Closing your company

Closed company? Buyers count your headcount at its peak

Once the company closes, your current headcount is zero, which looks disqualifying. It isn't.

Programs for closed companies look at the largest headcount you ever had, and the lowest threshold is 20.

AI Data Offers research deskChecked against our methodology Updated October 28, 2026 2 min read 8 sources

In this guide

The floors

Pewter
Takes closed companies?
Yes, any status
Size rule
US company, 3+ years of records, 20+ full-timers today or at the high point
micro1
Takes closed companies?
Yes, via closed-company ads
Size rule
25+ employees at peak, US
License My Data
Takes closed companies?
Yes
Size rule
50+ staff at peak
Data Specialists
Takes closed companies?
Yes, per its ads
Size rule
50+ employees
SimpleClosure, Sunset
Takes closed companies?
Yes, as part of a shutdown
Size rule
No published floor

Buyer	Takes closed companies?	Size rule
Pewter	Yes, any status	US company, 3+ years of records, 20+ full-timers today or at the high point
micro1	Yes, via closed-company ads	25+ employees at peak, US
License My Data	Yes	50+ staff at peak
Data Specialists	Yes, per its ads	50+ employees
SimpleClosure, Sunset	Yes, as part of a shutdown	No published floor

Each buyer's own published terms or ads, checked October 2026.

If you peaked at 20 to 49 people, the 50+ buyers are not for you, but others may be.

Why operating rules do not apply

Buyers dealing with active businesses look at current staff, usually 20 to 30+, though some name no floor. Closed companies employ nobody, so closed-company programs measure the high point instead.

If you are still winding down with some staff left, count both. You may clear a current-staff floor now and not once the last people leave.

Headcount is a shortcut for how much got written down

MIT Technology Review reports that Sunset prices a company on staff count, years trading, data volume and how heavily the team used its software. Thirty people who lived in Slack for years may leave a richer trail than a bigger team that worked over the phone, so describe how your people actually worked.

How to work out and prove your peak

Payroll reports or the old HR system
Your largest user count in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365
When you reached your largest headcount and how long it lasted
Whether the buyer counts contractors, accounts or people on payroll

Keep the evidence. Then take the match quiz, which asks your peak and what records survive.

FAQ

Questions, answered

What is the lowest peak headcount buyers accept?

Pewter wants at least 20 full-timers at the high point. The micro1 closed-company ads want 25+.

Do contractors count?

It varies. Ask each buyer whether it counts payroll staff, user accounts or people who wrote in the workspace.

Does years in business matter too?

Yes. Pewter wants 3+ years of records, and longer histories usually raise value.

Find the buyers that fit your company

Answer a few questions about your size, tools and history. We show which buyers want a company like yours. Free, no files.

Match my company What is my data worth?

Keep reading

Sources

Every number on this page links back to one of these.

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