What Metis Is
Metis is an exchange for valuable information. The idea is simple: some people possess knowledge that others genuinely need, and until now there has been no proper place for that exchange to happen fairly and securely.
We are not a news platform, a data broker, or a social network. We are a structured marketplace where information is listed, reviewed, priced, and sold, with protection built in for everyone involved.
Why We Built This
If you have spent any time trying to find specific, reliable information about something that actually matters, a conflict, a market, a company, a place, a situation on the ground, you will know how frustrating it can be. Public sources repeat each other. Official channels are slow or incomplete. And the people who actually know what is happening rarely have a way to share it with those who need it.
At the same time, there are people everywhere who sit on genuinely valuable knowledge and have no way to make use of it. A local journalist who knows the real story. A professional who understands a sector from the inside. A researcher who has spent years building expertise that organisations would pay for. An ordinary person who witnessed something significant and has no outlet for it.
Metis exists to connect these two sides of the same problem.
Who Uses Metis
Metis is designed for professionals who need more than what is publicly available: analysts, journalists, researchers, risk consultants, businesses operating in complex environments. But it is not limited to them.
Anyone who has information that others would find valuable can list it here. And anyone who is looking for specific knowledge they cannot find through conventional sources can post a request and see who responds.
You do not need to be an institution or an expert to participate. You need to have something worth knowing, or to be looking for something that is not easily found.
How It Works in Practice
When someone lists information on Metis, they control exactly how much is visible publicly. A general description and topic are shown to everyone. The detailed content is only shared with buyers after payment has been secured in escrow and the terms of the exchange have been agreed.
This staged approach protects sellers from having their information taken without payment, and protects buyers from paying for something that turns out to be different from what was described. Once the buyer confirms that the delivery meets the agreed terms, the payment is released.
Every transaction is reviewed and logged. We maintain records for compliance purposes and to ensure the integrity of the platform.
What We Do Not Allow
We review every submission before it goes live, and we take that responsibility seriously. Metis does not allow information that was obtained illegally or through unauthorised access, personal data about private individuals without their consent, material that could put someone in physical danger, anything the seller is contractually prohibited from sharing, or financial information that would constitute insider trading.
If you are unsure whether what you have is eligible, contact us before submitting.
Our Standard for Quality
We are trying to build a trustworthy information marketplace. Every submission is reviewed not just for compliance but for whether it represents something of genuine value. We would rather have a smaller number of listings that people can rely on than a large volume of content that adds to the noise.
This means some submissions will be declined. That is intentional. The value of the platform depends on the quality of what is in it.
Who Runs Metis
Metis is operated by the Media and Journalism Research Center, an organisation that has worked with sensitive information in journalism and research contexts for over a decade. The same standards we apply to that work, verification, source protection, responsible handling, are the standards we apply here.
Get in Touch
If you have questions about the platform, a submission, or anything else, we are happy to hear from you: office@metisexchange.org