WEALTH WEEKLY #17

The Data Ownership Shift: Positioning Early for 2026

AI will reward the people who learn it — but 2026 will reward the people who also own the data behind it.

If you’re completely new to investing, you may find it helpful to read Wealth Weekly #16 (on SEIS/EIS) as well. But you can still follow this week’s issue without it.

1️⃣ From AI Hype to Data Reality

Over the last few years, three words have dominated money conversations:

• Stocks

• Crypto

• AI

Most people stop there.

But underneath all of this, there’s something even more powerful that very few people are paying attention to:

The data that makes all of this work.

Every AI tool, every recommendation system, every “smart” feature you see online is powered by data:

• what people click

• what people buy

• how goods move

• how crops grow

• how machines behave

• how markets react

For a long time, this data was just “sitting in the background.”

Now it’s becoming an asset in its own right.

When we talk about “data ownership” in this issue, we don’t mean owning random files on a hard drive.

We mean:

Owning small pieces of companies whose main advantage is the data they collect, organise and sell.

That’s where the shift is happening.

2️⃣ Why 2026 Is a Turning Point for Data

So why talk about this now?

Because AI is growing up — and the rules around it are changing.

Governments in the UK, EU and US are all moving in the same direction:

• Big AI models will need to pay for the data they use

• Companies won’t be able to just scrape everything from the internet

• Specialist data – high quality, well organised, properly collected – will become more valuable

That means:

• Companies that own useful data will be able to license that data

• AI builders will pay to use it

• New data marketplaces and licensing models will appear

• Early investors in “data-first” businesses will be in a stronger position

Think of it like this:

• Yesterday: data was a by-product

• Today: data is a competitive edge

• Tomorrow: data is an investable asset

We’re early in that “tomorrow” phase.

3️⃣ What Data-First Companies Actually Look Like

To keep this simple, here are three types of data-first businesses you might see on UK investing or crowdfunding platforms over the next year:

A) Logistics & Movement Data

Companies that track:

• how goods move through supply chains

• where delays happen

• how to optimise routes and costs

Their data can be sold or licensed to:

• retailers

• delivery companies

• warehouses

• software providers

B) Specialist Industry Data

Examples:

• agriculture (soil, crop, weather patterns)

• energy usage and grid behaviour

• construction and materials performance

• healthcare research data (handled with strict rules)

This kind of data helps companies predict outcomes and make better decisions.

C) API & Analytics Businesses

These companies expose their data through an API (a connection that other software can pay to use).

They earn money when:

• other companies call their API

• they sell analytics based on their data

• they license their data to bigger players

In all of these examples:

• the product matters

• the team matters

• the technology matters

…but the real long-term value comes from the data they gather and control.

Those are the kinds of businesses we’re talking about in this issue.

4️⃣ How Everyday Investors Can Start Positioning (Without Being a Tech Expert)

You don’t need to code.

You don’t need to build your own AI model.

You don’t need to understand every technical detail.

Here’s how you can start to position yourself early, even with small amounts:

Step 1 — Start spotting “data-first” language in pitches

When you look at a company (on Seedrs, Crowdcube, or other platforms), pay attention to phrases like:

• “proprietary dataset”

• “data platform”

• “training data for AI models”

• “API-based business model”

• “we license our data to customers”

These are clues that data is part of the company’s core value.

Step 2 — Consider SEIS/EIS data-focused startups

This builds directly on last week.

Many early-stage UK companies with SEIS/EIS status are:

• building data platforms

• offering analytics as a service

• collecting specialist data for AI or industry use

For beginners, this route is often the safest:

• small minimum investments (sometimes £10–£200)

• tax relief if the company qualifies

• long-term upside if they grow

You are not “buying data directly”.

You are investing in a business whose future growth is tied to the data it owns.

Step 3 — Use a small, clear allocation

This is key.

Data-first investments should be a small part of your wider strategy, not everything.

For example (not advice, just a framework):

• 60–70% → broad, safer assets (ISAs, index funds, etc.)

• 10–20% → cash / buffer

• 10–20% → higher-risk ideas (like SEIS/EIS, data-first, early-stage bets)

That way:

• If it works, you benefit

• If it takes time, you’re not under pressure

• If it fails, you learn without being wiped out

5️⃣ Warnings, Limits & Guardrails

As always, we keep it honest.

Data-first investing is powerful, but it’s not magic.

Here’s what you must keep in mind:

⚠️ 1. This is still early

Regulation is evolving.

Some ideas will work.

Others will disappear.

Treat this as a long-term, learning-focused lane.

⚠️ 2. Not every “AI” or “data” company is real

Some businesses use these words just to attract attention.

Look past the buzzwords and ask:

• Who are their customers?

• What problem does their data solve?

• Is anyone paying them yet?

⚠️ 3. Your money may be tied up for years

Data-first companies are often early-stage.

There may be no quick exit.

You should only use money you can leave alone.

⚠️ 4. Platform and execution risk

Even good ideas can fail if:

• the team can’t execute

• the platform they raise on shuts down

• the market changes faster than expected

This is why diversification matters.

⚠️ 5. This is a complement, not a replacement

Data-first investing should add to your strategy, not become your whole strategy.

Keep your foundations strong:

• emergency cash

• debt plan

• core investments

• ongoing learning

Then use opportunities like this for extra upside, not survival.

WORD OF THE WEEK

Data Equity

Owning small pieces of companies whose main strength is the data they collect, organise and use to create value.

PREDICTION

By the end of 2026, we will start seeing more UK startups clearly position themselves as “data-first” businesses — and early retail investors will have regular chances to back them through SEIS/EIS and crowdfunding.

BOLD PREDICTION

By 2030, some of the strongest-performing early investments in many people’s portfolios will be companies where data, not physical products, turned out to be the most valuable asset.

FINAL MESSAGE

Learning AI is step one.

Understanding data is step two.

Positioning yourself early is step three.

You don’t need to rush.

You don’t need to chase hype.

You just need to keep stacking knowledge and placing small, smart bets.

The goal isn’t to predict every winner.

It’s to be in the room early when a new wealth lane opens up.

You’re already ahead of most people by even reading this.

Stay curious. Stay patient. Stay positioned.

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