Networks
- CyberArk2026$25B
- Chronosphere2026$3.4B
- Talon Cyber Security2023$625M
- Dig Security2023$400M
- Bridgecrew2021$156M
Questions about Palo Alto Networks vs Wiz
Who is the CEO of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. and Wiz, Inc.?
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is led by Nikesh Arora 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 Palo Alto Networks, Inc. founded vs Wiz, Inc.?
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. was founded in 2005 — 15 years before Wiz, Inc., which was founded in 2020. Palo Alto Networks, 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 Palo Alto Networks, Inc. have compared to Wiz, Inc.?
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. employs approximately 16,068 people, while Wiz, Inc. employs approximately 1,800. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has the larger workforce at 16,068 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 Palo Alto Networks, Inc. and Wiz, Inc. headquartered?
Both Palo Alto Networks, Inc. and Wiz, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Palo Alto Networks, Inc. and Wiz, Inc.?
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. was founded by Nir Zuk. Wiz, Inc. was founded by Assaf Rappaport, Yinon Costica, Ami Luttwak, Roy Reznik.
Which company has a longer operating history — Palo Alto Networks, Inc. or Wiz, Inc.?
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has been operating for approximately 21 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 Palo Alto Networks vs Wiz overview