Why do AI labs buy company data?

Models learn to do real work from examples of real work. Internal chat, documented processes and operational records show how businesses actually operate, which public web data does not.

How much can a company earn?

micro1 says approved data packages earn companies $100K–$2M+. Reported deals range from about $10,000 for a small startup archive to $10 million for Spirit Airlines’ data (Reuters, August 2026). The price depends on what data you have and how much of it is approved.

Which companies is Mercor looking for?

Mercor is currently buying data from construction, semiconductor and materials, digital health, manufacturing, law and cybersecurity companies, paying companies up to $1.5M. Apply at data.mercor.com and enter referral code HMFNVJTM.

Can a company that has shut down still sell its data?

Yes. micro1 runs a separate partnership for defunct companies. Whoever controls the company’s assets now has to authorise the sale.

Which companies qualify?

Generally 30+ employees and English-language data. The defunct-company program looks for 50+ peak employees and substantial Slack or Teams history. The current requirements are listed on each program above.

For founders, operators and former owners

Your company’s data is worth $100K–$2M+. AI labs pay for real operational data, even from companies that have shut down.

Check if your company qualifies Compare programs

Per approved data package: $100K–$2M+
Employees to qualify: 30+
Open programs: 3
Industry: Any

Compare programs. Both are run by micro1 and pay companies for approved data.

Best for closed or defunct companies

Defunct Company Data Partnership

Your company shut down, but its records didn’t. Turn its archived chat and documents into a payout.

Company payout: $100K–$2M+
Requirements: 50+ peak employees, Substantial MS Teams or Slack data, United States, UK, Canada, India, Australia, Singapore, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany and France, English

Start a defunct company profile

Best for operating companies

Enterprise Data Partnership

Earn from the business documentation and operational datasets you already have.

Company payout: $100K–$2M+
Requirements: 30-200 employees, Mature workflows, Documented processes

Start a company profile

Mercor is buying industry data. Up to $1.5M for the right company. These are the types it wants now.

Enter this referral code when you apply

HMFNVJTM

Industrial · 50–2,000 employees

Construction

Project records, drawings and site imagery from completed projects.

Company earns$115K–$1M

Science & R&D · 10–2,000 employees

Semiconductor & materials

Run records that tie each recipe to a measured result.

Company earns$100K–$750K

Healthcare · 10–500 employees

Digital health

Consented recordings of patient visits, with transcripts and notes.

Company earns$100K–$900K

Industrial · 20–2,000 employees

Manufacturing & industrial

Production, maintenance and inspection records from the shop floor.

Company earns$100K–$1.5M

Professional services · 5–300 attorneys and staff

Law firm

Complete files from closed matters and completed deals.

Company earns$50K–$1.2M

Software · 20–2,000 employees

Cybersecurity

Security alerts, investigations and case write-ups, or security software.

Company earns$20K–$750K

Apply with Mercor

Use code HMFNVJTM on the application.

What labs are buying

Internal chat

Slack or Microsoft Teams history: how real teams reason, decide and hand off work.

Process docs

SOPs, playbooks, runbooks and documented workflows.

Operational records

Tickets, project plans, reports and the datasets your business already runs on.

How it works

01
Create a company profile
A point of contact sets up your company on micro1’s portal and fills in a data manifest: what you have, roughly how much, and from when.
02
micro1 evaluates the fit
Their team reviews the company and decides whether there is a fit for a data partnership.
03
Transfer approved data
If there is a fit, you agree terms and transfer only the data that’s approved.
04
Get paid
Payment is made for approved data packages.

Labs buy the work, not the people. Names, contact details and other personal data are stripped out before anything is transferred.

Your raw Slack export5 personal details

Sarah Chen9:14 AM

Called Mike Ruiz at (415) 555-0142. He approved the change order for 118 Oakwood St.

Dana Patel9:21 AM

Great. Invoice Ruiz Plumbing LLC and cc dana@harborbuild.com. Framing starts Monday once the permit clears.

What the lab receivesAnonymised

Person 19:14 AM

Called Person 2 at Phone. He approved the change order for Address.

Person 39:21 AM

Great. Invoice Company and cc Email. Framing starts Monday once the permit clears.

Illustration with made-up details. Each program agrees the exact anonymisation steps with you before transfer.

Every reported deal, from $10K startup archives to Google’s $10M Spirit Airlines purchase

What is your company’s data worth? Get a rough range in 30 seconds.

Estimate →

Get a valuation. Tell us what you have and we’ll reply by email with the buyers that fit.

Before you sell. Do these first.

01Confirm you own the data and have the right to sell it. Check customer contracts, NDAs and vendor terms.
02Plan how personal data about employees and customers will be removed or anonymised before transfer.
03Check the privacy laws where your staff and customers are (e.g. GDPR in the EU/UK, state laws in the US).
04For a defunct company, find out who controls its assets now: founders, the board, a trustee or a liquidator.
05Have a lawyer review the data agreement before anything is transferred.

Not a company owner?

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FAQ

Why do AI labs buy company data?: Models learn to do real work from examples of real work. Internal chat, documented processes and operational records show how businesses actually operate, which public web data does not.
How much can a company earn?: micro1 says approved data packages earn companies $100K–$2M+. Reported deals range from about $10,000 for a small startup archive to $10 million for Spirit Airlines’ data (Reuters, August 2026). The price depends on what data you have and how much of it is approved.
Which companies is Mercor looking for?: Mercor is currently buying data from construction, semiconductor and materials, digital health, manufacturing, law and cybersecurity companies, paying companies up to $1.5M. Apply at data.mercor.com and enter referral code HMFNVJTM.
Can a company that has shut down still sell its data?: Yes. micro1 runs a separate partnership for defunct companies. Whoever controls the company’s assets now has to authorise the sale.
Which companies qualify?: Generally 30+ employees and English-language data. The defunct-company program looks for 50+ peak employees and substantial Slack or Teams history. The current requirements are listed on each program above.