How Alternative Data Providers Are Shaping the Next Era of Market Intelligence

As financial markets become more complex, traditional data sources like financial statements and market reports no longer provide enough depth to drive smart investment decisions. The rapid rise of alternative data providers transforms how firms, hedge funds, and asset managers gain insights, offering more granular and timely data that can reveal hidden trends and opportunities.

By May 2025, the global alternative data market has climbed to an estimated $18.74 billion, up from $11.65 billion in 2024. Forecasts suggest it could reach $135.8 billion by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of over 63% as financial institutions and technology firms deepen their reliance on real-time, non-traditional datasets to stay competitive.

At Aura, we’re part of this shift, offering workforce insights that track hiring trends, employee sentiment, and talent movement across industries. These alternative datasets have become essential for understanding company performance beyond what’s available through conventional sources.

Several key trends are accelerating the adoption of alternative data. The rise of AI-driven insights has made access to proprietary and synthetic data a strategic priority, with hedge funds allocating over $1.6 million per year, on average, toward alternative data acquisition. Simultaneously, startups are democratizing access to structured datasets once exclusive to large institutions, allowing more firms to compete with sophisticated insights. Synthetic data, in particular, is gaining traction in fields like autonomous systems and AI training where real-world data is limited.

In this article, we explore the different types of alternative data and how they’re helping investors stay ahead of the curve.

Ready to navigate the complexities of alternative data with workforce insights? Aura Intelligence empowers investors, consultants, and private equity firms with cutting-edge tools to analyze hiring trends, employee sentiment, and market dynamics. Explore how Aura can enhance your investment strategies and keep you ahead of the competition.

👉 Unlock deeper workforce insights with Aura Intelligence

What Is Alternative Data?

Alternative data encompasses unconventional datasets that offer insights beyond the usual financial metrics like stock prices and balance sheets. It originates from diverse, unstructured sources such as social media activity, satellite images, web scraping, and consumer sentiment analysis.

These datasets are often more intricate but deliver timely intelligence on emerging trends in the real world, enabling investors to make sharper, more informed decisions. By blending alternative data with traditional sources, investment firms and corporations can gain a more nuanced understanding of market dynamics, fueling smarter strategic choices.

Types of Alternative Data and Leading Providers

1. Transaction Data

One of the most valuable categories of alternative data is transaction data. By analyzing credit card transactions, point-of-sale data, and app usage, alternative data companies can reveal real-time trends in consumer behaviors and business performance.

• Yodlee – Provides consumer transaction data from millions of credit card and bank transactions.

• Earnest Research – Specializes in transaction and consumer spending data.

• Second Measure – Offers insights into market share and sales through aggregated credit card data.

2. Web Data and Social Media

Through web scraping, web traffic data, and social media analysis, investors can track how the public perceives companies and how consumer sentiment is evolving. This form of alternative data helps institutional investors measure engagement and brand popularity.

• Brandwatch – Provides web and social media data on brand performance and consumer sentiment.

• Thinknum – Tracks online product availability, pricing, and hiring trends through web scraping.

3. Satellite Imagery

Satellite imagery is increasingly being used to track shipping patterns, crop growth, and industrial activities. These insights give private equity firms and hedge funds a unique window into global supply chains and market dynamics.

• Orbital Insight – Uses satellite data to monitor global trends in sectors like agriculture, energy, and real estate.

• RS Metrics – Analyzes satellite imagery for industrial activity such as construction and manufacturing.

• SpaceKnow – Provides satellite-based intelligence on market activities like shipping or factory output.

4. App Usage and Consumer Behavior

Data collected from mobile apps reveals vital information about how consumers interact with products and services, enabling corporate clients and investment firms to spot emerging trends before they show up in earnings reports.

• Apptopia – Offers detailed app usage analytics and consumer behavior trends.

• Sensor Tower – Focuses on mobile app data such as downloads, revenue, and user engagement metrics.

• SimilarWeb – Tracks website and app traffic, offering insights into the digital performance of companies.

5. Patent Data and Government Reports

Patent data and government agencies provide critical information about innovations and potential investment opportunities. This raw data can point investors to upcoming technologies and the companies behind them.

• PatSnap – Offers a comprehensive database of patent filings and intellectual property information.

6. Web Traffic and Market Data

Tracking web traffic and market data across industries can provide valuable insights into a company’s reach and customer engagement. This form of data allows data analysis on brand growth and consumer interest.

• SimilarWeb – Tracks web traffic for e-commerce, media, and software industries.

• SEMrush – Offers SEO and web traffic analytics to understand the online footprint of companies.

7. Consumer Sentiment and Surveys

Survey data and consumer sentiment analysis provide real-time insights into how consumers feel about products, companies, or entire industries, which can predict future market performance.

• YouGov – Specializes in online surveys capturing consumer sentiment and preferences.

• Civis Analytics – Uses survey and opinion data to provide strategic insights for companies and investors.

8. Geospatial and Environmental Data

Geospatial data, such as population movement and weather patterns, combined with environmental data like pollution levels, can offer investment opportunities in real estate, energy, and agriculture.

• Descartes Labs – Provides geospatial and environmental analytics for predicting crop yields and monitoring global supply chains.

• Geotab – Aggregates vehicle and environmental data to track fleet movements and efficiency.

• Mapbox – Offers geospatial insights using data from satellite imagery and GPS sources.

9. Corporate Data and Private Companies

Investing in private companies requires data beyond what’s available in traditional data sources. Datasets such as employee counts, patent data, and company performance metrics help investors make smarter decisions.

• PitchBook – Tracks private company financials, transactions, and investor activity.

• CB Insights – Focuses on venture capital, startups, and private company financial data.

• PrivCo – Specializes in financial and market data on private companies.

10. Workforce Insights and Labor Market Data Providers

Workforce insights and labor market data have become critical for understanding company performance, market trends, and overall economic health. For investment firms, hedge funds, and private equity firms, tracking employment patterns and consumer behavior through alternative data sources such as job postings, hiring trends, and employee sentiment can offer a competitive edge. Workforce-related data helps inform investment strategies by offering real-time views into which companies are expanding or contracting their workforces, what skills are in demand, and how industries are evolving.

Leading Workforce and Labor Market Data Providers:

• Aura Intelligence - Our workforce insights platform provides data on job posting volumes, skill set analysis, sentiment data, and deep analytics on workforce composition.

• LinkedIn Talent Insights – Provides real-time data on hiring trends, skills demand, and workforce movements, leveraging its global database of professionals and job postings.

• ADP Research Institute – Analyzes payroll data from millions of workers to offer insights into employment trends, wage growth, and turnover rates.

• Glassdoor – Uses company reviews and employee sentiment data to gauge workplace conditions, providing insights into company culture and employee satisfaction.

How Workforce Data Insights Provide Value:

By incorporating alternative data from workforce analytics, institutional investors and corporate clients can track labor market health, predict economic slowdowns or growth, and identify sectors that may present investment opportunities. Workforce data helps identify key trends in company performance that traditional data sources may overlook, offering deeper insights into industries poised for expansion or contraction.

Aura has proven particularly valuable in management consulting projects and private equity due diligence, where firms use the platform to assess target companies’ workforce health, operational efficiency, and potential risks​.

For example, a sudden increase in job postings for specific roles could indicate that a company is gearing up for rapid growth, while high employee turnover rates may signal internal challenges. This information helps investors make more informed decisions and provides them with valuable insights into the market dynamics shaping the modern workforce.

Navigate the Market with Alternative Data Sources

With alternative data vendors providing access to diverse, real-time datasets, institutional and private equity firms now have more opportunities to identify investment opportunities and adjust their investment strategies to stay ahead of market dynamics. The alternative data industry continues to grow, and the next generation of top alternative data companies is already driving the future of market intelligence.

By incorporating alternative data, firms can gain unique insights and achieve a competitive edge that was once unimaginable with traditional financial data alone. Whether analyzing social media data, satellite imagery, or transaction data, these top alternative data providers are essential in helping investors navigate today’s complex markets.

Unlock deeper workforce insights with Aura Intelligence. Whether seeking real-time sentiment data or benchmarking workforce performance against competitors, Aura offers the intelligence needed to gain a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced financial landscape.