Major Markets
There are some obvious large commercial activities where thin markets impede optimal performance. An AI platform might have really big financial possibilities.
Agricultural and Commodity Markets
$400+ Billion Opportunity
Beyond major ag industry commodity exchanges lies a $300+ billion ecosystem of agricultural trading characterized by extreme fragmentation. Only 20% of U.S. agricultural production enters export markets served by major exchanges, leaving vast volumes traded through inefficient regional systems. Direct farm sales growing 35% annually to $10.7 billion; organic markets commanding 20-40% premiums across $71.6 billion in annual sales; and regional grain elevator systems under margin pressure. The geographic fragmentation is severe – 78% of farms selling directly operate within a 100-mile radius, while farmers typically receive only one-third of final consumer prices due to intermediary markups. Geographic arbitrage opportunities of 10-25% margins, plus enabling small farmers to access export markets through container-level aggregation. The research indicates eliminating 2-3 intermediary layers could improve farmer prices by 50-100%. here to change this text.
Manufacturing Supply Chains
$1.5+ Trillion in Fragmented Markets
The manufacturing ecosystem presents massive fragmentation across specialty components and industrial materials. The custom manufacturing market alone represents $858.8 billion growing to $1.35 trillion by 2031, while the supply chain management market spans $23.3 billion growing to $48.6 billion by 2030. 32.5% of U.S. manufacturing demand met by imports, with electronics showing 70.8% import penetration. Traditional supplier identification takes three months, which AI tools can reduce by 90%. The base metals trading market handles 137 million tons annually worth hundreds of billions, while precious metals represent $283.4 billion growing to $545.6 billion by 2034. Industrial intermediaries typically add 5-15% markups per layer, resulting in 20-40% total price increases. The research shows substantial overhead from manual supplier management and coordination costs that AI platforms can eliminate.
Professional Services
$1+ Trillion Market with Geographic Constraints
The global professional services market represents $1.08-1.20 trillion annually, projected to reach $3.04 trillion by 2034. Despite digital capabilities, geographic fragmentation persists – less than half of EU online businesses sell to other EU countries, indicating massive underutilization of cross-border professional talent. Modern businesses increasingly value niche expertise over generalist services, creating matching challenges. The research shows cultural matching biases often override productivity considerations, suggesting algorithmic matching around richer content could improve outcomes. Cross-border e-commerce grows at 25.1% CAGR from $2.5 trillion to $5.06 trillion by 2028, but SMEs remain underrepresented despite comprising 95% of businesses. Small-volume shipping costs increased 30% in 2022, affecting 66% of SME exporters.
Small Markets and NIche Services
Beyond the big ticket industrial opportunities, there are probably thousands of smaller thin market opportunities that are currently ignored or underserved. Many plausible examples won’t generate free cash to pay for an expensive electronic solution. They might, however, deliver important societal benefits. Whether an open source AI platform could help some of these is uncertain, but Cosolvent will make it much cheaper and less risky to try.
Specialty Agriculture & Food
Rare heirloom seed exchanges
Short-term cheese aging space
Fungal strains for alt-protein
Small-batch spirits barrels
Rooftop leases for urban farms
Coffee shop bean co-ops
Exotic produce trading network
Sustainable seaweed harvests
Hive placement for beekeepers
Foraged wild foods market
Creative & Artisan Goods
Custom film prop commissions
Bespoke musical instruments
Emerging artist art sales
Handmade paper & supplies
Period costume rentals
Rare yarn & textile exchange
Jewelry from recycled metals
Salvaged architectural pieces
Limited-edition print trading
Photography prop rentals
Professional Services
AI prompt engineering services
PhD-level manuscript editing
Writers for niche grants
Historical accuracy experts
Drone pilots for events
Ethical hacking for small biz
Rare dialect translations
Niche business coaching
SME ESG reporting help
Fractional CTO for startups
Industrial & B2B Niche Markets
Surplus chemical exchange
Used lab equipment trading
3D printing exotic materials
By-product reuse marketplace
Specialized machine rentals
Business service bartering
Prototype machining services
Shared import logistics
Testing & certification labs
Unused software licenses
Intellectual Property & Assets
Licensing niche patents
Specialized AI datasets
Co-founder matchmaking
Pre-trained AI model sales
Music sample licensing
Niche stock photography
Licensing academic research
SEO domain name trading
Engineered prompt trading
Digital twin blueprints
Education & Research
Obscure language tutoring
Shared lab equipment use
Guest lecturer marketplace
Interdisciplinary matching
Archival access for research
Peer reviewer marketplace
PhD mentorship programs
Niche course creation
Specialized internships
Academic data analysis
Real Estate & Property
Pop-up retail shop leases
Co-working for professions
Event parking rentals
Film/photoshoot locations
Community garden plots
House sitters for exotics
Land leases for renewables
Shared art studio rentals
Storage for odd items
Co-ownership of properties
Events & Experiences
Hobbyist conventions
Unique themed travel
Niche skill workshops
Chefs for special diets
Adventure sport guides
House concert hosting
Pop-up restaurant market
Authentic local tours
Specialized retreats
Themed wedding vendors
Local & Community Services
Neighborhood tool libraries
Local skill swap networks
Custom CSA share programs
Childcare co-op matching
Local errand running
Exotic pet sitting
Senior companion services
Carpools for niche commutes
Local food swaps
Hyper-local lost & found
Sustainable Economy
Clothing repair services
Furniture upcycling
E-waste part recovery
Restaurant surplus donations
Construction material exchange
Farmer water rights trading
Local carbon offset projects
Ugly produce marketplaces
Shared compost services
Baby gear rental market