Guides

Topics

• AI Data Brokers Compared: Troveo vs BizBuyData vs SimpleClosure vs DataVendor (and micro1, Polyshares, Mercor)

  Troveo, BizBuyData, SimpleClosure, DataVendor, micro1, Polyshares and Mercor compared on model, published payouts, eligibility and timing. Sourced.

• AI Data Licensing Deals Tracker: Reddit, Spirit Airlines, Shutterstock & More

  A sourced tracker of AI data licensing deals, from Reddit, AP and News Corp to the Spirit Airlines data auction, with disclosed values and primary sources.

• BizBuyData by Mode.Inc Review: Eligibility, Timeline, Referral Terms & Red Flags

  A sourced review of BizBuyData, Mode.Inc's company data-licensing program: who runs it, who qualifies, timing, referral terms, sentiment and red flags.

• Data Anonymization for AI Training: How PII Is Scrubbed from Slack, Email & Jira

  How PII is detected and replaced in Slack, email and Jira before AI training, where automated scrubbing fails, and how to test a buyer's output yourself.

• Data Licensing as Non-Dilutive Capital: vs Equity, Venture Debt, SBA Loans, RBF and Grants

  Is licensing company data to AI non-dilutive capital? A sourced comparison with equity, venture debt, SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, RBF and grants.

• De-identified vs Anonymized Data: What AI Buyers Require

  De-identified vs anonymized vs pseudonymized data under HIPAA, the GDPR and California's CPRA, and what AI data buyers actually receive.

• How AI Data Licensing Works: LOI → De-identification → Payment (Timeline & Agreement Terms)

  Step by step: estimate, nonbinding LOI, scope approval, de-identification and payment, with published timelines and the agreement terms to negotiate.

• How Much Is Your Company's Data Worth to AI? Benchmarks by Headcount & Industry, with Calculator

  What AI data buyers have published about price, how headcount and industry move it, and an estimate band per employee from Mode's ranges. Not an offer.

• How to License Your Company's Data to AI Labs (2026 Guide)

  How companies license workplace data to AI labs in 2026: buyers, eligibility, published price ranges, the process, risks and contract terms.

• Is Selling Company Data to AI Safe? Privacy, Employee & Contract Risks (Checklist)

  A pre-signing checklist for licensing company data to AI: contracts, employee notice, CPRA, client confidentiality, SaaS terms and re-identification risk.

• Revenue-Based Financing vs Licensing Your Data: Cost of Capital Compared

  Revenue-based financing costs a fixed 1.3x–3x cap. Licensing company data to AI costs no repayment but grants rights. A worked comparison with sources.

• What Data Do AI Companies Buy? Slack, Email, Jira, ERP and CRM Explained

  What company data AI labs and brokers buy: Slack, email, Jira, CRM, ERP and billing records, plus computer-use trajectories and RL environments. Sourced.

• What Is Data Monetization? A Plain-English Guide for Mid-Market CFOs

  Data monetization explained for CFOs: the three ways data turns into money, where AI data licensing fits, how to judge an offer, and the risks to price in.

• What is operational data licensing? A plain-English guide for business owners

  Operational data licensing explained: what buyers want, what Mode says it removes, who qualifies, the timeline, attributed price ranges and the risks.

By industry

• Accounting firms

  Can a CPA firm license workflow data to AI? Mode's 10-employee minimum, IRC §7216, AICPA confidentiality, the FTC Safeguards Rule, and what stays out.

• Healthcare practices

  Can a medical practice license data to AI? Mode's 10-employee medical minimum, why PHI is off-limits, HIPAA Safe Harbor limits, and what admin data fits.

• Law firms

  Law firms can license only their own operational workflow data, never client matter content. Rule 1.6, ABA Op. 512, Mode's 6-employee minimum, ranges.

• Logistics & operations

  What logistics and transport firms can learn from Google's pending $10M Spirit Airlines data bid: dispatch and ops data, vendor rights, labor, and pricing.

• Marketing agencies

  What a marketing agency can license to AI buyers: its own SOPs, templates and workflow, not client deliverables or ad data. MSA clauses to check first.

• Nonprofits

  Can a nonprofit license operational data to AI buyers? Eligibility, keeping donor and beneficiary data out, and how UBIT's royalty exclusion may apply.

• SaaS companies

  What a software company can license to AI buyers: Jira, Confluence, Slack and support workflows, why customer data and DPAs limit scope, and what to check.