The reviews
Data marketplaces
Platforms listing licensable data, such as Human Native, which Cloudflare acquired in January 2026
- Best for
- Publishers and content owners with standardized collections
- Strengths
- Standard terms, a ready audience of buyers, simple onboarding.
- Watch for
- Built mostly around content. Operating data such as tickets and communications needs more preparation and explanation.
Wind-down platforms
Shutdown services that sell code and data, such as SimpleClosure and Sunset
- Best for
- Startups that are closing
- Strengths
- Fast, and part of a full wind-down service.
- Watch for
- Sales happen under time pressure, and founders often can't see who buys the data or how it is used.
Data vendors
Companies that buy data and package it for AI labs
- Best for
- Sellers who want one simple transaction
- Strengths
- One buyer, one negotiation, quick payment.
- Watch for
- The vendor captures the resale margin, and you may not control downstream use.
Direct deals with AI labs
Negotiating one-to-one with a lab
- Best for
- Large companies with unique data and in-house counsel
- Strengths
- No intermediary and potentially a strategic relationship.
- Watch for
- Hard to reach the right buyer, one bidder sets the price, and the lab's paper favors the lab.
Advisor-led process
Our pickAn advisor who prepares, markets and negotiates the license, such as Windridge
- Best for
- Operating companies that want competition and control
- Strengths
- Valuation, positioning, confidential outreach to several buyers and intermediaries, and negotiated terms, with the owner approving every step.
- Watch for
- A success fee. Ask how it is earned and what happens if no deal closes.
Speed against control
Seller control and competition
MoreLess
SlowerSpeed and simplicityFaster
How to choose
- If you are shutting down within weeks, use a wind-down platform.
- If you publish standardized content, try a marketplace.
- If you hold years of operating records and want the best terms, run a process with more than one buyer.
Frequently asked questions
Is a data broker the same as a data vendor?
The terms overlap. A broker connects you with buyers for a fee; a vendor usually buys the data and resells it, keeping the margin.
Sources
- Cloudflare acquires Human Native · Advanced Television, Jan 16, 2026
- AI labs are buying data from dead startups to train their models · MIT Technology Review, Oct 13, 2026