Visa to Acquire Israeli BioCatch for $2.4 Billion
Visa is acquiring Israeli cybersecurity company BioCatch for $2.4 billion in cash. The seller is Premier Fund, which acquired control in 2024 at a valuation of about $1.3 billion. The deal is expected to close by mid-2027, subject to regulatory approvals. BioCatch develops technology that detects fraud based on user behavior on devices, protecting 1.8 billion devices and 760 million users across 21 countries.
American credit card giant Visa will acquire Israeli cybersecurity company BioCatch for $2.4 billion in cash, the companies reported on Monday. The actual seller is investment fund Premier, which acquired control of BioCatch in 2024 from previous shareholders – Bain Capital and Maverick Ventures – at a valuation of about $1.3 billion. The deal is expected to close by mid-2027, subject to regulatory approvals. BioCatch develops technology that identifies financial fraud based on user behavior on the device, not just the password typed. The system analyzes thousands of parameters – how the user types, holds the phone, touches the screen – and builds a unique behavioral fingerprint. It detects in real time whether it is the real account owner or an attacker who stole credentials and is trying to impersonate them. According to the company, the system currently protects 1.8 billion devices and 760 million users in 21 countries, at more than 350 banks worldwide. BioCatch was founded in 2011 in Tel Aviv by Avi Turgeman and the late Benny Rosenbaum. The company employs about 400 people, most in Israel. Sources close to the company say it has raised $115 million to date. BioCatch CEO Gadi Mazor said: "For over a decade, we have proven the unique ability of behavioral analysis to distinguish between the criminal and the legitimate, and in the last two years we have also shown how real-time information sharing among our clients further amplifies the power of our behavioral intelligence." Andrew Torre, President of Value-Added Services at Visa, noted that fraud costs the global economy over a trillion dollars a year. The acquisition continues a trend of moving from one-time authentication to continuous user assessment. Visa has invested over $13 billion in security infrastructure over the past five years.