Welcome back to the World of DaaS Roundup. This week’s signals from across the data economy highlight three shifts: regulation shaping data access, enterprises treating data as a product, and infrastructure powering the AI era.
📰 NEWS AND READS
The 2026 Data Business Benchmark Report 2026: Operational Clarity for the DaaS Era A Report by the Subrise Intelligence Team
The Subrise Intelligence team is proud to present the 2026 Data Business Benchmark Report. Subrise's analysis reveals that while 76% of data firms are shifting toward Product-Led Growth, 'integration-readiness' remains a bottleneck for 83% of the industry.
From Promises to Proof: The Rise of Verifiable B2B Data Business Wire
B2B trust is shifting toward "digital proof," requiring DaaS providers to use real-time dashboards to verify data provenance and avoid litigation over supply chain transparency.
The 20-State Patchwork: Navigating the New U.S. Privacy Compliance Web Forbes
The lack of a federal privacy law has forced DaaS providers to adopt Universal Opt-Out Signals as twenty states activate complex, conflicting regulations that mandate privacy be a core technical requirement.
Can AI Replace Humans for Market Research? The Wall Street Journal
The market research industry is shifting toward "digital twins" and AI agents to simulate consumer behavior, offering brands a faster and cheaper alternative to traditional human focus groups.
🎧 DAAS PODCAST OF THE WEEK
Summation episode on healthcare as a product, Apple’s AI problem, and the future of longevity.
Adrian Aoun is the founder and CEO of Forward, a healthcare technology company focused on building a new model of preventive care powered by software and AI. Before founding Forward, Aoun worked closely with Larry Page at Google on several advanced technology initiatives and helped launch Sidewalk Labs. His work sits at the intersection of healthcare, AI, and product design.
In this episode of Summation, Adrian and Auren discuss:
• Why healthcare should be built like a product, not a service, and how AI could dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of medical care.
• Apple’s challenge in AI, and why large incumbents often struggle to move quickly during major technological shifts.
• The surprising math behind longevity — including why curing cancer would add fewer years to life expectancy than many people assume.
• Why GLP-1 drugs may represent one of the most transformative medical breakthroughs of the decade.
🔥 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
M&A Funding Roundup
Databricks acquired Tabular, a startup founded by the creators of Apache Iceberg focused on open data lakehouse technology.
S&P Global acquired Drift AI, to enable natural language financial modeling while expanding its alternative data coverage within the Capital IQ Pro platform.
Rhoda raised $450M at a $1.7B valuation to scale its synthetic video data infrastructure for industrial and autonomous use cases.
💼 WORLD OF DAAS JOB BOARD
Showcasing open roles at companies led by members of our community. A few standout opportunities this week:
Product Manager - Data Clean Rooms, Samba TV
Agency Developer Director - EU, Samba TV
Looking to showcase an open role? The World of DaaS job board highlights opportunities from members across our community. Apply to join and get access to exclusive perks including job board postings, curated introductions, private events, and more.
🔍 REGISTER: 2026 WORLD OF DAAS SUMMIT
Our flagship summit moves to September, bringing together 160+ DaaS leaders for candid conversations, curated roundtables, and private networking.
Apply to become a World of DaaS Founding Member and secure your summit ticket for just $500.
