Closing your company

micro1's ads to former owners of closed companies, explained

Your old company has shut down, and now an ad says its leftover data might be worth as much as $2M.

The ad came from micro1, which has run it on Meta and LinkedIn since 2026-10-09, and the $2M is micro1's figure. Email, Slack and files from a closed company can still have value, as long as you still have access to them.

AI Data Offers research deskChecked against our methodology Updated October 28, 2026 2 min read 7 sources

01

What the ad says and who it targets

The ads ask whether you once ran a company that has stopped trading, and they aim at US companies that peaked at 25+ staff. On Meta, clicking leads to a five-question form.

A similar ad from Data Specialists promises that a closed business's data could pay, asks for 50+ staff and points to an address on micro1's job-post domain. Neither company has explained the link.

02

Read $2M as a ceiling

micro1 says it pays $100K to $2M+ for operating companies with 30+ employees. For closed startups, the reported market is smaller: SimpleClosure's 150+ deals typically run $10K to $100K. See million-dollar offers.

03

Do you still control the data?

  • Accounts still active: you or a former officer may still be able to grant access.
  • Company dissolved, accounts lapsed: the data may be deleted. Ask the providers quickly.
  • Company sold: the buyer probably owns the records now.
  • In bankruptcy: a trustee or the court decides. See bankruptcy data sales.

04

Who else takes closed companies

Pewter accepts US companies with 20+ staff at their high point and 3+ years of data; License My Data asks for 50+. See peak headcount for each floor, or take the match quiz.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Is micro1's closed-company ad real?

Yes, micro1 runs it on Meta and LinkedIn. The up-to-$2M figure is its advertised ceiling, not a typical price.

My company had 22 people. Do I qualify?

Not for micro1's 25+ ad, but Pewter's floor is 20+ at peak.

Who gets paid if the company is dissolved?

That depends on the company's documents and any creditors. Ask a lawyer before signing as the seller.

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Sources

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

  1. 1micro1: company referral programmicro1.ai
  2. 2micro1: data payoutmicro1.ai
  3. 3Pewter Datapewterdata.com
  4. 4License My Datalicensemydata.com
  5. 5SimpleClosure: what your startup's assets are worthsimpleclosure.com
  6. 6Forbes: AI's new training data is your old work Slacks and emails (16 Apr 2026)forbes.com
  7. 7aitrainer.work: selling a closed company's dataaitrainer.work

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