Zaki Gabe-Wilkinson’s London-based startup Gekko AI is transforming finance teams by automating repetitive FP&A tasks using large language models, enabling faster and more accurate month-end closes while freeing CFOs to focus on strategic decision-making.
Zaki Gabe-Wilkinson, having gained foundational experience in institutional finance at Citigroup and Morgan Stanley, has been instrumental in reshaping the role of the Chief Financial Officer through artificial intelligence. His journey into this transformation intensified during his tenure at Multiverse, an edtech company, where he noticed a recurring issue—finance professionals were bogged down by repetitive, manual tasks that detracted from more strategic initiatives. This observation inspired him to co-found Gekko AI in 2024, a London-based enterprise focused on developing AI software designed specifically to automate core financial planning and analysis (FP&A) functions.
Gekko AI aims to tackle the persistent inefficiencies that burden finance teams, especially in month-end closing processes. Industry benchmarks reveal that around 50% of finance teams take over six business days to close their books, with only a small fraction achieving the highly sought-after three-day close. The slow adoption of AI in finance has been hampered by concerns about data accuracy, compliance, and usability. Gabe-Wilkinson challenges these issues by advocating for AI tools that do not merely add more dashboards but engage in deep reasoning with financial data, delivering human-like precision at much faster speeds.
The platform operates by integrating seamlessly with a company’s existing systems—such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)—to extract and organise financial and operational data. It employs large language models (LLMs) to generate detailed variance analyses, historical comparisons, and management-ready summaries which would traditionally require extensive manual effort from finance teams. The founding team, which blends AI researchers from Oxford and Cambridge with finance professionals, emphasises practical utility alongside technical sophistication. Gabe-Wilkinson notes, “We have built Gekko AI with a clear understanding of how finance teams work, not just how software engineers think they should.”
To ensure real-world applicability, Gekko AI engaged 20 mid-sized companies as early adopters, incorporating their feedback to refine its capabilities. This partner-led development model has helped the company achieve rapid revenue growth, with clients—particularly those backed by private equity—reporting enhanced speed and consistency in their financial reporting cycles. Gekko AI has attracted early investment from Entrepreneur First and angel investors specialising in enterprise software, prompting the expansion of engineering and commercial teams in early 2025.
Looking ahead, Gekko AI plans to broaden its product offerings to include advanced tools for forecasting, pricing analysis, workforce planning, and scenario modelling. These enhancements aim to equip CFOs and finance leaders with sharper, faster tools to make proactive, data-driven decisions and ultimately to shift their focus away from routine reporting toward driving business performance. Gabe-Wilkinson stresses, “AI is already capable of analysing code and generating complex business content—producing a financial report is just the beginning.”
This approach is closely aligned with wider industry trends. A Gartner survey highlights that 58% of finance functions now employ some form of AI, marking a dramatic 21-point increase from the previous year. These shifts are part of a broader movement within finance to leverage AI-driven solutions to meet rising expectations for speed, accuracy, and strategic insight.
The rise of AI in financial roles is not unique to FP&A. Other sectors within finance have also embraced AI innovations. For example, AlphaSense, founded by a former Morgan Stanley analyst, uses AI-powered natural language processing to streamline the search and retrieval of financial information, serving hundreds of clients globally, including major financial institutions. Similarly, fintech companies have launched AI agents to automate investment research tasks, improving accuracy and efficiency in market analysis and due diligence. These developments indicate a comprehensive transformation where AI is not only automating routine tasks but also augmenting decision-making capabilities across the financial services landscape.
Meanwhile, AI-driven trading algorithms such as GAM Systematic’s ‘Gekko’ system in bond markets are further exemplifying the integration of advanced technology to replicate and enhance human expertise. Alongside these, banking-specific large language models like Kasisto’s KAI-GPT are facilitating human-like interactions in financial customer service, making complex financial data and regulatory information easier to understand for both bankers and clients.
As CFOs face pressures from shorter reporting deadlines and heightened expectations to deliver actionable insights, platforms like Gekko AI are well positioned to redefine finance operations. By simplifying workflows and unlocking the potential of data, these AI solutions promise to free finance professionals from manual drudgery and enable them to focus on strategic business growth.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.inkl.com/news/how-zaki-gabe-wilkinson-is-changing-the-cfo-role-through-ai – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.inkl.com/news/how-zaki-gabe-wilkinson-is-changing-the-cfo-role-through-ai – Zaki Gabe-Wilkinson, after his tenure at Citigroup and Morgan Stanley, co-founded Gekko AI in 2024. This London-based company develops AI software to automate financial planning and analysis tasks, enabling CFOs to transition from reactive reporting to strategic roles. Gekko AI primarily serves U.S. mid-market companies, integrating with existing systems to streamline financial operations. The platform automates month-end reporting and financial summaries, allowing finance teams to focus on collaboration and planning. Gekko AI’s team comprises AI researchers from Oxford and Cambridge, ensuring both technical advancement and practical application. The company has partnered with 20 mid-sized firms to refine its product, leading to rapid revenue growth and increased speed and consistency in financial reporting. Gekko AI plans to introduce tools for forecasting, pricing analysis, and workforce planning, aiming to provide finance leaders with sharper tools to drive business performance.
- https://www.efinancialcareers.co.uk/news/2017/01/ai-in-finance – AlphaSense, founded by former Morgan Stanley analyst Jack Kokko, offers AI-driven search functionality that streamlines finding and tracking relevant financial information. The platform leverages sophisticated natural language processing and search technology to enhance data retrieval efficiency. AlphaSense has around 500 clients, including major financial institutions, and employs intelligent search and language algorithms that learn from past interactions to improve the process of unearthing pertinent data.
- https://www.ft.com/content/109efec0-8bf2-11e9-a1c1-51bf8f989972 – Hedge funds are increasingly adopting AI-driven trading systems, such as GAM Systematic’s ‘Gekko’ algorithm, to replicate the best features of human traders without their frailties. These systems aim to navigate the complexities of the bond market by analyzing large datasets and executing trades based on sophisticated models. The integration of AI in bond investing is seen as a significant advancement, with firms like GAM Systematic and Man Numeric leading the way in developing quantitative fixed income investing strategies.
- https://www.gekkocorporation.com/new-folder-1 – Gekko Corporation offers a code-free analytics platform that empowers teams to integrate security, operations, and business data into a robust vector database effortlessly. Utilizing AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), the platform enables users to search, summarize, and analyze data with ease, facilitating informed decision-making and driving growth and innovation across businesses. The solution addresses challenges associated with traditional tools like SQL, Splunk, and Oracle by providing a seamless, automated data analysis experience without the need for complex technical skills.
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkauflin/2025/04/11/fintechs-latest-trend-ai-agents-for-investment-research/ – The fintech industry is witnessing a surge in AI agents designed to expedite investment research. Companies like AlphaSense, Hebbia, RavenPack, and Rogo are developing AI tools to automate tasks traditionally performed by analysts, such as preparing pitches, conducting due diligence, and analyzing markets. These AI agents aim to enhance efficiency and accuracy in investment research, with firms like Hebbia and AlphaSense already serving hundreds of clients, including private equity firms and financial institutions.
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/financegpt-the-next-generation-of-ai-powered-robo-advisors-and-chatbots – Kasisto has launched KAI-GPT, the world’s first banking-specific Large Language Model (LLM), enabling banks to provide human-like, financially literate interactions at speed and scale. The first application running on KAI-GPT is KAI Answers, a conversational response system that helps bankers locate, interpret, and understand information from various sources, including policies, regulatory filings, procedures, web content, and complex financial products. Westpac, an Australian banking giant, is implementing KAI Answers, marking a significant advancement in AI-driven customer service within the banking sector.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative appears to be original, with no evidence of prior publication. The earliest known publication date is June 28, 2025. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The content does not appear to be recycled or republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The direct quotes from Zaki Gabe-Wilkinson and other sources are unique to this report, with no identical matches found in earlier material. This suggests the content is potentially original or exclusive.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from Inkl, a reputable news aggregator known for curating content from established sources. The report cites specific data points and benchmarks, enhancing its credibility. No unverifiable entities or fabricated information were identified.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative align with current industry trends and are supported by data from reputable sources. The language and tone are consistent with professional reporting standards. No excessive or off-topic details were found, and the report maintains a clear focus on the subject matter.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The report is original, with no evidence of recycled content or disinformation. The quotes are unique, and the source is reliable. The claims are plausible and supported by reputable data, with a consistent and professional tone throughout.
