Databricks, the Data and AI company, announced on September 24, 2026, that it has acquired Row Zero, a cloud-native spreadsheet startup designed for collaboration between humans and AI agents. The acquisition will extend Genie, Databricks’ AI coworker, by adding a familiar spreadsheet interface that business teams can use for exploration, modeling, and collaboration. The combined offering is intended to operate on a governed foundation powered by Genie Ontology, Unity Catalog, and Unity Gateway.
Bringing Governed Spreadsheets to Genie
Spreadsheets remain the most widely used analytics tool in the business world because their flexibility allows users to model complex business scenarios with familiar formulas. At the same time, this prevalence creates serious governance and security challenges as teams rely on ungoverned files known as spreadmarts. Databricks argues that as AI agents increasingly analyze and act on business data, they cannot operate on sensitive information with unknown lineage or quality.
Row Zero addresses this gap by offering a scalable spreadsheet that connects directly to live, governed data instead of creating unmanaged exports. The product is designed to preserve the way teams already work while providing built-in security and auditability for human and agent actions. Row Zero will natively integrate with the Databricks Data and AI Platform, including Genie on web, desktop, and mobile apps, allowing users to move from chat to pivoting, modeling, and visualization.
How the Acquisition Came Together
The acquisition emerged after Databricks’ finance team began using Row Zero as a cloud tool capable of scaling beyond one million live spreadsheet rows. They combined Row Zero with Genie to ask natural-language questions about data stored in Databricks systems, such as profit margin changes or sales pipeline status. When executives noticed the tool’s adoption, Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi said the combination of business intelligence, agents, and spreadsheets made strong sense for enterprise users.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Row Zero was founded by former AWS and Tableau engineers, and the startup had raised $10 million in May 2025 at an estimated valuation of $40 million, according to PitchBook. The acquisition fits into a broader Databricks strategy following a $5 billion funding round in August and an annualized revenue run rate of $7 billion, with CEO Ali Ghodsi signaling that more acquisitions are planned.
Platform Capabilities and Availability
Row Zero is built for compatibility with popular spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, supporting familiar formulas, pivots, and keyboard shortcuts. Its governed integration into leading data platforms ensures that queries honor user permissions, data refreshes from authoritative sources, and exports can be restricted or written back securely. The product also features a data processing engine that allows users to work with billions of rows at interactive speeds.
Databricks co-founder and VP of Engineering Patrick Wendell said that as finance, operations, and go-to-market teams adopt Genie, a seamless spreadsheet experience is essential. He added that the Row Zero team will help Genie evolve into the go-to AI coworker for every enterprise team. Row Zero founder and CEO Breck Fresen said joining Databricks accelerates the company’s vision of giving business users a secure, connected, scalable spreadsheet deeply integrated with AI agents.
By acquiring Row Zero, Databricks is positioning Genie as a more practical interface for business users who prefer spreadsheets over traditional BI tools. The integration aims to combine the flexibility of spreadsheet modeling with the security, governance, and scale of the Databricks platform. Row Zero will be available to all Databricks customers across major clouds and will continue to support data sources beyond Databricks, reinforcing the company’s open and enterprise-ready approach.