To sell, to donate, or to barter? Value creation and capture through business model types in decentralized data ecosystems

Decentralized data ecosystems, enabled by data spaces, are transforming how organizations create and capture value from interorganizational data sharing. However, the implications of such data ecosystems on the business models of data-sharing participants remain underexplored. Based on 26 qualitative interviews with experts from two cases, we delineate and compare two generic business model types for data sharing: bartering, where participants share data reciprocally without direct monetary compensation, and marketplace, where data providers either sell or donate data. By comparing the two cases and their business model types, we find that while decentralization of technical infrastructure and governance enhances value creation, it simultaneously constrains value capture by increasing complexity and costs. Moreover, we demonstrate that the emergence of business model types is determined by the ecosystem’s contextual factors. By contextualizing business models and investigating the influence of decentralization on value creation and capture, our study advances the discourse on the business dimension of data ecosystems. These insights inform both scholars and practitioners navigating the complexities of data ecosystems.