Updated 8 Nov 2026
AfterQuery vs Scale AI, by the numbers.
By revenue, Scale AI is the larger: $870M (FY2024), against AfterQuery's $100M (run rate, Apr 2026). Scale AI's figure is the older by 16 months; no later one is on record.
Both sell RL environments, datasets, expert and human data and evaluations and benchmarks. Only Scale AI sells labeling software, annotation and simulation. Every figure below is linked to the filing or article it comes from; what each sells is in its own words, from its own pages.
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Side by side
Revenue over twelve months, the newest valuation, disclosed funding and what each says it does.
| AfterQuery | Scale AI | |
|---|---|---|
| AfterQuery | Scale AI | |
| Place on the rankings | #14 of 78 | #5 of 78 |
| Ranked on | $100M Revenue, run rate, Apr 2026 | $870M Revenue, FY2024 |
| Revenue, twelve months | $100M run rate, Apr 2026 over time | $870M FY2024 over time |
| Newest valuation | $3.2B Sep 2026 | $29B Jun 2025 |
| Disclosed funding | $30M in 1 record | $15.3B in 2 records |
| Sells | RL environments, Datasets, Expert and human data, Evaluations and benchmarks | Labeling software, RL environments, Datasets, Expert and human data, Evaluations and benchmarks, Annotation, Simulation |
| Works on | Coding, Computer use, Business work, Finance, Legal, Medical, Science, Speech and audio, Images and video, Languages | Coding, Computer use, Business work, Robotics, Medical |
| Made from | Made by experts and contractors, Recorded from people and the real world, Generated, The client's own data | Made by experts and contractors, Replicas of real software |
| Takes data from companies | Through our introductions | Through our introductions |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, California, US |
| Founded | 2025 | 2016 |
| In its own words | “AfterQuery is an applied research lab curating data solutions for frontier foundation model development.” Its page | “Scale delivers proven data, evaluations, and outcomes to AI labs, governments, and the Fortune 500.” Its page |
- The rule.
- Each company is ranked on the first of these it has on record: its revenue over twelve months (a run rate or a year as published, or its last four quarters added up; an AI segment where the rest of its business is not AI data), then its newest valuation, then the money it disclosed raising. No company pays for a place. The full method and every change to it.
- Twelve months.
- A run rate or ARR is the company's own annualised figure; a year is the year it published. Gross revenue of a human data company includes what it pays its experts.
- Pays companies for data.
- "Through our introductions": it takes companies' data through AIData.Broker's introductions and pays us a referral fee when one goes ahead. That never moves its place: the order is the money on record. "Its own programme": a published programme for buying data. "Says it buys data": its own words, linked.
- Why this pair.
- People search for this comparison: Google suggests it, read on 8 Nov 2026. Neither company asked for or paid for this page.
Selling your company's data to AfterQuery or Scale AI
What each says it pays a company for its data, what it wants and when it pays, in its own published terms.
| AfterQuery | Scale AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Takes data from companies | Through our introductions | Through our introductions |
| What it says it pays | Not published | $10K to $1M Scale AI, data partnership page, 7 Nov 2026 |
| What it wants | "Records of how teams actually work across their tools: email, chat, tickets, CRM, support, finance and more, usually over several years. Industry systems and legacy tools count too." | Structured, de-identified records from data warehouses, chat, email, documents, work tools and business platforms. |
| When it pays | Payment is the last of its six steps, after transfer and de-identification ("06 Payment Payment and ongoing partnership"), with no schedule or number of days published. It says it is "Usually a few weeks from first form to signed agreement". | Not published. A scoping call first; a partnership can begin with a very limited scope. |
You need not choose one: AIData.Broker values a company's data free and introduces it to every buyer whose own rules take it. Value your data
On the same rankings
The lists both are ranked on, with each one's place.
- Computer-use agent data companiesAfterQuery #4, Scale AI #1 of 17
- Medical AI training data companiesAfterQuery #10, Scale AI #4 of 26
- RL environment companiesAfterQuery #11, Scale AI #5 of 36
- Coding data companies for AIAfterQuery #13, Scale AI #5 of 33
- Best AI data labs and human data companiesAfterQuery #13, Scale AI #5 of 41
- Best AI training data providersAfterQuery #13, Scale AI #4 of 53
- AI evaluation companiesAfterQuery #13, Scale AI #5 of 60
The latest money moves
The newest rounds, valuations and revenue figures of the two, each linked to its record.
- 1 Sep 2026AfterQuery was valued at $3.2B valuation
- 10 Apr 2026AfterQuery raised $30M at a $300M valuation
- 9 Apr 2026AfterQuery reported $100M revenue (run rate, Apr 2026)
- 12 Jun 2025Scale AI raised $14.3B at a $29B valuation
- 8 Jun 2025Scale AI reported $870M revenue (FY2024)
- 21 May 2024Scale AI raised $1B at a $13.8B valuation
The questions people ask
- Is AfterQuery bigger than Scale AI?
- By revenue, Scale AI is the larger: $870M (FY2024), against AfterQuery's $100M (run rate, Apr 2026). Scale AI's figure is the older by 16 months; no later one is on record.
- What is the difference between AfterQuery and Scale AI?
- AfterQuery sells expert-built training data, RL environments, and custom evaluations to frontier AI labs and enterprises. Scale AI provides training data, RL environments, and model evaluations to AI labs, governments, and enterprises. Both sell RL environments, datasets, expert and human data and evaluations and benchmarks. Only Scale AI sells labeling software, annotation and simulation.
- Which raised more money, AfterQuery or Scale AI?
- AfterQuery: $30M disclosed, valued at $3.2B (2026). Scale AI: $15.3B disclosed, valued at $29B (2025).
- Do AfterQuery and Scale AI buy data from companies?
- AfterQuery takes data from the companies that hold it, through a published programme. Scale AI takes data from the companies that hold it, through a published programme.
More comparisons
Each company against its whole field, and the other comparisons people search.
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