Visa to buy Israeli fraud detection firm BioCatch for $2.4 billion in cash

Payments company Visa announced on Monday 3 August 2026 that it has agreed to acquire Israeli fraud detection company BioCatch for $2.4 billion in cash. BioCatch is being bought from funds advised by London based private equity firm Permira and from other shareholders.

BioCatch uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse more than 3,000 anonymised data points, including keystroke patterns, mouse activity, touchscreen behaviour and signs of a compromised device, in order to distinguish genuine customers from fraudsters, bots and people acting under coercion during digital banking sessions.

Andrew Torre, president of Visa's value added services division, said the technology will help clients stop fraud before it reaches the point of payment. Visa estimates that account takeovers and scams cost the global economy more than $1 trillion a year. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, and Visa expects it to close by the end of its fiscal second quarter of 2027.