Yes, CloudFactory is a real company, founded in Nepal in 2010, that sells AI data and consulting services to businesses. Its main remote data team only takes citizens of Nepal, Kenya, the Philippines and Colombia, so most readers in the US or Europe can only work with it through the odd short project on its job board.
Everything below comes from CloudFactory's own site and job board, read on 2026-10-12, plus a pass through Reddit the same day. DigiNo has no link with CloudFactory and earns nothing from it.
Is CloudFactory Legit?
CloudFactory's about page says it was founded in Nepal in 2010 and has helped more than 700 clients build training data and AI models. It later bought Hasty, an AI data platform, and now calls itself an AI company.
Its homepage is written for business buyers. It sells AI consulting and a platform for checking AI results, with a focus on robotics and self-driving, transport, oil and gas, and insurance.
The company trades as CloudFactory Limited and lists a US phone number on every page.
Sources: CloudFactory about, CloudFactory homepage.
Who Can Work for CloudFactory
There are two routes, and where you live decides which one is open to you.
- The data specialist team. This is CloudFactory's main remote workforce, and its FAQ says you must be a citizen of Nepal, Kenya, the Philippines or Colombia and work from inside that country.
- Project roles on its job board. On 2026-10-12 the board listed 42 roles, mostly staff jobs, plus a few short paid projects in the US, the UK and parts of Europe.
If you are in the US and not a citizen of those four countries, the data specialist team is closed to you. Watch the job board instead.
Sources: Data specialist careers, CloudFactory job board.
How the Data Specialist Team Works
You apply, and if there is a match CloudFactory contacts you for training. Pass the training and an assessment, and you are placed on a project.
- Training is free and mostly online, though some projects train in person.
- You need a Windows laptop with at least an i3 processor and 4 GB of memory, internet of 5 Mbps or faster, and a quiet place to work.
- Tasks include data entry, pulling data from images and documents, audio transcription, moderation and annotation.
- Both part-time and full-time places exist. Some projects let you set your hours, others run on fixed shifts.
- The work is remote, but some projects may ask you into an office now and then.
Pay is shown in US dollars on CloudFactory's platform, converted to your local currency on payroll day, and paid monthly into a local bank account. Team members also join scheduled video meetings on personal development.
Sources: Data specialist careers.
Short Projects Open to People Elsewhere
A few roles on the job board were open to people in the US on 2026-10-12. Two stated their pay.
| Project at CloudFactory | Where | Listed at |
|---|---|---|
| College Football Quality Reviewer, about 60 to 90 days | US, independent contractor | $22/hr |
| Transaction Validation Participant, about 1 to 2 hours | US, one-time project | $75 for the project |
These are the amounts the listings state, not a promise of selection or income. Other US roles that day, without a stated rate, included a commercial roofing expert reviewing AI results on drone images, and one-day-a-week video capture on construction sites in Texas.
Read the transaction project carefully before you apply. You give a payments company the email addresses you use with shops and apps, then review about 50 of your own recent card transactions. The listing says it never asks for bank statements, full card numbers, logins or PINs, so treat any such request as a warning sign.
Sources: College Football Quality Reviewer, Transaction Validation Participant, Commercial Roofing Expert, Video Data Capture.
What People Say on Reddit
Most first-hand threads are in r/Nepal and date from 2022 to 2024, so some details may be out of date.
- Openings are rare and fill fast. Several people say they saw “no vacancy” for months.
- A long-time worker says openings were posted on CloudFactory's careers Facebook page more often than on the website, and others say an employee referral helps.
- One application round asked people to apply as a team of four.
- The work is described as repetitive data entry against the clock, where mistakes reduce pay. Several call it decent side income for students and advise against doing it full time.
- A former worker could not reach the company by phone or email to get old payslips.
Sources: r/Nepal thread, r/Nepal thread, r/Nepal thread, r/Nepal thread, r/Nepal thread.
How CloudFactory Compares With Mercor and Ethos
| CloudFactory | Mercor | Ethos | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can join | Citizens of Nepal, Kenya, the Philippines or Colombia for the main team; short projects elsewhere | Applicants in Mercor's supported payout countries | Experts who pass a country check |
| How you get in | Application, free training, then an assessment | One role-specific AI interview of about 20 minutes, reused across listings | A recorded AI voice interview, then matching |
| Type of work | Data entry, extraction, transcription, moderation, annotation | Role listings you apply to directly | Expert calls, surveys, written reports, review and annotation |
| How you are paid | Monthly to a local bank account for the main team | Stripe Connect, or Wise in some countries | Revolut or Wise, after a country check |
CloudFactory suits students and early-career workers in its four countries. Mercor and Ethos lean toward people with a professional background who want expert projects.
Not sure which fits you? The AI Training Job Matcher asks two questions and points you to our top pick for your field.
Sources: Mercor AI interview, Mercor payout countries, Ethos privacy policy, Ethos expert terms.
Find AI Training Work That Fits You
Chat with DigiNo Toucan. Two questions, no CV needed.
Should You Apply to CloudFactory?
If you are a citizen of Nepal, Kenya, the Philippines or Colombia and have the laptop and internet it asks for, apply to the data specialist team and check back often. Everyone else can watch its job board for the occasional short project.
Read how to tell real AI training jobs from scams before you share any ID, then look for platforms that hire in your country.
DigiNo earns a referral if you join Mercor or Ethos through our links. We have no link with CloudFactory.
CloudFactory FAQ
Is CloudFactory legit or a scam?
CloudFactory is a real company founded in Nepal in 2010 that sells AI data and consulting services. Its data specialist team pays monthly into local bank accounts. Older Reddit threads mostly complain that openings are rare and the work is repetitive.
Can I work for CloudFactory from the US?
Not on its main data specialist team, which is open only to citizens of Nepal, Kenya, the Philippines and Colombia. Its job board sometimes lists short paid projects open to people in the US.
How does CloudFactory pay?
Data specialists see their pay in US dollars, converted to local currency on payroll day and paid monthly into a local bank account. Project roles on the job board state their own rate.
What are the best alternatives to CloudFactory?
Mercor and Ethos run expert AI training projects for people with a professional background. The AI Training Job Matcher on DigiNo asks two questions and points you to the best fit.
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