TL;DR
Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Perplexity and Mistral AI have joined Google in paying the Wikimedia Foundation for commercial access to Wikipedia via the Wikimedia Enterprise program. The deals, announced around Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary, provide a premium, commercial-ready feed of Wikimedia content aimed at AI and large companies, with revenue directed toward the nonprofit’s projects.
What happened
The Wikimedia Foundation said this week that several major technology companies are now participating in its Wikimedia Enterprise initiative, which offers a paid, production-grade feed of content from Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. Google was previously known to be a partner; the foundation confirmed that Microsoft, Perplexity and Mistral AI joined the program over the past year and listed Meta and Amazon as existing partners for the first time publicly. Wikimedia Enterprise, launched in 2021, supplies a version of Wikimedia data tuned for commercial and AI use — the foundation takes feature requests from partners and adapts data formats and functionality to meet those needs. The announcement was released as part of Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary. Wikimedia says revenue from the program is used to support its nonprofit projects and to pursue a more sustainable funding model.
Why it matters
- Provides a recurring revenue stream that the Wikimedia Foundation says can help make its projects more financially sustainable.
- Gives AI firms and large platforms a commercial-ready, structured feed of Wikipedia content tailored to their technical needs.
- Reflects the growing reliance of AI and search companies on Wikimedia content for building and training products.
- Signals broader industry recognition of Wikipedia’s value to commercial AI services and large-scale applications.
Key facts
- Wikimedia Enterprise launched in 2021 to provide a premium version of Wikimedia content for commercial use.
- Companies named in the announcement include Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Perplexity, Mistral AI and Google.
- Wikimedia says Microsoft, Perplexity and Mistral AI joined the Enterprise program “over the past year.”
- Meta and Amazon were listed as “existing” partners by the foundation; this is the first public acknowledgement of that status.
- The foundation describes the Enterprise product as a version of Wikimedia content “tuned” for commercial and AI company needs.
- Wikimedia takes partner feature requests and builds functionality or restructures data to support those requests, per the foundation.
- Funds from the Enterprise program are directed to supporting Wikimedia Foundation projects and pursuing sustainability.
- The announcement coincided with Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary.
What to watch next
- Whether additional large AI or tech firms join Wikimedia Enterprise in the near term — not confirmed in the source.
- Any public disclosures about pricing, contract terms or volume of data exchanged between Wikimedia and partners — not confirmed in the source.
- Potential changes to how Wikimedia content is delivered to the public or to partners’ reliance on Enterprise feeds — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Wikimedia Foundation: The nonprofit organization that hosts Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects and supports their operation and development.
- Wikipedia: A free, collaboratively edited online encyclopedia that is one of the Wikimedia Foundation’s flagship projects.
- API: Application Programming Interface; a set of rules and tools that lets software applications request and exchange data with a service.
- Wikimedia Enterprise: A paid product from the Wikimedia Foundation that provides commercial partners with a production-grade, feature-enhanced feed of Wikimedia content.
Reader FAQ
Which companies are participating in Wikimedia Enterprise?
The foundation named Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Perplexity, Mistral AI and Google in its announcement.
What does Wikimedia Enterprise provide to partners?
A premium, commercial-ready version of Wikimedia content with features and data structures tailored to partner needs.
Was this announcement tied to any milestone?
Yes — the foundation released the news as part of Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary.
How much are the companies paying or what are the contract details?
not confirmed in the source
NEWS AI TECH Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon are paying up for ‘enterprise’ access to Wikipedia The companies have joined Google as the latest members of the Wikimedia Enterprise program. by…
Sources
- Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon are paying up for ‘enterprise’ access to Wikipedia
- Wikimedia Enterprise – Meta-Wiki
- Wikipedia urges AI companies to use its paid API, and stop …
- Wikipedia Asks AI Companies to Stop Scraping Data and …
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