Adobe acquires Indian AI startup Rilo to expand agentic AI push

MUMBAI: Adobe has added another agent to its AI arsenal and this one comes with an Indian startup pedigree. The software giant has acquired Rilo, an Indian AI workflow automation startup founded in 2025 by IIT Bombay batchmates Dhruv Jaglan and Georgi Boby, as it steps up its push into agentic AI and automated marketing workflows.

Rilo built an AI automation platform that allows teams to create and execute workflows using natural-language instructions, initially aiming to make AI-powered automation accessible beyond engineering departments.

The startup later sharpened its focus on marketing and go-to-market teams, developing AI agents capable of handling tasks ranging from competitive intelligence and prospecting to LinkedIn outreach, Reddit marketing, social content and campaign research.

Its technology allowed users to create what Rilo called “AI employees” that could execute workflows across multiple tools. The startup crossed 10,000 users within months of launching and had raised funding at a reported valuation of $10 million.

Rilo was backed by Peak XV Partners, DeVC and Day Zero Ventures. Jaglan, its co-founder and CEO, announced the acquisition on LinkedIn, saying Rilo was joining Adobe to help bring AI to Fortune 500 marketers.

Co-founder Boby said the startup had been built around the idea of taking AI beyond engineers, adding that joining Adobe would allow the team to pursue that mission on a larger scale.

Rahul Gupta, managing partner at Day Zero Ventures, said Rilo’s workflow builder was ahead of its time and could help Adobe improve customer experience and productivity.

The deal marks Adobe’s second known acquisition in India. The company previously acquired AI-driven video creation startup Rephrase.ai in 2023.

Rilo’s acquisition comes as Adobe looks to strengthen its position in marketing software amid competition from Canva and AI players including Anthropic and OpenAI. As companies increasingly experiment with AI agents to automate complex tasks, marketing has emerged as a particularly active testing ground, from content creation to personalised customer experiences.

Adobe unveiled Adobe CX Enterprise in April, positioning it as an end-to-end agentic AI system spanning the customer lifecycle, including acquisition, engagement, conversion and loyalty.

Rilo’s workflow automation technology fits neatly into that wider strategy, particularly for marketing and go-to-market teams looking to automate multi-step processes. For Adobe, the acquisition adds a startup built around making those AI agents do more of the operational legwork turning the promise of agentic AI into something closer to an everyday marketing co-worker.