Licensing your company's data to AI: questions and answers

Yes, though "license" is the right word. AI labs and data buyers license de-identified copies of a company's email, chat, files and operating records to train AI systems. You keep the originals and keep running your business. It's a one-time payment for a copy, not a sale of the company.

They're training AI agents to do real office work, and the public internet doesn't show how work gets done inside a business. Years of records from a working company do: the request, the back-and-forth, the decision and the result.

Company email, internal chat, shared files, and your main operating system (CRM, ERP, TMS, practice management), ideally covering three or more years. The more of those that connect to the same work, the more useful the set is.

Recent reporting has mid-sized companies getting offers from $100K to $2M for records like these. Where you land depends on headcount, years of records, which tools you use, data quality and what you're allowed to license. Our estimator gives a rough range.

No. You license a de-identified copy. You still own your records, keep using them, and approve every term of the license before anything is delivered.

Buyers de-identify records before using them: names, emails, phone numbers and other identifiers are removed or replaced. Regulated and privileged material, like patient records or attorney–client files, is typically excluded. You decide what's in and out.

No. We never collect, hold or forward your data, files or logins. We qualify your company, and with your written OK, introduce you to a buyer. The buyer handles everything technical.

Nothing. Buyers pay us a referral fee when a deal closes. It doesn't come out of your payment, and you never pay us.

Most programs want 20+ staff and three or more years of records. The sweet spot is 50 to 200 people. Some buyers work with smaller teams, especially for wind-downs or code.

Freight and 3PL, wholesale distribution, construction and engineering, accounting, finance, insurance, and office-heavy firms with many work tools. Healthcare and legal can fit with careful exclusions.

Usually weeks, not days. The buyer reviews your data, agrees terms with you, then handles the transfer and de-identification. Payment terms are in the license you approve.

Licensing data you own is generally legal, but contracts, privacy laws and professional rules can limit what's included. We're not lawyers. Have your counsel review any license before you sign.

No. A license covers a copy of past records. Your team keeps working the same way, in the same tools.

We check your answers against each buyer's requirements and reply by email, usually within one business day. If there's a fit, we explain the next step. Nothing goes to any buyer until you approve that buyer in writing.

Records from closed companies are still in demand, and often go unused. The key is acting before accounts are cancelled and data is deleted. See closing down.

Yes. Robotics companies pay businesses for approved first-person video of hands-on work, usually monthly per approved hour. See robot training data.