Process
Licensing company data with or without a broker
Going direct is an option, since many buyers deal with owners themselves and seldom charge them. In certain cases a broker adds value, so be clear on what you get for the fee.
01
Buyers you can approach yourself
Some direct buyers require 30-plus staff, while others have no minimum. The usual path is a brief form, a sample review, and then an offer on paper, usually inside a fortnight. See the buyer rankings.
02
Who the brokers are
Brokers run most of the ads you see. Some manage valuation, offers, negotiation and the export and are paid by the buyer when the deal closes, while others take a cut of your price. Buyers advertise introduction fees as high as $50,000 per company, which is what most brokers are after.
03
Brokers: worth it, or a cost?
Several buyers end up competing for your records
You pay its fee out of your proceeds
It handles paperwork you would pay staff for
It locks you to one buyer for months
Your company is large or unusual
It adds a party that sees your data
| A broker helps when | A broker costs you when |
|---|---|
| Several buyers end up competing for your records | You pay its fee out of your proceeds |
| It handles paperwork you would pay staff for | It locks you to one buyer for months |
| Your company is large or unusual | It adds a party that sees your data |
04
Where we fit
We rank buyers and match owners with the ones that fit. We do not hold your data or take a cut of your price. The buyer you pick might pay us a referral fee. Your price stays the same either way. See how we make money.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is a broker required to license company data?
No. Plenty of buyers deal directly with owners, and they rarely charge sellers anything.
Where does a broker's pay come from?
Normally the buyer pays a commission or referral fee once the deal closes. A few instead deduct a cut from what the seller receives.
Will a broker raise my price?
It might, if it gets buyers bidding against each other. Weigh what you would net after its fee against dealing direct.
Get offers from buyers that fit
Tell us about your company once. We introduce you to the buyers most likely to pay, and you choose who to talk to.
Keep reading
Sources
Every number on this page links back to one of these.
- 1micro1, company referral program pagemicro1.ai
- 2Mode, referral programdata.mode.inc
- 3Pewter, partners pagepewterdata.com
- 4Endless, company websiteendless-data.com
- 5Nyne, compare data licensing offersnyne.ai
- 6MIT Technology Review, AI labs buying data from dead startupstechnologyreview.com
Spot something wrong? See our corrections policy. Some buyers pay us a referral fee. How we make money.