Databricks buys Row Zero

Data platform Databricks announced on Thursday that it has acquired Row Zero, an early-stage cloud spreadsheet startup that can scale beyond one million live spreadsheet rows.

Why Databricks wanted it

Databricks' finance team discovered Row Zero could integrate with Genie, the company's AI agent that lets users ask natural-language questions about data, such as analyzing profit margins or sales prospect status.

The strategic fit

By combining spreadsheets with AI agents and business intelligence, enterprises can manipulate secure data in familiar spreadsheet format rather than transferring it to insecure shared spreadsheets or learning new software.

“Spreadsheets are one such interface that every business analyst loves. So it makes a lot of sense to intermarry Business Intelligence (BI), Agents, and Spreadsheets!”

Row Zero's background

Row Zero was founded by former AWS and Tableau engineers. The startup raised ten million dollars in May twenty twenty-five at an estimated forty million dollar valuation, according to PitchBook.

Databricks on an acquisition spree

Databricks closed five billion dollars in funding in August and hit seven billion dollars in annualized revenue run rate. CEO Ali Ghodsi told TechCrunch the company intends to do many more acquisitions like this in the future.

“We intend to do many more acquisitions like this in the future.”

Recent acquisition history

In twenty twenty-six, Databricks bought Quotient AI and SiftD.ai in March, Panther in June, and Electric in August. The company is actively shopping for more startups to acquire.