Guide
How much is your company's data worth?
Updated October 2026
AI companies now pay for real business records to train their systems. For an established company, a data license typically ranges from around $100,000 to more than $1 million. Small startups usually see far less. Here is what drives the price.
The five things that set the price
- Headcount. More people means more conversations, decisions and work history. Companies with 50 or more employees at peak attract far more interest than smaller teams.
- Years of records. Three years is a common minimum. Five to ten years is worth significantly more.
- Connected tools. The most valuable archives combine chat (Slack or Teams), email, CRM and a ticketing or project tool, covering the same years. Files alone are worth much less.
- Industry. Legal, accounting, finance, software, engineering, construction and game development are in high demand.
- Language. Buyers currently pay most for records where internal communication is mainly in English.
Why connected data is worth more
AI companies want to see how real work moves between tools: a customer email leads to a Slack thread, then a ticket, then a fix, then a follow-up. When the same people, dates and references link across tools, the archive can be used to train AI on complete workflows. Disconnected or partial data is worth a fraction of that.
Typical ranges
- Small startups (under 25 people): roughly $10,000 to $100,000.
- Established companies (25 to 100 people): roughly $100,000 to $500,000.
- Larger companies with long, connected history: $500,000 to $1 million or more.
These are indicative ranges. Every archive is valued individually.
What lowers the price
- Missing chat or email history
- Short history or gaps between tools
- Records mainly in a language other than English
- Data the company does not own, such as client-owned material
- No one with authority to sign
FAQ
Do we lose our data if we license it?
No. You keep everything. A de-identified copy is licensed for AI training.
Can a closed company still sell its data?
Yes, if the records still exist and the owner, liquidator or trustee can sign.
How do I get a valuation?
Fill in the short form at runeshares.com. It takes about a minute and no data is shared.
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