Process
How long a data licensing deal takes
Allow one to three months between the first conversation and cash in your account. Once you sign, payment generally takes three to six weeks, occasionally more.
In this guide
01
Where the weeks go
First contact to rough quote
Days, sometimes within one business day
Sample review to written offer
A few days to two weeks
Signing to handover
As long as cleaning takes, often a few weeks
Signing to payment
Usually 3 to 6 weeks, sometimes longer
| Stage | Typical time (buyers' estimates) |
|---|---|
| First contact to rough quote | Days, sometimes within one business day |
| Sample review to written offer | A few days to two weeks |
| Signing to handover | As long as cleaning takes, often a few weeks |
| Signing to payment | Usually 3 to 6 weeks, sometimes longer |
Those estimates leave out your thinking time, and for most owners deciding takes longest of all.
02
Buyers are moving fast
micro1 reports more than 50 data deals within 45 days, and its $1B budget only covers a year, so it wants to move fast. That pace serves the buyer more than it serves you. Never let time pressure make you skip the sample check or the written offer.
03
What turns weeks into months
- Sensitive records that take longer to clean
- Records spread across several companies
- Paper that has to be scanned
- Nobody on your side ready to sign
To save time: count staff and years, list systems, pick exclusions and decide who signs before the first call.
FAQ
Questions, answered
How long from start to payment?
Usually one to three months between the first conversation and the money arriving.
How fast do buyers pay?
Usually three to six weeks after signing, and some pay only after accepting the data.
Can I speed it up?
Prepare your system list and exclusions before the first call.
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.
Keep reading
Sources
Every number on this page links back to one of these.
- 1The Next Web, micro1 commits $1B to enterprise datathenextweb.com
- 2micro1, company referral program pagemicro1.ai
- 3Nyne, sell company datanyne.ai
- 4Pewter, company websitepewterdata.com
- 5Frankfurt Kurnit, selling company data for AI training: what to knowtechnologylaw.fkks.com
Spot something wrong? See our corrections policy. Some buyers pay us a referral fee. How we make money.