{"name":"AI Data Payout ranking","url":"https://www.aidatapayout.com","updated":"2026-10-14","scoringVersion":"0.1","methodology":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/methodology","disclosure":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/disclosure","note":"Scores are out of 10. A null score means not enough public data. Commissions never change a score.","rankings":{"sellers":{"title":"Best places to sell your company's data","rubric":[{"id":"offer","label":"Offer size and evidence","weight":30},{"id":"privacy","label":"Privacy and de-identification","weight":25},{"id":"contract","label":"Contract clarity","weight":20},{"id":"speed","label":"Speed to payment","weight":15},{"id":"track","label":"Track record","weight":10}],"companies":[{"rank":1,"slug":"micro1","name":"micro1","website":"https://www.micro1.ai/","score":7.7,"coverage":85,"bestFor":"US companies with 30+ staff and years of documented operations","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/vendors/micro1","subScores":[{"id":"offer","value":9,"note":"Published range to $2M+, backed by a reported $1B budget."},{"id":"privacy","value":5.5,"note":"PII removal described only as \"when relevant\"."},{"id":"contract","value":8,"note":"Seller keeps ownership and reviews samples."},{"id":"speed","value":null,"note":"No payment timeline published."},{"id":"track","value":8.5,"note":"Independent reporting of a $1B budget and a $4B round."}],"facts":[{"label":"License price range","value":"$100K-$2M+ per data package; over $1M for unique data","source":"https://www.micro1.ai/company-referral","sourceName":"micro1 company referral page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Company-data budget","value":"Committed $1B over 12 months to buy company data","source":"https://thenextweb.com/news/micro1-1bn-enterprise-data-ai-training-citi-hercules","sourceName":"The Next Web","published":"2026-10-09","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Ownership and review","value":"The company keeps ownership of its data and reviews samples before release","source":"https://www.beri.net/article/micro1-1-billion-enterprise-data-partnerships-sell-operational-data-sops-crm-licensing-terms-risks","sourceName":"beri.net","published":"2026-10-10","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Personal data","value":"PII removed \"when relevant\"","source":"https://www.beri.net/article/micro1-1-billion-enterprise-data-partnerships-sell-operational-data-sops-crm-licensing-terms-risks","sourceName":"beri.net","published":"2026-10-10","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":"micro1's partnership page (jobs.micro1.ai, checked 2026-10-14) says sensitive information is scrubbed before any downstream use and no customer information is exposed."},{"label":"Latest round","value":"Raised $100M+ at a $4B valuation","source":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/annatong/2026/09/22/this-25-year-old-raised-over-100-million-for-his-ai-data-startup-at-a-4-billion-valuation/","sourceName":"Forbes","published":"2026-09-22","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":2,"slug":"polyshares","name":"Polyshares","website":"https://polyshares.com/","score":7.4,"coverage":90,"bestFor":"Sellers who want a third party to scrub personal data first","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"offer","value":7.5,"note":"Published range of $100K-$2M+, company's own claim."},{"id":"privacy","value":8.5,"note":"Independent PII scrub; client-held data excluded."},{"id":"contract","value":6,"note":"No-fee license terms published, but exclusive by default, and its own pages disagree on term (perpetual or defined) and on whether data is listed."},{"id":"speed","value":7,"note":"Offer in 1-2 weeks, payment Net 30-60."},{"id":"track","value":null,"note":"No independent deal record yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Typical deal","value":"$100K-$2M+","source":"https://polyshares.com/","sourceName":"Polyshares website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Time to offer and payment","value":"Offer 1-2 weeks after intake; paid Net 30-60","source":"https://polyshares.com/","sourceName":"Polyshares website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Personal data","value":"A third-party PII partner scrubs data before it is licensed","source":"https://polyshares.com/","sourceName":"Polyshares website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Seller fees","value":"Charges sellers no fee","source":"https://polyshares.com/","sourceName":"Polyshares website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Excluded data","value":"Data held on behalf of clients is excluded","source":"https://polyshares.com/","sourceName":"Polyshares website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Exclusivity","value":"Licenses cover defined systems for a defined term and are exclusive by default unless agreed otherwise","source":"https://polyshares.com/data-handling","sourceName":"Polyshares data handling page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"License type on its listed deals","value":"Describes each of the four deals on its track record page as a \"Perpetual exclusive license to the operational record\"","source":"https://polyshares.com/track-record","sourceName":"Polyshares track record page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":"Its data handling page says licenses run for a defined term."},{"label":"Listings","value":"Its data handling page describes de-identified listings in a buyer portal, each carrying a code instead of the company's name","source":"https://polyshares.com/data-handling","sourceName":"Polyshares data handling page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":"Its homepage terms table says \"No marketplace, no listing, no auction.\""}]},{"rank":3,"slug":"mercor","name":"Mercor","website":"https://www.mercor.com/","score":7.1,"coverage":70,"bestFor":"Companies that want fast payment and no fees","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/vendors/mercor","subScores":[{"id":"offer","value":null,"note":"No offer range published."},{"id":"privacy","value":7,"note":"SOC 2 Type II attestation stated."},{"id":"contract","value":6.5,"note":"Fees published; contract terms not."},{"id":"speed","value":9,"note":"Wire 2-4 weeks after signing, stated in writing."},{"id":"track","value":5.5,"note":"Reported $7.5M Spirit bid, lowered for the March 2026 breach."}],"facts":[{"label":"Time to payment","value":"Wire 2-4 weeks after signing","source":"https://www.mercor.com/data/","sourceName":"Mercor Data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Spirit Airlines archive bid","value":"Bid $7.5M; Google won with $10M, Mercor is the backup buyer","source":"https://news.bloomberglaw.com/bankruptcy-law/google-aims-to-boost-ai-with-purchase-of-spirit-airlines-data","sourceName":"Bloomberg Law","published":"2026-08-17","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Seller fees","value":"No fees","source":"https://www.mercor.com/data/","sourceName":"Mercor Data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Security attestation","value":"SOC 2 Type II","source":"https://www.mercor.com/data/","sourceName":"Mercor Data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Security incident","value":"Confirmed a cyberattack tied to the compromise of the open-source LiteLLM project","source":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/31/mercor-says-it-was-hit-by-cyberattack-tied-to-compromise-of-open-source-litellm-project/","sourceName":"TechCrunch","published":"2026-03-31","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":4,"slug":"nyne","name":"Nyne AI","website":"https://nyne.ai/","score":7,"coverage":75,"bestFor":"US companies with 20+ W-2 staff and 3+ years of finance and CRM records","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"offer","value":7.5,"note":"Published floor of $100K, company's own claim."},{"id":"privacy","value":6.5,"note":"De-identified and tested before release, categories excludable, deletion terms per engagement; done by Nyne itself, with no outside party or attestation."},{"id":"contract","value":7,"note":"License limited to the agreed purpose, rights governed by the agreement; fees and timeline not published."},{"id":"speed","value":null,"note":"No payment timeline published."},{"id":"track","value":null,"note":"No independent deal record yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Typical deal","value":"$100K or more","source":"https://nyne.ai/sell-company-data/","sourceName":"Nyne sell-company-data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Offer policy","value":"Says it beats written offers from other buyers","source":"https://nyne.ai/sell-company-data/","sourceName":"Nyne sell-company-data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Who can sell","value":"20+ US W-2 employees and 3+ years in business","source":"https://nyne.ai/sell-company-data/","sourceName":"Nyne sell-company-data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Personal data handling","value":"Data is de-identified and tested against the agreed release standard before release; names, identifiers and customer-specific details are removed; categories can be excluded entirely","source":"https://nyne.ai/sell-company-data/","sourceName":"Nyne sell-company-data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Retention and deletion","value":"Retention terms set per engagement, with deletion and suppression workflows; no indefinite use outside the agreed scope","source":"https://nyne.ai/sell-company-data/","sourceName":"Nyne sell-company-data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Contract terms","value":"A licensing agreement fixes the permitted uses for a specified dataset; use is restricted to that purpose, and ownership and granted rights remain governed by the agreement","source":"https://nyne.ai/sell-company-data/","sourceName":"Nyne sell-company-data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":5,"slug":"mode","name":"Mode","website":"https://ai.mode.inc/","score":6.8,"coverage":90,"bestFor":"US offices with 20+ full-time staff (accounting firms 10+, law firms 6+) and several years of records","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"offer","value":7.5,"note":"Published range of $100K-$5M, company's own claim; its calculator is indicative only."},{"id":"privacy","value":6.5,"note":"Systems and date ranges agreed first, no passwords handed over, names and contact details removed in a secure workspace; done by Mode itself, with no outside party or attestation."},{"id":"contract","value":6.5,"note":"Buys an agreed copy with no broker fee and the company keeps its originals; the copy is resold for AI research and training."},{"id":"speed","value":6,"note":"A 14-day letter of intent, 15 to 30 days to collect and scrub, payment expected within about 60 days."},{"id":"track","value":null,"note":"No deal record yet; the program launched on 13 October 2026."}],"facts":[{"label":"Mode payout claim","value":"\"Your company's data could be worth $100K-$5M\"; its calculator is indicative only, subject to a full review","source":"https://data.mode.inc/","sourceName":"Mode company data site","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Mode timeline","value":"A 14-day nonbinding letter of intent holds the estimate while Mode reviews the data; after acceptance it collects and scrubs the data over 15 to 30 days; payment expected within about 60 days","source":"https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/mode-inc-launches-5-billion-151600765.html","sourceName":"Mode press release (Business Wire, via Yahoo Finance)","published":"2026-10-13","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"How Mode buys","value":"Buys an agreed copy of the records directly, charges no broker fee, and resells the filtered copy for AI research and training; the company keeps its originals","source":"https://data.mode.inc/","sourceName":"Mode company data site","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"How Mode handles data","value":"Systems and date ranges agreed before export; staff sign in to approved systems and hand over no passwords; sensitive material removed and names and contact details removed or transformed in a secure workspace","source":"https://data.mode.inc/","sourceName":"Mode company data site","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":6,"slug":"pewter","name":"Pewter","website":"https://pewterdata.com/","score":6.4,"coverage":75,"bestFor":"US firms with 20+ staff and 3+ years of records that want someone to run the deal","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"offer","value":7,"note":"Example payouts of $350,000 to $650,000 and deals up to $1.2M, reported by its licensing partner or the press, not independently for Pewter."},{"id":"privacy","value":6,"note":"Removes names, contact details, account numbers and credentials and shows a before-and-after sample; done by Pewter and its partner, with no outside party or attestation."},{"id":"contract","value":6,"note":"No fee to the owner and use limited to what the agreement defines; the licensing firm that signs is not named."},{"id":"speed","value":null,"note":"No payment timeline published for its own deals; the fast payouts on its deal list are other firms' deals."},{"id":"track","value":null,"note":"No independent deal record yet; the site was registered in October 2026."}],"facts":[{"label":"Pewter's example payouts","value":"A 60-person accounting firm paid $350,000, a 70-person engineering firm $450,000 and a 100-person freight broker $650,000, as reported by its licensing partner","source":"https://pewterdata.com/","sourceName":"Pewter website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Pewter: cost to the owner","value":"No fee to the owner at any stage; if no offer is made or the owner declines, nothing has left its systems","source":"https://pewterdata.com/","sourceName":"Pewter website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Pewter: owner time","value":"About 1 hour: a two-minute form, a call of about 30 minutes, then approving the written offer; it calls within one business day","source":"https://pewterdata.com/","sourceName":"Pewter website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Pewter's list of 2026 deals","value":"Lists fifteen firms paid in 2026, published by licensing firms or the press, such as an industrial distributor at $1.2M paid nine days from bid and a third-party logistics firm at $500K paid seven days from bid","source":"https://pewterdata.com/","sourceName":"Pewter website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"What Pewter handles","value":"Valuation, the written offer with its licensing partner, negotiation of price, exclusivity and scope, coordinating the export with your IT person, removing names, contact details, account numbers and credentials, and closing","source":"https://pewterdata.com/","sourceName":"Pewter website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Pewter: reviewing the scrubbed copy","value":"Shows a before-and-after sample with names replaced by placeholders, and says no method removes every risk, so you review the process and a sample before you sign","source":"https://pewterdata.com/","sourceName":"Pewter website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Pewter: who uses the data","value":"Authorized AI developers, for training and evaluating models, as defined in the owner's agreement","source":"https://pewterdata.com/","sourceName":"Pewter website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Pewter's licensing partner","value":"Works with an unnamed licensing firm that licenses the data and pays the business; Pewter's fee is paid by that partner at close","source":"https://pewterdata.com/","sourceName":"Pewter website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":7,"slug":"grepped","name":"Grepped","website":"https://grepped.ai/","score":6.3,"coverage":45,"bestFor":"Companies of any size that want read-only access and to choose exactly which systems are included","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"offer","value":null,"note":"No offer range published; estimates are indications, not offers."},{"id":"privacy","value":6.5,"note":"Read-only access to approved sources, names, emails and phone numbers removed, originals deleted after processing; done by Grepped itself, with no outside party or attestation."},{"id":"contract","value":6,"note":"Licensed to AI labs and research teams, not sold to competitors, retention set in the agreement; full terms published."},{"id":"speed","value":null,"note":"No timeline published."},{"id":"track","value":null,"note":"No independent deal record yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Who Grepped takes","value":"No headcount minimum stated; its form lists industries from accounting, construction and legal to logistics, manufacturing and software","source":"https://www.grepped.ai/business/","sourceName":"Grepped business page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"How Grepped handles data","value":"Read-only access to approved sources only, and any system, folder or record type can be left out; names, emails and phone numbers removed; originals deleted after processing; processed-data retention set in the agreement","source":"https://www.grepped.ai/security/","sourceName":"Grepped security page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Grepped process","value":"A short estimate from team size, founding year and revenue; a form of about 10 minutes on your systems and files; an offer and agreed scope; then read-only access to the approved sources","source":"https://www.grepped.ai/business/","sourceName":"Grepped business page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Who receives Grepped data","value":"Licensed to AI labs and research teams to train models; not published and not sold to the company's competitors","source":"https://www.grepped.ai/security/","sourceName":"Grepped security page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Grepped company details","value":"Grepped AI, Inc., a Delaware corporation, 564 Castro Street, San Francisco; Delaware law; terms updated 2026-10-14","source":"https://www.grepped.ai/terms/","sourceName":"Grepped terms","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":8,"slug":"simpleclosure","name":"SimpleClosure","website":"https://simpleclosure.com/","score":6.1,"coverage":40,"bestFor":"Startups that have shut down or are winding down","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"offer","value":5.5,"note":"Independently reported range of $10K-$100K."},{"id":"privacy","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"contract","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"speed","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"track","value":8,"note":"150+ completed deals, independently reported."}],"facts":[{"label":"Deals closed","value":"150+ data deals for wound-down startups, typically $10K-$100K each","source":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/annatong/2026/04/16/ais-new-training-data-your-old-work-slacks-and-emails/","sourceName":"Forbes","published":"2026-04-16","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":9,"slug":"troveo","name":"Troveo","website":"https://www.troveo.ai/","score":5.8,"coverage":50,"bestFor":"Sellers who want to license, not sell, and share in ongoing revenue","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"offer","value":5,"note":"Revenue share with no published figures."},{"id":"privacy","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"contract","value":7,"note":"License structure; you keep the data."},{"id":"speed","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"track","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Deal structure","value":"Licensing, not sale, on a revenue share (percentage not published)","source":"https://www.troveo.ai/resources/how-much-is-company-data-worth","sourceName":"Troveo","published":"2026-09-11","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"First step","value":"Free value assessment, then scoping","source":"https://www.troveo.ai/resources/how-much-is-company-data-worth","sourceName":"Troveo","published":"2026-09-11","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":10,"slug":"ventra","name":"Ventra","website":"https://joinventra.com/","score":5.7,"coverage":90,"bestFor":"US companies with 30+ staff and 3+ years of records, outside legal, healthcare, finance and accounting","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"offer","value":7,"note":"Published range of $100K-$2M as potential deals, not a guaranteed payout; company's own claim."},{"id":"privacy","value":4,"note":"No de-identification process published; its terms describe a browser extension that reads open tabs and say delivered data may not be deletable."},{"id":"contract","value":5,"note":"Terms published, but they disclaim third parties' use of the data, require individual arbitration and allow fees to be added later."},{"id":"speed","value":7,"note":"Offers in 3 to 7 days, payment usually net 30 or net 60."},{"id":"track","value":null,"note":"No independent deal record yet; the company was formed in September 2026."}],"facts":[{"label":"Ventra range and timing","value":"$100K-$2M as potential deals, not a guaranteed payout; offers in 3 to 7 days; payment usually net 30 or net 60","source":"https://joinventra.com/company-data","sourceName":"Ventra company data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Ventra fees","value":"Charges no fee now but may introduce fees with notice; may earn referral or other compensation from buyers","source":"https://joinventra.com/terms-of-service","sourceName":"Ventra terms of service","published":"2026-09-30","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Ventra browser extension","value":"Its terms describe a browser extension that reads page content in open tabs, which may include names, emails and messages","source":"https://joinventra.com/terms-of-service","sourceName":"Ventra terms of service","published":"2026-09-30","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Ventra terms on buyers","value":"Not responsible for any third party's use, security or training on the data; delivered data may not be deletable; binding individual arbitration","source":"https://joinventra.com/terms-of-service","sourceName":"Ventra terms of service","published":"2026-09-30","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]}]},"buyers":{"title":"Best human-data vendors for AI teams","rubric":[{"id":"depth","label":"Expert depth and vetting","weight":25},{"id":"quality","label":"Quality systems","weight":20},{"id":"security","label":"Security and neutrality","weight":20},{"id":"scale","label":"Scale and speed","weight":20},{"id":"transparency","label":"Transparency","weight":15}],"companies":[{"rank":1,"slug":"handshake-ai","name":"Handshake AI","website":"https://joinhandshake.com/ai/","score":7.9,"coverage":35,"bestFor":"Labs that want to draw on a large career network","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/vendors/handshake-ai","subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"scale","value":9,"note":"Reported ARR of about $1.15B."},{"id":"transparency","value":6.5,"note":"Publishes program terms; no pricing."}],"facts":[{"label":"Reported ARR","value":"About $1.15B total gross ARR, with the AI training unit near $1B","source":"https://dealroom.co/news/127345-handshakes-arr-crosses-1b-as-ai-training-revenue-surges/","sourceName":"Dealroom, citing The Information","published":"2026-04-14","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Fellow referral bonus","value":"10% of the referred fellow's hourly rate, up to 40 hours, for 6 months","source":"https://support.joinhandshake.com/hc/en-us/articles/34271833422871-Handshake-AI-Fellowship-Referral-Program-Terms-of-Service","sourceName":"Handshake AI Fellowship referral terms","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":2,"slug":"mercor","name":"Mercor","website":"https://www.mercor.com/","score":7.4,"coverage":55,"bestFor":"Labs buying expert data at the largest scale on the market","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/vendors/mercor","subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":6,"note":"SOC 2 Type II stated; cyberattack confirmed in March 2026."},{"id":"scale","value":9.5,"note":"Reported run rate above $2B."},{"id":"transparency","value":6.5,"note":"Publishes program terms; no pricing."}],"facts":[{"label":"Reported run rate","value":"Above $2B gross run rate (June 2026)","source":"https://dealroom.co/news/137121-mercor-doubles-to-2b-gross-revenue-run-rate-as-ai-labs-buy-expert-data/","sourceName":"Dealroom, citing The Information","published":"2026-07-06","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Valuation","value":"$10B after a $350M Series C","source":"https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/27/mercor-quintuples-valuation-to-10b-with-350m-series-c/","sourceName":"TechCrunch","published":"2025-10-27","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Security attestation","value":"SOC 2 Type II","source":"https://www.mercor.com/data/","sourceName":"Mercor Data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Acquisition","value":"Acquired Sepal AI","source":"https://www.orrick.com/en/News/2026/02/Mercor-Acquires-Sepal-AI","sourceName":"Orrick (Mercor's counsel)","published":"2026-02-06","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Acquisition","value":"Acquired Deeptune to build training environments for AI agents","source":"https://siliconangle.com/2026/07/09/mercor-buys-deeptune-build-training-environments-ai-agents/","sourceName":"SiliconANGLE","published":"2026-07-09","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Security incident","value":"Confirmed a cyberattack tied to the compromise of the open-source LiteLLM project","source":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/31/mercor-says-it-was-hit-by-cyberattack-tied-to-compromise-of-open-source-litellm-project/","sourceName":"TechCrunch","published":"2026-03-31","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Seller fees","value":"No fees","source":"https://www.mercor.com/data/","sourceName":"Mercor Data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Time to payment","value":"Wire 2-4 weeks after signing","source":"https://www.mercor.com/data/","sourceName":"Mercor Data page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":3,"slug":"appen","name":"Appen","website":"https://www.appen.com/","score":7.4,"coverage":35,"bestFor":"Buyers who want a listed company with public financials","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"scale","value":7,"note":"FY26 revenue guidance of US$270M-$300M."},{"id":"transparency","value":8,"note":"Listed company with public financial reporting."}],"facts":[{"label":"FY26 revenue guidance","value":"US$270M-$300M (ASX: APX)","source":"https://announcements.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20260827/pdf/0739d4q7lyh3w2.pdf","sourceName":"Appen ASX announcement","published":"2026-08-27","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":4,"slug":"micro1","name":"micro1","website":"https://www.micro1.ai/","score":7.4,"coverage":35,"bestFor":"Labs that also want licensed company data alongside expert work","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/vendors/micro1","subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"scale","value":8,"note":"Reported gross run rate of $500M."},{"id":"transparency","value":6.5,"note":"Publishes program terms; no pricing."}],"facts":[{"label":"Reported run rate","value":"$500M gross run rate in August 2026, up from $100M eight months earlier","source":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/20/ai-data-startup-micro1-reaches-500m-gross-run-rate-amid-ai-training-boom/","sourceName":"TechCrunch","published":"2026-08-20","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":"Gross run rate $500M; net revenue reported at $150M-$200M."},{"label":"Latest round","value":"Raised $100M+ at a $4B valuation","source":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/annatong/2026/09/22/this-25-year-old-raised-over-100-million-for-his-ai-data-startup-at-a-4-billion-valuation/","sourceName":"Forbes","published":"2026-09-22","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Default referral payout","value":"7.5% of the license price paid to the company","source":"https://www.micro1.ai/legal/referral-terms","sourceName":"micro1 referral terms (updated 2026-10-08)","published":"2026-10-08","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":5,"slug":"prolific","name":"Prolific","website":"https://www.prolific.com/","score":null,"coverage":20,"bestFor":"Teams that need human participants for research and evaluation","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"scale","value":7,"note":"Estimated run rate of about $350M."},{"id":"transparency","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Estimated revenue","value":"About $350M annualized, gross (April 2026, estimate)","source":"https://sacra.com/research/350m-year-mercor-for-human-personality/","sourceName":"Sacra (estimate)","published":"2026-05-19","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":6,"slug":"scale-ai","name":"Scale AI","website":"https://scale.com/","score":null,"coverage":20,"bestFor":"Teams with no competitive overlap with Meta","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/vendors/scale-ai","subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":5,"note":"Part-owned (49%) by Meta, which competes with many of its customers."},{"id":"scale","value":null,"note":"No reported run rate in our sources."},{"id":"transparency","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Ownership","value":"Meta holds 49% after a deal reported at $14.3B; founder Alexandr Wang joined Meta","source":"https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/13/new-details-emerge-on-metas-14-3b-deal-for-scale/","sourceName":"TechCrunch","published":"2025-06-13","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":"The reported price ranges from $14.3B to $15B across outlets."},{"label":"Valuation","value":"Above $29B with Meta's investment","source":"https://scale.com/blog/scale-ai-announces-next-phase-of-company-evolution","sourceName":"Scale AI blog","published":"2025-06-12","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Operator","value":"Operated by Scale AI","source":"https://outlier.ai/","sourceName":"Outlier website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Sister platform","value":"Remotasks is also powered and backed by Scale AI","source":"https://www.remotasks.com/en","sourceName":"Remotasks website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":7,"slug":"snorkel-ai","name":"Snorkel AI","website":"https://snorkel.ai/","score":null,"coverage":20,"bestFor":"Enterprise teams that want a funded, established data partner","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/vendors/snorkel-ai","subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"scale","value":7,"note":"Reported run rate of $375M."},{"id":"transparency","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Reported run rate","value":"Crossed $375M, per the CEO","source":"https://siliconangle.com/2026/09/22/training-data-provider-snorkel-ai-raises-350m-at-3-5b-valuation/","sourceName":"SiliconANGLE","published":"2026-09-22","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Latest round","value":"Raised $350M at a $3.5B valuation","source":"https://siliconangle.com/2026/09/22/training-data-provider-snorkel-ai-raises-350m-at-3-5b-valuation/","sourceName":"SiliconANGLE","published":"2026-09-22","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":8,"slug":"surge-ai","name":"Surge AI","website":"https://www.surgehq.ai/","score":null,"coverage":20,"bestFor":"Labs that want a large vendor with no outside owners","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/vendors/surge-ai","subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"scale","value":9,"note":"Reported 2024 revenue above $1B."},{"id":"transparency","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Reported revenue","value":"Over $1B in 2024, and profitable","source":"https://www.aol.com/news/exclusive-scale-ais-bigger-rival-152327362.html","sourceName":"Reuters (via AOL)","published":"2025-07-01","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":"Surge 2024 revenue reported as $1B to $1.2B: Reuters says over $1B, Forbes says $1.2B."},{"label":"Outside funding","value":"None; Surge says it has never raised outside funding","source":"https://www.forbes.com/profile/edwin-chen/","sourceName":"Forbes","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Reported revenue","value":"$1.2B in 2024","source":"https://www.forbes.com/profile/edwin-chen/","sourceName":"Forbes","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":"Surge 2024 revenue reported as $1B to $1.2B: Reuters says over $1B, Forbes says $1.2B."}]},{"rank":9,"slug":"turing","name":"Turing","website":"https://www.turing.com/","score":null,"coverage":20,"bestFor":"Labs buying coding data","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"scale","value":7,"note":"Reported ARR of about $300M."},{"id":"transparency","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Latest round","value":"$111M Series E at a $2.2B valuation; about $300M ARR","source":"https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/06/turing-a-key-coding-provider-for-openai-and-other-llm-producers-raises-111m-at-a-2-2b-valuation","sourceName":"TechCrunch","published":"2025-03-06","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":10,"slug":"invisible","name":"Invisible Technologies","website":"https://invisibletech.ai/","score":null,"coverage":0,"bestFor":"Teams comparing alternatives to Scale AI","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"scale","value":null,"note":"No reported run rate."},{"id":"transparency","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Valuation","value":"Valued at more than $2B while raising $100M","source":"https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report-international/scale-ai-rival-invisible-technologies-valued-at-over-2-billion","sourceName":"Bloomberg","published":"2025-09-16","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":11,"slug":"toloka","name":"Toloka","website":"https://toloka.ai/","score":null,"coverage":0,"bestFor":"Teams comparing independent data vendors","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"depth","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"quality","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"security","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."},{"id":"scale","value":null,"note":"No reported run rate."},{"id":"transparency","value":null,"note":"No public evidence yet."}],"facts":[{"label":"Ownership","value":"Nebius keeps a majority economic stake after a Bezos Expeditions-led investment, but gave up voting control","source":"https://nebius.com/newsroom/nebius-welcomes-bezos-expeditions-as-lead-investor-in-ai-data-business-toloka","sourceName":"Nebius newsroom","published":"2025-05-07","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]}]},"experts":{"title":"Best AI training platforms for experts","rubric":[{"id":"pay","label":"Pay level and evidence","weight":30},{"id":"availability","label":"Work availability","weight":20},{"id":"reliability","label":"Payment reliability","weight":20},{"id":"onboarding","label":"Onboarding fairness","weight":15},{"id":"reputation","label":"Reputation and incidents","weight":15}],"companies":[{"rank":1,"slug":"handshake-ai","name":"Handshake AI","website":"https://joinhandshake.com/ai/","score":null,"coverage":0,"bestFor":"People already on the Handshake career network","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"pay","value":null,"note":"Pay index not yet published."},{"id":"availability","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"reliability","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"onboarding","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"reputation","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."}],"facts":[{"label":"Reported ARR","value":"About $1.15B total gross ARR, with the AI training unit near $1B","source":"https://dealroom.co/news/127345-handshakes-arr-crosses-1b-as-ai-training-revenue-surges/","sourceName":"Dealroom, citing The Information","published":"2026-04-14","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Fellow referral bonus","value":"10% of the referred fellow's hourly rate, up to 40 hours, for 6 months","source":"https://support.joinhandshake.com/hc/en-us/articles/34271833422871-Handshake-AI-Fellowship-Referral-Program-Terms-of-Service","sourceName":"Handshake AI Fellowship referral terms","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":2,"slug":"mercor","name":"Mercor","website":"https://www.mercor.com/","score":null,"coverage":0,"bestFor":"Professionals who want hourly expert contracts with AI labs","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/work/mercor","subScores":[{"id":"pay","value":null,"note":"Pay index not yet published."},{"id":"availability","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"reliability","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"onboarding","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"reputation","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."}],"facts":[{"label":"Reported run rate","value":"Above $2B gross run rate (June 2026)","source":"https://dealroom.co/news/137121-mercor-doubles-to-2b-gross-revenue-run-rate-as-ai-labs-buy-expert-data/","sourceName":"Dealroom, citing The Information","published":"2026-07-06","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Contractor referral bonus","value":"20% of the referral's earnings, up to a cap of $250-$15,000","source":"https://www.mercor.com/referrals/","sourceName":"Mercor referrals page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":3,"slug":"micro1","name":"micro1","website":"https://www.micro1.ai/","score":null,"coverage":0,"bestFor":"Experts and professionals open to project-based AI work","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/work/micro1","subScores":[{"id":"pay","value":null,"note":"Pay index not yet published."},{"id":"availability","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"reliability","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"onboarding","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"reputation","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."}],"facts":[{"label":"Latest round","value":"Raised $100M+ at a $4B valuation","source":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/annatong/2026/09/22/this-25-year-old-raised-over-100-million-for-his-ai-data-startup-at-a-4-billion-valuation/","sourceName":"Forbes","published":"2026-09-22","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null},{"label":"Talent referral bonus","value":"Up to $3,000 per successful referral","source":"https://micro1.ai/referral-program","sourceName":"micro1 referral program page","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Reported run rate","value":"$500M gross run rate in August 2026, up from $100M eight months earlier","source":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/20/ai-data-startup-micro1-reaches-500m-gross-run-rate-amid-ai-training-boom/","sourceName":"TechCrunch","published":"2026-08-20","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":"Gross run rate $500M; net revenue reported at $150M-$200M."}]},{"rank":4,"slug":"outlier","name":"Outlier","website":"https://outlier.ai/","score":null,"coverage":0,"bestFor":"Generalists and specialists who want task-based AI training work","page":"https://www.aidatapayout.com/work/outlier","subScores":[{"id":"pay","value":null,"note":"Pay index not yet published."},{"id":"availability","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"reliability","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"onboarding","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"reputation","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."}],"facts":[{"label":"Operator","value":"Operated by Scale AI","source":"https://outlier.ai/","sourceName":"Outlier website","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null},{"label":"Contributor referral program","value":"Exists; amount not public","source":"https://outlier.ai/blog/why-referring-talented-contributors-to-outlier-benefits-everyone","sourceName":"Outlier blog","published":null,"retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":true,"conflict":null}]},{"rank":5,"slug":"surge-ai","name":"Surge AI","website":"https://www.surgehq.ai/","score":null,"coverage":0,"bestFor":"Writers and specialists who apply through DataAnnotation","page":null,"subScores":[{"id":"pay","value":null,"note":"Pay index not yet published."},{"id":"availability","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"reliability","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"onboarding","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."},{"id":"reputation","value":null,"note":"Not yet measured."}],"facts":[{"label":"Worker platform","value":"DataAnnotation.tech is reportedly a Surge AI subsidiary","source":"https://time.com/6962608/data-annotation-legit-tech-jobs-ai/","sourceName":"TIME","published":"2024-04-02","retrieved":"2026-10-14","ownClaim":false,"conflict":null}]}]}},"companiesTracked":20}