New York's Zeta Global Acquires Toronto-Based Senso
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The acquisition brings Senso's generative engine optimization technology and AI engineering team in-house to boost Zeta's discoverability offerings.
New York-based marketing platform Zeta Global announced Monday that it has agreed to acquire Toronto-based Senso, as BetaKit first reported. While the purchase price was not disclosed, the deal brings Senso's technology and its team—including CEO and co-founder Saroop Bharwani—into Zeta's fold.
Zeta intends to use the acquisition to enhance its in-house generative engine optimization (GEO) capabilities. As AI assistants like Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT, and Google AI overviews become primary tools for customer discovery, Zeta aims to improve how brands appear in AI-generated answers and connect those insights to measurable outcomes. Saroop Bharwani stated that combining Senso's AI capabilities with Zeta's proprietary data will help businesses understand who AI is reaching.
Founded in 2017 by Bharwani and CTO Thomas Nelson, Senso originally focused on predictive intelligence tools for customer retention within financial institutions, specifically credit unions. Bharwani noted in a LinkedIn post that he was uncertain if the company would survive by 2022. However, after joining the Y Combinator accelerator in 2024, Senso developed a GEO tool to help credit unions evaluate and improve their visibility on AI-powered search platforms.
The move comes as GEO begins to replace traditional search engine optimization (SEO). BetaKit notes a study by the agency Eight Oh Two showing that 47 percent of consumers use AI to assist in purchase decisions, while 37 percent use AI tools to start web searches instead of traditional engines.