Databricks buys Row Zero and is scouting for more startups to acquire
News Source
β’Thu, 24 Sep 2026 17:07:55 +0000
π° What Happened
Databricks says it has bought Row Zero, an early-stage startup that makes spreadsheets in the cloud. The price was not shared. The deal was announced on Thursday.
Row Zero can handle more than 1 million live rows, far more than normal spreadsheets. Databricks staff had already been using it alongside Genie, the company's AI agent.
The plan is to let workers ask questions in plain language and see the answers inside a spreadsheet they already know how to use. The data itself stays inside the company's secure systems.
π The Backstory
Row Zero was founded by former engineers from AWS and Tableau. It raised $10 million in May 2025, when it was valued at about $40 million. It began as a faster, bigger alternative to ordinary spreadsheets.
Databricks has been buying companies quickly. It bought Quotient AI and SiftD.ai in March, Panther in June, and Electric last month. It has spent much of 2026 shopping for smaller tech firms.
The company raised another $5 billion in August and says its yearly revenue run rate has reached $7 billion. Chief executive Ali Ghodsi said Databricks plans many more deals like this one.
π― Why It Matters
If AI agents can work inside spreadsheets, many office workers may not need to learn new software. Big deals like this also show where AI money is going.
Databricks says it has bought Row Zero, an early-stage startup that makes spreadsheets in the cloud. The price was not shared. The deal was announced on Thursday.
Row Zero can handle more than 1 million live rows, far more than normal spreadsheets. Databricks staff had already been using it alongside Genie, the company's AI agent.
The plan is to let workers ask questions in plain language and see the answers inside a spreadsheet they already know how to use. The data itself stays inside the company's secure systems.
Row Zero was founded by former engineers from AWS and Tableau. It raised $10 million in May 2025, when it was valued at about $40 million. It began as a faster, bigger alternative to ordinary spreadsheets.
Databricks has been buying companies quickly. It bought Quotient AI and SiftD.ai in March, Panther in June, and Electric last month. It has spent much of 2026 shopping for smaller tech firms.
The company raised another $5 billion in August and says its yearly revenue run rate has reached $7 billion. Chief executive Ali Ghodsi said Databricks plans many more deals like this one.
If AI agents can work inside spreadsheets, many office workers may not need to learn new software. Big deals like this also show where AI money is going.