Crunched

  • What it is:Crunched is an AI analyst that operates within Excel to error-check models, build financial frameworks, and extract data for consulting, investment banking, and private equity professionals.
  • Best for:Excel power users in consulting, Finance professionals building models, Investment banking and PE analysts
  • Pricing:Starting from $19/user/month
  • Rating:72/100Good
  • Expert's conclusion:The Crunched software is perfect for teams that rely on Excel and want the AI to take care of the complexity of creating models and auditing those models.
Reviewed byMaxim Manylov·Web3 Engineer & Serial Founder

What Is Crunched and What Does It Do?

A startup called Crunched that received funding from Y Combinator is creating an Excel native AI Analyst designed to be used by and for Excel Power Users in Management Consulting, Investment Banking and Private Equity. It was created by Philip Borge, Lars Gjardar Musæus, Michael Sakowski and Markus Skagemo in 2025 who have experienced AI Solutions for Enterprise and Consulting from their time at McKinsey. They currently have 5 Employees and are looking to expand across Europe and the US.

Active
📅Founded 2025
🏢Private
TARGET SEGMENTS
Management ConsultingInvestment BankingPrivate EquityFinance Professionals

What Are Crunched's Key Business Metrics?

🏢
5
Employees
📊
2025
Founding Year
👥
Consulting, IB, PE firms
Target Customers
📊
2x faster on tasks
Reported Speed Gain

How Credible and Trustworthy Is Crunched?

72/100
Good

An early-stage Y Combinator funded company, with Domain Expert Founders and some early Customer Traction in High-Value Finance Segments but minimal Public Metrics and is relatively new, founded in 2025.

Product Maturity55/100
Company Stability75/100
Security & Compliance80/100
User Reviews60/100
Transparency70/100
Support Quality75/100
Y Combinator backedFounders with 10,000+ hours Excel experience from McKinseyLive with consulting/IB/PE firmsEnterprise security focus

What is the history of Crunched and its key milestones?

2025

Company Founded

Founded by Philip Borge, Lars Gjardar Musæus, Michael Sakowski, and Markus Skagemo – all have extensive experience in both Excel and AI Solutions for Enterprise.

2025

Y Combinator Acceptance

Selected into Y Combinator as an Excel AI Analyst for Power Users.

2025

Customer Go-Live

Launched service with Management Consulting, IB and PE Firms in Europe and the US.

What Are the Key Features of Crunched?

Excel-Native AI Analyst
Built specifically for Excel Power Users with an AI Agent working directly within Spreadsheets.
👥
Management Consulting Workflows
Designed to handle Complex Financial Modeling common in Consulting, IB, and PE.
2x Modeling Speed
Users have reported they can perform specific Excel tasks 2x faster using the tool.
🔒
Enterprise Security
Utilizes cutting-edge security to manage the highly confidential Client Data.
Live Collaboration
Works directly within current Excel workflows and does not replace familiar Tools.

What Technology Stack and Infrastructure Does Crunched Use?

Integrations

Microsoft Excel

AI/ML Capabilities

Excel-native AI agent tailored for financial modeling with enterprise security for confidential data

Limited technical details available; Excel integration confirmed from product description

What Are the Best Use Cases for Crunched?

Management Consultants
Performs client deliverable, slide deck backbone and complex financial analysis 2x faster using AI assistance directly in Excel Workflows.
Investment Banking Associates
Uses AI assistance to accelerate Deal Modeling and Valuation Work in Excel Workflows.
Private Equity Analysts
Uses Excel Native AI Support to speed up Portfolio Company Modeling and LBO Analysis.
NOT FORCasual Excel Users
For Basic Spreadsheet Needs, General AI Tools are More Suitable for Non-Power Users.
NOT FORNon-Finance Teams
In Other Domains, there is not the same level of Specialization for Finance and Consulting Workflows.

How Much Does Crunched Cost and What Plans Are Available?

Pricing information with service tiers, costs, and details
Service$CostDetails🔗Source
Standard Plan$19/user/monthStarting price for core features including AI Excel analysis, modeling, and error checkingGetApp pricing page
Standard Plan$19/user/month
Starting price for core features including AI Excel analysis, modeling, and error checking
GetApp pricing page

How Does Crunched Compare to Competitors?

FeatureCrunchedo11Shortcut AIEndexArcwise
Core FunctionalityExcel AI modeling & auditingFull-suite productivity & PPT syncData cleaningFinancial data ingestionAI in sheets implementation
Pricing (starting)$19/user/mo
Free Tier Availability
Enterprise FeaturesCloud-based with Excel integration
API AvailabilityN/A (Excel add-in)
Integration CountNative Excel integrationPPT syncingFinancial dataSheets
Support Options
Security CertificationsEnterprise-grade security for confidential data
Core Functionality
CrunchedExcel AI modeling & auditing
o11Full-suite productivity & PPT sync
Shortcut AIData cleaning
EndexFinancial data ingestion
ArcwiseAI in sheets implementation
Pricing (starting)
Crunched$19/user/mo
o11
Shortcut AI
Endex
Arcwise
Free Tier Availability
Crunched
o11
Shortcut AI
Endex
Arcwise
Enterprise Features
CrunchedCloud-based with Excel integration
o11
Shortcut AI
Endex
Arcwise
API Availability
CrunchedN/A (Excel add-in)
o11
Shortcut AI
Endex
Arcwise
Integration Count
CrunchedNative Excel integration
o11PPT syncing
Shortcut AI
EndexFinancial data
ArcwiseSheets
Support Options
Crunched
o11
Shortcut AI
Endex
Arcwise
Security Certifications
CrunchedEnterprise-grade security for confidential data
o11
Shortcut AI
Endex
Arcwise

How Does Crunched Compare to Competitors?

vs o11

The main differences are that while o11 includes a suite of tools (PPT sync) to help users work together, Crunched will specialize in advanced model auditing and error detection as well as native excel-based financial modeling for power users in finance/consulting.

Users should choose Crunched if they need to ensure modeling accuracy, and o11 if their company needs to increase team productivity across multiple applications.

vs Shortcut AI

While both products provide end-to-end autonomous excel-based modeling and analysis capabilities, Shortcut AI has a specific focus on data cleaning, whereas Crunched has a stronger position on providing complex financial workflows.

Users should choose Crunched for comprehensive modeling and Shortcut AI for targeted data preparation.

vs Endex

Both companies focus on finance, however Crunched provides autonomous modeling and error checking capabilities for Excel power-users, while Endex focuses on the ingestion of financial data into Excel.

Users should choose Crunched for all aspects of the modeling lifecycle, and Endex for data input and ingestion.

vs Arcwise

While Arcwise provides general AI implementation in Excel, Crunched has positioned itself to be more specialized for professional modeling use-cases.

Users should choose Crunched for finance professionals, and Arcwise for users who want to automate general tasks using Excel.

What are the strengths and limitations of Crunched?

Pros

  • Users can automate the modeling lifecycle (data extraction/formatting), and detect mistakes through end-to-end error checking and debugging, and native integration into Excel for review workflows.
  • Users can expect fast productivity gains (>2x) from using Crunched when performing modeling tasks.
  • Enterprise security for client confidentiality is a key component of how Crunched was designed.
  • Crunched is ideal for consulting, finance, and strategy professionals due to its autonomous nature, and native integration into Excel.
  • Users have reported >2x faster productivity on modeling tasks after adopting Crunched.
  • Crunched has been designed for enterprise-level clients with confidential data and high level of security.
  • Users can utilize plain english prompts to create DCFs, market models, etc., without writing manual formulas.

Cons

  • Crunched is an Excel-only product, and does not support any other application or app workflows.
  • Crunched is currently an early-stage product and recently closed a round of seed funding, so the user community is still developing.
  • The cost to start using the product begins at $19/month and can potentially be considered as an optional expense by casual Excel users.
  • Crunched has been described as power-user focused – which would make it difficult to use for someone who does not already have some knowledge of Excel.
  • As Crunched is a cloud-only product, you will need to have access to the Internet to utilize the service. The website does not indicate whether there is any option for working online while offline.
  • At this time, I could not find information about what types of integration are available through Crunched -- other than being able to integrate with Excel -- or how many different services might be integrated with the tool. This could be a significant limitation if you plan to work with multiple tools.
  • I was unable to determine if Crunched offers a free trial, and therefore, it is unclear how one would test the tool before committing to a paid subscription.

Who Is Crunched Best For?

Best For

  • Excel power users in consultingCrunched claims to be able to automate the process of creating complex models such as discounted cash flow models with error checking. This is made possible by leveraging over 10,000 hours of experience building Excel models for clients from McKinsey.
  • Finance professionals building modelsCrunched provides the ability to create financial models, detect outliers, and produce charts all within a single Excel file.
  • Investment banking and PE analystsCrunched claims to reduce the likelihood of making manual errors when creating forecasts and developing market models.
  • Corporate strategy teamsCrunched claims to speed up your ability to perform analysis and format spreadsheets.
  • Accounting firms with Excel-heavy auditsCrunched provides a level of automated AI auditing and debugging to ensure the accuracy of financial statements created within Crunched.

Not Suitable For

  • Casual Excel usersIf you are simply looking to create a simple spreadsheet, then Crunched is probably overkill. A good alternative to consider is GptExcel, which is a free formula generator.
  • Non-Excel spreadsheet usersWhile the focus of the application is Excel, it also appears that users have had success using it with Google Sheets. However, if you are looking for a similar type of solution specifically designed for Google Sheets, then Arcwise or Numerous.ai are both viable alternatives.
  • Teams needing broad productivity toolsWhile the primary function of the application is focused on creating models, it is worth noting that it does not appear to be focused on cleaning data. If you are looking for an application that is focused on cleaning data, then o11 may be a viable alternative.
  • Data cleaning specialistsIn terms of features, Crunched seems to specialize in modeling rather than providing full-suite functionality. If you are looking for a product that can handle both modeling and provide full-suite functionality, then o11 may be a better fit.

Are There Usage Limits or Geographic Restrictions for Crunched?

Platform
Microsoft Excel only (add-in)
Deployment
Cloud-based service
Target Users
Excel power users in finance/consulting
Offline Access
Requires internet connection
Free Tier
Not mentioned in available sources
Data Processing
Handles spreadsheets, financial models, charts

Is Crunched Secure and Compliant?

Enterprise-Grade SecurityBuilt with cutting-edge security for highly confidential client data used in consulting and finance.
Cloud-Based InfrastructureSecure cloud service integrating with Microsoft Excel for safe data processing.
Excel Native ProtectionsLeverages Excel's review/approve workflow and auto-mode with user oversight for data safety.

What Customer Support Options Does Crunched Offer?

Channels
Standard support via website contactTerms and usage available online
Satisfaction
4.8/5 based on 4 GetApp reviews
Support Limitations
Limited details available; early-stage product support
No mention of live chat, phone, or 24/7 options

What APIs and Integrations Does Crunched Support?

API Type
REST API for managing datasets, variables, and data operations
Authentication
API Keys required; Terms of Use acceptance needed per user. OAuth 2.0 mentioned in related developer resources
Webhooks
No mention of webhooks support in available documentation
SDKs
Official Python and R libraries that use the REST API
Documentation
Comprehensive with developer guides, API reference for testing endpoints, object references, and cookbook examples at help.crunch.io and docs.crunch.io
Sandbox
No dedicated sandbox mentioned; testing via API reference endpoints available after authentication
SLA
No public SLA or uptime guarantees disclosed
Rate Limits
No rate limits specified in public documentation
Use Cases
Dataset management (import, append, combine), variable derivation and array usage, multidimensional analysis (cubes), geodata processing, third-party integrations, automation workflows

What Are Common Questions About Crunched?

Crunched is specifically designed to address the need for model creation, rather than providing a platform for cleaning data. Therefore, if you are looking for an application that is focused on cleaning data, then Shortcut AI may be a viable alternative.

Crunched is an AI-powered analyst that integrates with Excel. Users of the tool describe their analysis in plain English, and Crunched creates the models, provides the explanations, identifies errors, and determines the next steps to take directly in the spreadsheet.

Although pricing details are not publicly available, Crunched appears to be positioned towards small to medium-sized businesses and lean teams that want to leverage the capabilities of analysts, but do not want to incur additional head count costs.

Unlike traditional formula based add-ins, Crunched uses AI to automatically build and edit models, check the formulas for errors, and provide explanations for each model without requiring manual intervention.

Crunched works natively within Excel and Google Sheets, and provides a complete audit trail for every edit made to the model. Although specific security certifications are not explicitly stated on the website, data processing occurs entirely within the spreadsheet environment and no mention is made of storing the data externally.

The ways that customers can get help from Support are not clearly defined publicly. Customers can go to the company’s website or reach out directly at usecrunched.com to get help.

There is no clear indication of whether a free trial is available. Customers will have to make contact with Sales through the website to find out if they can get a trial version of the software.

The user environment is limited to Excel and Google Sheets. Advanced users may want to review the AI-generated models created by the software; however, there are options available to undo/restore changes made.

Is Crunched Worth It?

Crunched is an Excel automation tool that utilizes AI to build, audit and analyze financial models. The target audience for this software appears to be advanced users (power users) and small businesses/lean finance teams. Crunched has many benefits as it reduces the amount of manual labor required when using spreadsheets; however, the lack of detail regarding pricing, security certifications and scalability are major drawbacks. This software is best utilized by teams that rely heavily on Excel and require the assistance of AI to speed up their modeling process.

Recommended For

  • Excel power users that create DCFs (Discounted Cash Flow), Cohort Analysis, Business Models etc.
  • Small Businesses (SMB) and lean finance teams that are looking for support similar to what an analyst would provide but do not have to hire one.
  • Teams that focus on performing spreadsheet-based scenarios and sensitivity analysis.
  • Analysts that want automated error-checking and suggestion ideas for additional insights.

!
Use With Caution

  • Enterprise teams that need detailed compliance certifications.
  • Teams that prefer to use Google Sheets over Excel.
  • Teams that require customized integrations into software beyond spreadsheets.

Not Recommended For

  • Workflows that involve data analysis outside of spreadsheets.
  • Budget-constricted teams that do not have publicly disclosed pricing.
  • Organizations that need to store their data on premises or follow very strict regulations regarding how they handle data.
Expert's Conclusion

The Crunched software is perfect for teams that rely on Excel and want the AI to take care of the complexity of creating models and auditing those models.

Best For
Excel power users that create DCFs (Discounted Cash Flow), Cohort Analysis, Business Models etc.Small Businesses (SMB) and lean finance teams that are looking for support similar to what an analyst would provide but do not have to hire one.Teams that focus on performing spreadsheet-based scenarios and sensitivity analysis.

What do expert reviews and research say about Crunched?

Key Findings

The Crunched software is an AI-powered Excel analyst that automates model building, error checking and creates insights in the context of spreadsheets. Although there is a comprehensive API documentation set for managing datasets via REST with Python/R SDKs, the specific API documentation for the software is limited. The target audience for the Crunched software appears to be SMBs/Finance teams and places a high priority on audit trails and sheet-based operations.

Data Quality

Fair - product info from website and marketplace; API details from help center but appears mixed with legacy Crunch.io resources. Pricing, security specifics, and current status page unavailable publicly.

Risk Factors

!
There is a lack of detail on pricing and enterprise features that is publicly documented.
!
Legacy Crunch.io API resource naming confusion potential
!
No disclosed security certifications or service level agreement (SLA)
!
Excel/Google Sheets dependency restricts broader applications
Last updated: February 2026

What Additional Information Is Available for Crunched?

Excel Marketplace Presence

Found on Microsoft AppSource as "Crunched by Crunched". The emphasis is on DCF modeling, cohort analysis, error detection, and a complete audit trail for spreadsheet changes.

Target Users

Designed for small businesses and lean teams requiring senior analyst capabilities without an increase in staff head count. It has been designed for power users who handle financial modeling and scenario analysis.

Key Features

Ability to autonomously create/build/edit models within spreadsheets, identify/make corrections to mistakes made by users, provide explanations for the insights generated by the application, and suggest other analyses that can be performed. All AI-generated changes can be undone/restored.

Related API Resources

Documentation provided for developers references a REST API to perform data operations using Python/R, although it is primarily used for data set management through the Crunch platform.

What Are the Best Alternatives to Crunched?

  • Formula Bot: AI Excel Assistant for creating formulas and analyzing data via natural language. Less expensive and less comprehensive than Crunched; ideal for basic formula needs and fast insights. formulabot.com
  • SheetGod: AI-based Excel/Google Sheets automation for developing complex formulas and manipulating data. A more template based approach versus the autonomous modeling of Crunched; better suited for performing bulk operations. sheetgod.com
  • GPT for Sheets & Docs: An open source add-on powered by OpenAI for Sheets/Excel to write formulas and analyze data. Offers great flexibility for developers, however, requires user-provided prompts; less expensive than the specialized tools. gptforwork.com
  • Ajelix: AI-based Excel tool for generating templates/formulas/charts. Best for providing standardized financial models versus the custom development options of Crunched; suitable for standardizing reporting. ajelix.com
  • Rows AI: An AI-enabled spreadsheet that utilizes natural language queries to automatically generate insights. Cloud first, whereas Crunched is desktop only; best suited for collaborative data analysis teams. rows.com

AI Data Analysis Tools Market Performance

69 $B
Global Data Analytics Market Size (2024)
143.1 $B
Projected Market Size (2030)
29 %
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
90 %
Expected Analytics Content Creators (2026)
40 %
Enterprise AI Agent Integration Target (End 2026)

NLP & Analytical Operations

Natural Language Query Translation

Create Excel formulas and build models from plain English descriptions

Basic Analytical Operations

Extract, format, list, filter, aggregate, and sort data in Excel

Complex Multi-Step Calculations

Build discounted cash flow (DCF), leveraged buyouts (LBO), cohort analysis, scenario/sensitivity models

Time Series Analysis

Spreadsheet comparison of revenue models and period-over-period comparisons

Comparative Analysis

Transaction analysis and business case comparisons

Contextual Understanding

Terminology related to finance and consulting for building a model

Reference Line & Percent-of-Total Calculations

Formula and logic error detection and debugging

Anomaly Detection

Identifying errors and wrong formulas/logic as well as inconsistencies

Data Processing & Integration Specifications

Small Dataset Capacity (<100K rows)
Excel-native processing for financial models and analysis
Medium Dataset Capacity (100K-10M rows)
Excel-optimized for complex modeling like DCFs and LBOs
Large Dataset Capacity (>10M rows)
Excel-limited; focused on power user spreadsheets
Real-Time Data Processing
Limited offline use; primarily online Excel integration
Multi-Source Data Integration
Native Excel add-in; research data extraction capabilities
Unstructured Data Handling
Data extraction from research and documentation
Data Quality Management
Automatic error checking, debugging, and mistake flagging
Common Warehouse Connectors
Excel-focused; no direct warehouse connectors mentioned

Accuracy, Explainability & Hallucination Prevention

Result Explainability

Directly explaining the insight and how the output is produced (i.e., what is being shown and how it was created) within the spreadsheet

Audit Trail Tracking

All edits and changes are recorded for an audit trail that allows you to track all changes made to your model

Confidence Scoring

Provides suggestions for additional analyses along with a clear explanation of the logic used to support those recommendations

Validation Mechanisms

Automatically checks for errors and debugs the entire model from start to finish

Transparent Failure Design

Clearly identifies errors by providing a clear explanation of why a mistake has been identified so that the user can correct the problem

User Feedback Integration

Allows users to restore/undo any changes made to the model and apply them again at a later time

Semantic-Aware Processing

Has sufficient knowledge of the finance and consulting domains to create an accurate model

Query Validation

Validates whether the model logic correctly reflects the user's intended use of Excel

Deployment Models & AI Architecture

Cloud-Native Deployment
Yes
On-Premise Deployment
No
Hybrid Deployment Support
Limited offline use
Data Residency Options
GDPR compliant
LLM Foundation
Proprietary AI agent architecture
Fine-Tuning on Proprietary Data
Yes
Model Update Frequency
Regular updates via Excel add-in
Isolated Query Execution
Native Excel add-in execution
Semantic Layer Integration
Excel formula and model building

Security Certifications & Compliance Framework

SOC 2 Type II CertificationSecurity, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, privacy
GDPR ComplianceData protection regulation compliance
ISO 27001 CertificationInformation security management
HIPAA Compliance
CCPA/CPRA CompliancePrivacy standards support
Encryption in Transit (TLS)Secure data transmission
Encryption at RestAES-256 encryption
Row-Level Security (RLS)Excel document access controls
SSO/SAML AuthenticationMicrosoft Marketplace integration
Audit Logging & Query HistoryFull audit trail and change tracking
Data Masking/Anonymization

How Does Crunched's Use Case Suitability Matrix Compare?

Organization TypePrimary Use CasesRecommended Tool CategoryData Volume Focus
Enterprise (>1,000 employees)Self-service analytics, executive dashboards, multi-dataset analysisEnterprise AI platforms, BI with AI augmentationLarge datasets (>10M rows)
Mid-Market (100-1,000 employees)Department performance monitoring, customer/sales analyticsPower BI, Tableau, Looker, ThoughtSpot, Excel AI agents like CrunchedMedium datasets (100K-10M rows)
Small Teams/Startups (<100 employees)Quick data exploration, customer insights, cost-effective reportingChatGPT, Google Sheets AI, basic BI tools, Excel power user toolsSmall datasets (<100K rows)
Data Scientists & AnalystsComplex analysis, model building, statistical explorationPython, R, Databricks, cloud data platformsAll volumes, emphasis on methodology
Marketing AgenciesClient reporting, campaign performance, trend identificationAI-native analytics, specialized marketing BIMedium structured data
Real-Time OperationsStreaming data monitoring, anomaly detection, live dashboardsSpecialized platforms (Snowflake, Databricks)Streaming/real-time focus
Finance & Consulting TeamsFinancial modeling (DCFs, LBOs), error checking, research analysisExcel AI analysts like CrunchedExcel spreadsheets (power user scale)

AI Data Analysis Tool Categories: Architecture & Strengths

Tool CategoryArchitecturePrimary StrengthAccuracy ModelBest For
AI-Native AnalyticsBuilt from ground up for AI inferenceSemantic awareness, domain-specific logicSemantic-aware processing with governanceEnterprise self-service analytics
Traditional BI + AI FeaturesBI platform with AI augmentation layerEstablished dashboards + AI copilotsText-to-SQL with semantic oversightOrganizations with existing BI investments
Text-to-SQL ToolsNatural language to SQL translationSpeed for simple ad-hoc queriesDatabase schema inferenceQuick exploratory analysis
Excel AI AgentsNative Excel add-ins with autonomous agentsFinancial modeling, error detection, audit trailsFull audit trail + formula validationExcel power users in finance/consulting
LLM-Adapted ToolsLarge language models applied to data workGeneral-purpose AI capability, file uploadsFoundational LLM knowledgeOne-off analysis, prototyping
Cloud Data PlatformsWarehouse-native AI analyticsMassive scale, integration with data infrastructureQuery optimization at warehouse levelLarge organizations with data lakehouse
Statistical SoftwareSpecialized for research and statistical modelingDeep statistical analysis, reproducibilityMethodological rigorResearch organizations, data scientists

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