AI Labs Buy Data From Defunct Startups for Training
Understand the story
According to an MIT Technology Review report on October 13, 2026, as public datasets and synthetic data approach their limits, AI labs are turning to acquiring data from defunct startups for model training. Through services specializing in wind-downs and liquidation such as SimpleClosure and Sunset, these labs purchase code and workspace data from dead startups. SimpleClosure's Asset Hub platform has already facilitated more than 150 such deals and is expected to recover over $10 million for defunct startups by the end of 2026. Currently, 47% of the company's deals include code or data sales.
AI overview of reporting · Updated 5 days ago
Reporting timeline
Explore different aspects of the story through its reporting.
- MIT Technology Review · AIAI labs are buying data from dead startups to train their models
MIT Technology Review reports that as public and synthetic datasets peak, AI labs are buying code and workspace data from dead startups via shutdown service providers such as SimpleClosure and Sunset. SimpleClosure's Asset Hub has facilitated over 150 transactions and is expected to recover over $10 million for startups by the end of 2026; 47% of its transactions now include code or data sales.
Story heat trend
Current heat3·Comparable peak10（10/13 18:00）·Comparable change over 24 hours -49%
The trend compares the same continuously observed sources, which may cover fewer sources than the current heat score. Hover or select the chart to inspect each hour; use the left and right arrow keys to navigate.