Cloudflare announced on January 15 2026 that it has acquired Human Native, a startup that operates an AI‑ready data marketplace connecting creators with AI developers. The deal is part of Cloudflare’s broader push to build the Agentic Web, a vision that envisions intelligent agents interacting with the internet, discovering, pricing, and purchasing content through transparent channels.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and the expected closing date has not been announced. The acquisition is intended to strengthen Cloudflare’s AI infrastructure stack by adding a data layer that enables creators to monetize their content while giving AI developers access to high‑quality, ethically sourced data. The move also positions Cloudflare to compete more directly with large cloud providers that are investing heavily in AI services.
Strategically, the acquisition addresses a growing industry concern that AI models are trained on data scraped from the web without compensation or control for rights holders. Human Native’s marketplace model gives creators a mechanism to retain control, earn compensation, and receive credit when their work powers AI products. By integrating this capability, Cloudflare can offer a differentiated edge‑computing AI platform that combines data access, monetization, and security, reinforcing its competitive advantage in the AI infrastructure space.
Cloudflare’s CEO Matthew Prince said the deal “helps us accelerate the next phase, where we build the tools that allow content to be discovered, priced, and purchased through transparent channels.” Human Native’s CEO Dr. James Smith added that the partnership “aligns our values and gives us the opportunity to deliver solutions at Internet scale.” The comments underscore the shared focus on creator rights and responsible AI development.
The acquisition comes as Cloudflare has already expanded its AI portfolio with Workers AI, Vectorize, and AI Gateway, and is developing protocols such as x402 for machine‑to‑machine payments. The addition of Human Native’s marketplace is expected to accelerate the rollout of these services and deepen Cloudflare’s role as a key player in the emerging Agentic Web ecosystem.
Overall, the deal signals Cloudflare’s commitment to building a comprehensive AI stack that includes data sourcing, monetization, and edge deployment, positioning the company to capture a larger share of the growing AI services market while addressing creator and developer concerns about data ownership and compensation.
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