Zeta Global Acquires Toronto's Senso to Scale AI Search Capabilities
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The New York-based marketing platform is bringing Senso's generative engine optimization technology and team in-house.
As first reported by BetaKit, New York-based marketing platform Zeta Global announced Monday it has reached an agreement to acquire Toronto-based Senso. While the purchase price was not disclosed, the deal brings Senso's generative engine optimization (GEO) technology and its team—including CEO Saroop Bharwani—into Zeta's fold.
Zeta intends to use the acquisition to enhance its AI trust and discoverability tools. As consumers increasingly rely on AI assistants like Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Google AI overviews for discovery, GEO is becoming a critical replacement for traditional search engine optimization (SEO). BetaKit notes a study by 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.
Founded in 2017 by Bharwani and CTO Thomas Nelson, Senso originally focused on predictive intelligence for credit unions to aid customer retention. In a LinkedIn post following the deal, Bharwani admitted he was uncertain if the company would survive by 2022. However, after joining the Y Combinator accelerator in 2024, Senso developed a GEO tool designed to help credit unions manage their visibility on AI-powered search platforms.
Bharwani stated that the partnership allows Senso's AI capabilities to merge with Zeta's customer intelligence and proprietary data, helping brands improve their presence in AI-generated answers and link those insights to measurable results.