Databricks Acquires Row Zero to Give Its Genie AI Assistant a Governed Spreadsheet

Databricks is acquiring Row Zero, a cloud-based spreadsheet that works directly on live business data, and will fold the technology into Genie, its AI assistant. Terms were not disclosed.

A Spreadsheet That Respects Permissions

Row Zero, founded by former AWS and Tableau engineers, connects to live, governed data sources. Queries honor each user's permissions and every interaction is auditable — the opposite of the usual export-to-Excel workflow, where governance ends the moment data leaves the warehouse.

Built for Finance, Sales and Ops

The deal gives business teams a familiar spreadsheet interface with formulas they already know, on top of governed data. TechCrunch reported that Databricks' own finance team adopted Row Zero because it scaled beyond 1 million live rows.

Databricks Is Still Shopping

Row Zero is Databricks' fourth acquisition of 2026, and the company said it is scouting for more startups to buy. Row Zero had raised $10 million in May 2025.

Why It Matters

Spreadsheets remain where most business decisions are actually made. Bringing them inside the governed data platform — instead of fighting them — is a practical way to keep reporting consistent and secure while AI assistants take on more analysis.