Publication: Alternative Data for investments — use cases, providers, best practices 2026
Alt Data categories in 2026:
- Geospatial: satellite imagery (Planet, Maxar, Sentinel) — parking lots, construction, crop health, oil storage; night lights (VIIRS) as an economic activity proxy
- Consumer transaction: credit and debit card panels (Facteus, Second Measure, Yodlee) — revenue tracking, market share, retention
- Web data: e-commerce pricing, reviews, search trends, app store rankings, job postings as growth signals
- Maritime and aviation: AIS (ExactEarth, Spire) — vessel tracking, port congestion, oil and coal flows; ADS-B — flight tracking, private jets of UHNW individuals
- ESG and sustainability: methane detection (GHGSat), deforestation (Global Forest Watch), supply chain carbon
Integration into the investment process:
- Pre-trade: nowcasting quarterly revenue (card panels plus web traffic plus satellite)
- Due diligence: independent verification of management claims (satellite capex, foot traffic)
- Portfolio monitoring: early warning signals (hiring freeze, traffic drop, supplier distress)
- Exit: alternative data for buyer presentations (real-time KPIs versus reported figures)
Providers (top 2026): Planet, Maxar, Facteus, Second Measure, YipitData, Safegraph, Spire, Orbital Insight, RS Metrics, Thinknum, the AlternativeData.org marketplace.
Risks: data quality (survivorship bias, look-ahead bias), legal issues (scraping terms of service, privacy), cost (0K-00K per year), integration complexity.
Download the guide (PDF): agentd22.ru/whitepapers/alt-data-investing-2026.pdf
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