Visa entered a definitive agreement on Monday to purchase Tel Aviv-based fraud prevention specialist BioCatch for 2.4 billion dollars in cash, incorporating the company into its broader collection of cybersecurity, risk and payment-protection offerings.

BioCatch supports more than 350 financial institutions operating in 21 countries, shielding 760 million users and 1.8 billion devices. Its artificial-intelligence and machine-learning platforms review over 3,000 anonymized data points to detect suspicious behavior, advancing the adoption of intelligent fraud prevention across digital payments.

Andrew Torre, president of value-added services at Visa, stated that account takeovers and scams impose annual costs exceeding one trillion dollars on the global economy, with artificial intelligence now enabling these attacks at greater speed and scale.

He noted that BioCatch will allow clients to block fraud before it reaches the payment stage. The acquisition forms part of a strategy to address cyber threats earlier while continuing to safeguard transactions in progress, thereby building confidence in every exchange.

Visa reported spending more than 13 billion dollars on technology and infrastructure during the past five years to secure the payments ecosystem. The transaction also underscores rising demand for real-time fraud detection throughout financial services.

The deal is expected to close by the end of Visa's fiscal second quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and other standard conditions. It follows a period of notable Israeli cybersecurity exits, including Google's acquisition of Wiz.

BioCatch Works to Build Greater Trust in Digital Banking

BioCatch chief executive Gadi Mazor said real-time insights into customer intent are becoming essential for institutions seeking to establish trust during digital banking sessions.

For more than a decade the company has shown how behavioral signals can distinguish criminals from legitimate users. In recent years it has also demonstrated how real-time intelligence sharing among clients can further strengthen behavioral analysis.

Combined with Visa, the firm will be better positioned to advance its mission of making transactions safer and protecting consumers from financial crime.