Guide · What sells

What data sells, and for how much

AI labs are training agents to do real knowledge work. What they lack is a record of how real companies actually operate: the conversations, tickets, documents and code history behind everyday decisions. That is what they license.

Updated 2026-10-16

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Have your own counsel check your contracts and employee notices.

The systems buyers ask for most

Mercor's CEO said in September 2026 that the systems it sees most in companies it buys from are Slack (55%), GitHub (53%), Google Drive (53%), Gmail (50%), Figma (40%) and Jira (35%) (@BrendanFoody). Data is worth more when the systems link up, for example Jira tickets connected to the commits that closed them.

What drives the price

Desk headcount. The biggest single factor. Most programs want 20–30+ desk staff.
Years of history. More years means more workflows captured.
Number and richness of tools. Five or more connected tools is a common bar.
Industry. Accounting, legal, finance and healthcare are in high demand.
Exclusivity. Exclusive licenses pay more, but lock you out of other buyers for 1–2 years.
Language and region. English-language, US-based data is preferred by most buyers.

Realistic ranges

Small or shut-down startups: typically $10K–$100K (Forbes, April 2026; SimpleClosure deal data).
Mid-size operating companies: buyer posts cite roughly $200K–$600K.
Larger companies: $1M–$2M+, with published ceilings around $4M–$5M.

No buyer publishes a per-employee price. Treat any number — including ours — as a starting point. Your actual offer depends on the buyer's review of your data.

Before you cancel anything

Data is only worth something while it still exists. If you are winding down, keep Slack, Google Workspace, GitHub and similar accounts live until you have decided whether to license the data.

Estimate your company's value →