Narrative I/O

About Narrative I/O

Narrative I/O operates a data collaboration platform designed to simplify how businesses buy and sell data assets. Founded in 2016 by Nick Jordan, the company was established to address the challenge of data deficiency that organizations faced after investing in data infrastructure and talent. Jordan, who has a background in the data and media industries at companies like Tapad, Adobe, and Yahoo, recognized the need for a more efficient way for companies to acquire necessary data.

The company's core offering is a software platform that functions as a marketplace for data transactions, providing tools for both data buyers and sellers. This platform allows participants to transact on their own terms, giving them control over their data strategy. Narrative's business model is centered on licensing its technology to companies, rather than buying or selling data directly. This approach is intended to replace what the company views as an inefficient data broker model with a more transparent and streamlined process called "Data Streaming". The platform serves a range of industries, including advertising, media, finance, retail, and healthcare.

Narrative's technology includes several key features. A patented AI-powered component called "Rosetta Stone" normalizes disparate data schemas and values into a unified catalog, making the data easier to work with for all parties. The platform supports various data types, from user-based information keyed on pseudo-anonymous identifiers to non-user data like weather information. For clients who prefer not to move their data, the "Narrative Anywhere" product allows for data collaboration within a customer's own cloud environment, such as Snowflake. The company also offers tools like "Model Studio" for training custom language models and "Connectors" for integrating with other platforms like Yahoo DSP.

Since its inception, Narrative I/O has secured a total of $18.3 million in funding over multiple rounds from investors including G20 Ventures, Glasswing Ventures, and XSeed Capital. In May 2023, Tim Mahlman, a tech executive with experience at Verizon Media and AOL, was appointed CEO, while founder Nick Jordan transitioned to a strategic role. This leadership change was part of the company's strategy to continue its growth and expand its position in the data collaboration market.