Cloudflare has snapped up Human Native, a UK-based AI data marketplace, to beef up its AI data tools. The goal is to give AI developers sharper access to high-quality data while making sure content creators keep the reins on their work and how it's used.
Cloudflare announced Thursday it’s acquiring Human Native, a London-based AI data marketplace, in a bid to smooth out data access and support for AI developers and content creators, ensuring both sides get a slice of the generative AI pie. The deal will focus on building tools that let AI developers find, access, and buy top-tier data through clear channels, while helping creators turn their content into cash without getting hosed.
“Content creators deserve full control over their work, whether they’re writing for humans or optimizing for AI,” Cloudflare co-founder Matthew Prince said. Human Native’s know-how will help forge tools that deliver fair pricing, transparent transactions, and beefed-up content utility for AI, pushing a sustainable open internet model, Prince added.
The London-born startup Human Native kicked off in 2024 with a mission to build infrastructure for a fair AI economy, helping developers source high-quality data responsibly and letting rights holders jump into the AI game with confidence, clarity, and proper pay. The company previously raised £2.8M in seed funding from LocalGlobe and Mercuri. Its roster includes veterans from DeepMind, Google, Figma, and Bloomberg.
“We started Human Native to drag Generative AI out of its Napster era,” said Dr. James Smith, co-founder of Human Native. “We believe that creators should have control, compensation, and credit when their work powers AI products.”
