Zeta Global Acquires Toronto's Senso to Scale Generative Engine Optimization

New York-based marketing platform Zeta Global announced on Monday that it has reached an agreement 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—under the Zeta Global umbrella.

According to BetaKit, Senso's technology had already been powering Zeta's generative engine optimization (GEO) offering. By acquiring the startup, Zeta aims to enhance its AI trust and discoverability tools. This focus comes as AI assistants—such as Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Google AI overviews—become primary channels for customer discovery.

Saroop Bharwani stated that the partnership will allow Senso's AI capabilities to merge with Zeta's customer intelligence and proprietary data. The goal is to enable businesses to identify who AI is reaching, optimize their presence in AI-generated responses, and link those results to measurable outcomes, BetaKit reports.

Senso's path to acquisition began in 2017, when it was founded by Bharwani and CTO Thomas Nelson. The company initially focused on predictive intelligence tools designed to assist credit unions and other financial institutions with customer retention. In a LinkedIn post following the deal, Bharwani noted that by 2022, he was uncertain if the company would survive.

The startup's trajectory shifted in 2024 when it joined the Y Combinator accelerator. Less than a year later, Senso launched a GEO tool specifically for credit unions to evaluate and improve their visibility on AI-powered search platforms, BetaKit reports.

The shift toward GEO reflects a broader change in consumer behavior. BetaKit cites a study from the SEO marketing agency Eight Oh Two, which found that 37 percent of consumers now use AI tools to start web searches instead of traditional engines, while 47 percent utilize AI to assist in purchase decisions.