Databricks’ Latest Acquisition Brings Spreadsheet Startup Into Its $190 Billion AI Push

Databricks is adding a spreadsheet layer to its AI platform with the acquisition of startup Row Zero, as the data company looks to make its Genie AI tools more useful for finance, operations and other business teams.

The deal will bring Row Zero’s spreadsheet technology into Databricks’ Genie product, giving users a familiar grid-based interface for working with live enterprise data while retaining controls around security, permissions and audit trails, the company revealed Thursday. 

The technology will run on Databricks’ Genie Ontology and connect with Unity Catalog and Unity Gateway, allowing spreadsheets to operate within the same governed data environment as the rest of the platform.

"As more finance, operations, and go-to-market teams adopt Genie, incorporating a seamless spreadsheet experience is a must-have," Databricks co-founder and Vice President of Engineering Patrick Wendell said.

Bringing Spreadsheets Into AI

The acquisition targets a familiar problem for large companies: employees often export data from enterprise systems into standalone spreadsheets, creating a gap between the data teams use and the controls designed to protect it.

Databricks said Row Zero is designed to keep spreadsheets connected to authoritative data sources while enforcing existing user permissions and maintaining an audit trail of both human and AI-agent activity.

That could become increasingly relevant as companies use AI agents to perform analysis and other routine business tasks. Rather than requiring employees to move between governed data platforms and disconnected spreadsheet files, Databricks is positioning Genie as a place where people and AI agents can work together on the same data.

"We built Row Zero because we love spreadsheets but recognized they needed to seamlessly connect to enterprise-scale data with governance and security at the core," Row Zero founder and CEO Breck Fresen said.

Fresen added that joining Databricks will accelerate the startup’s vision for a spreadsheet that is "secure, connected, scalable, and deeply integrated with AI agents."

Databricks Expands Its AI Footprint

Row Zero was founded by engineers with backgrounds at Amazon Web Services and Tableau. 

Databricks said the technology will be made available to customers across major cloud platforms while continuing to support data sources outside the Databricks ecosystem.

The acquisition comes as Databricks expands beyond its traditional role as a data and analytics platform and builds out a broader AI stack for enterprises. 

The company was valued at roughly $190 billion in a recent funding round, underscoring the scale of its push to capture spending on enterprise AI. Coatue led the round with participation from Blackstone, MGX, accounts advised by T. Rowe Price and new backer Sixth Street Growth.

The fresh capital is being used to build out Lakebase Genie, and Unity AI Gateway — products it positions as core infrastructure for deploying AI agents inside large organizations, the company said at the time.

In June, the San Francisco-based company acquired Panther Labs for an undisclosed price, as it looks to expand the company’s footprint in cybersecurity.

Despite operating for 13 years, Databricks has repeatedly delayed an IPO, choosing instead to raise private funding and facilitate secondary share sales. Ali Ghodsi, co-founder and CEO of Databricks, told investors that the company remains on track for an IPO, potentially as early as next year.

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