Data Monetization: Generating Financial Returns from Data

In 2023 and 2024, MIT CISR collected information from 349 executives to learn how organizations are generating economic returns from data monetization activities. This report provides detailed survey results and can be used by organizations to benchmark data monetization strategies, practices, and outcomes against those reported by the sample. Key findings from the research included relationships between data capabilities, AI capabilities, and data democracy—and greater data liquidity and data monetization effectiveness. These outcomes, further supported by leadership, value realization, and measurement practices, ultimately explain 53 percent of the variation in data monetization value. The analysis confirmed this value has a positive relationship with overall firm performance, accounting for 36 percent of its variance.