RunsByReports
Original research from the RunsBy.ai ledger: what verified payment data says about how AI businesses make money. Every number comes with its method, sample size and sources.
Oct 2026The state of AI revenue, October 2026The top 10 AI businesses earn 36% of the $1,231,432 in combined verified MRR we track; the bottom half earns 6%.AI businesses founded in 2026 have a median verified MRR of $929; the 2025 cohort's median is $5,208, 5.6x higher.7 findings · data CSV →Oct 2026The state of AI businesses, October 2026Typical MRR, payment providers, stacks, solo vs team, growth leaders and how fast businesses reach $10K a month.8 sections →
Latest key findings
- The top 10 AI businesses earn 36% of the $1,231,432 in combined verified MRR we track; the bottom half earns 6%.
- AI businesses founded in 2026 have a median verified MRR of $929; the 2025 cohort's median is $5,208, 5.6x higher.
- Sales AI tools have the highest median verified MRR ($14,067, n=7); Recruiting has the lowest ($581, n=5).
- AI businesses whose cheapest plan is $30/month or more have a median verified MRR of $10,576, vs $2,098 for those starting under $15 (n=81).
- Only 36 of 102 AI businesses (35%) earned more in Sep 2026 than in Mar 2026; the median change was -21%.
- In 8 of the 9 cases where a founder's public revenue figure disagreed with payment data, the founder's number was higher.
- Businesses run day to day by AI agents have a median verified lifetime revenue of $17,187 (n=7), vs $54,433 for human-run AI businesses.
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