Toloka

Human-centric AI data platform founded in 2014, backed by $72M from Bezos Expeditions, powering generative AI with crowdsourced annotation across 100+ countries.

AI Training AI Data & Crowdsourcing
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Amsterdam, Netherlands HQ
201-1000 company size
2014 founded

What is Toloka?

Toloka AI is a human-centric data solutions provider founded in 2014 by Olga Megorskaya, headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Operating as a unit of Nebius Group NV, the platform combines human expertise with machine learning to deliver high-quality training data for AI systems, with a strong focus on generative AI and large language models. In May 2025, Toloka secured $72 million in funding led by Jeff Bezos' Bezos Expeditions. The platform connects a global crowd of contributors ("Tolokers") across 100+ countries with microtasks including image annotation, text classification, audio transcription, video labeling, semantic segmentation, search relevance evaluation, content quality assessment, named entity recognition, sentiment analysis, and AI model response rating. Toloka relaunched its platform in December 2024 with enhanced tools for data production, labeling, and synthetic data curation for generative AI. Contributors work flexibly from anywhere with internet access, choosing tasks at their own pace. Payments are processed via Payoneer, Skrill, and YooMoney.

Mission & values

Combine human domain expertise with machine learning to deliver training, evaluation, and safety data for frontier AI agents and large language models.

Qualifications

Toloka is accessible to beginners — no advanced background or special skills are typically required for microtasks. Key requirements include creating an account, successfully passing simple qualification tests, and accurately following task instructions. Some tasks may require specific language proficiency or be location-restricted. For specialized roles like AI Tutors or LLM annotators, professional or educational experience in data annotation, proficiency in web searching and fact-checking, and B2 or higher English are expected. Consistent, accurate work increases access to more and higher-paying tasks. Microtask earnings typically range from $0.01–$0.10 per task ($2–$8/hr equivalent), with specialized tasks offering up to $18/hr. Full-time internal roles (AI Tutor, Sales, Engineering) offer $41K–$81K annually.

Leadership

O

Olga Megorskaya

Co-Founder & CEO

Spent years building human-in-the-loop systems at Yandex before co-founding Toloka in 2014; led the spinout from Yandex into an independent company in 2020.

Hiring process

  1. 1

    Sign up at toloka.ai/annotators

    Create an account; verification depends on country and task pool.

    About 1 day

  2. 2

    Take onboarding training

    Complete platform training and qualifying tests for specific projects.

    About 2 days

  3. 3

    Pick available tasks

    Browse and accept individual microtasks (image classification, transcription, content moderation, etc.).

  4. 4

    Complete tasks

    Tasks range from a few seconds to several minutes; complete enough to clear the $20 withdrawal threshold.

  5. 5

    Withdraw earnings

    Cash out via supported methods; minimum $20 per the platform terms.

    About 5 days

Funding

StageSeries A
Total raised$72,000,000
Investors
Bezos Expeditions Nebius Group

Company information

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of tasks does Toloka have?
Image classification, object detection / bounding-box annotation, text categorization, content moderation, search-relevance evaluation, audio transcription, sentiment analysis.
What can I realistically earn?
Independent reviewers report ~$2–$3/hr typical, with a stated range of $2–$10/hr; per-task pay is usually $0.01–$1.00 with rare $10–$20 specialist tasks.
What is the minimum withdrawal?
$20 per the platform terms — a common complaint in Trustpilot reviews when tasks pay only pennies.
Who runs Toloka now?
Toloka spun off from Yandex in 2020 and operates independently from Amsterdam under co-founder & CEO Olga Megorskaya. Bezos Expeditions led a $72M investment in 2025.

Stay in the loop.

One email per week, 5 hand-picked roles.