# Your company's data is an intangible asset Source: https://workflowdividend.com/company-data-intangible-asset.html Last reviewed: 2026-10-29 Author: Sean Key, Applied Clinical Judgement (refers companies to micro1 and may receive referral fees) When owners list their company's intangible assets, they think of brand, customer relationships, software and intellectual property. Few include the years of email, chat and project records their staff have built up. AI training data companies now pay to license that record for frontier AI labs, the companies building models like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. That gives it a market value it didn't have a few years ago. ## At a glance - An intangible asset is something of value with no physical form. Your workflow records now qualify in a practical sense, because buyers will pay for access to them. - micro1's Company Data Partnerships range from **$100K to $3M+**, depending on the size, quality and uniqueness of the data. micro1 creator guidelines (refer.micro1.ai/influencer/guidelines), checked Oct 23, 2026 - A license brings in cash while you keep the company and your own copy of the data. - If you're planning to sell the business, a license affects due diligence, so decide early and keep good records. ## What makes workflow data valuable AI models have read the public internet. They haven't seen how a specialist team actually works through a problem: the back-and-forth on a tricky contract, how an engineer diagnoses a fault, how an account manager handles a complaint. That record lives in your systems. [Why AI companies pay for business data](https://workflowdividend.com/why-ai-companies-pay-for-business-data.md) explains the demand. ### Rare expertise Knowledge AI models haven't seen commands a premium. Common office tasks are worth less. ### A long record Several years of records shows how work changes over time and how problems get resolved. ### A larger team More people produce more varied examples. micro1 looks for 30+ employees. [What is your data worth?](https://workflowdividend.com/what-is-my-company-data-worth.md) covers the published figures and every factor that moves the price. ## If you're valuing or selling the business A buyer's valuation is mostly based on profits and the assets that produce them. A one-off data license usually counts as exceptional income, so it won't lift the multiple a buyer applies to your earnings. What it can do is put cash in the business, or in owners' hands, before a sale. - **Timing:** a license agreed before a sale is a contract the buyer will want to read. One agreed after a sale is the new owner's decision. - **Disclosure:** expect due diligence to ask what data has been shared, with whom, on what terms and how it was de-identified. Keep the agreement and your privacy records together. - **Conditions:** read the license terms for how long the data company, and the labs it supplies, can use the data and whether you're free to license it to others. - **Advice:** your broker or M&A adviser should know about the license before the business goes to market. 1. A year or more before you sellThe best time. The payment is banked, the agreement and privacy records are ready for due diligence, and you know what the data was worth before a buyer puts a price on the company. 2. Six months beforeStill workable. Allow around three months from registering to payment, and tell your adviser so the license is part of the sale pack. 3. Once a buyer is in due diligenceAwkward. A new contract mid-sale raises questions, and the buyer may ask you to wait. 4. After completionThe decision, and the money, belong to the new owner. If you're closing the company, the order of events matters even more. [Closing your company? Deal with its data first](https://workflowdividend.com/closing-your-company.md) covers that. ## What licensing involves 1. **Register:** a short form with your headcount, years of records and the systems you use. 2. **Proposal:** micro1 reviews the data and makes an offer. You decide what's in scope and what's left out. 3. **Agreement and privacy checks:** read the contract and ask [the nine privacy questions](https://workflowdividend.com/de-identification.md#questions). 4. **Export and payment:** micro1's engineers handle the export and de-identification. micro1 says a project takes two to three weeks, with payment in around 60 days. micro1 referral partner interview (YouTube), checked Oct 23, 2026 This is a general explanation, not financial, tax or legal advice. I'm not a valuer or a financial adviser. ## Putting a figure on your company's data Nobody can value your data without seeing it. Registering costs nothing and doesn't commit you, and the proposal gives you a real number to weigh. [Register with micro1](https://workflowdividend.com/go/micro1?from=intangible)micro1 will ask you to enter your work email to register. I'm not employed by micro1. If a company signs up through my introduction, micro1 may pay me a referral fee. It costs you nothing and doesn't change your terms. ## More guides - [Why AI companies pay for business data What they're buying, and why everyday work is valuable](https://workflowdividend.com/why-ai-companies-pay-for-business-data.md) - [Is it a scam? The evidence the program is real, and six warning signs](https://workflowdividend.com/is-it-a-scam.md) - [micro1 review What micro1 offers, and the concerns to weigh](https://workflowdividend.com/micro1-data-partnerships-legit.md) - [What is your data worth? Published figures and what sets the price](https://workflowdividend.com/what-is-my-company-data-worth.md) - [How names are protected De-identification explained, and what to ask before you sign](https://workflowdividend.com/de-identification.md) - [If your company has closed Who qualifies, and who can still sign](https://workflowdividend.com/closed-company-data.md) - [Closing your company? Deal with its data before you strike off or dissolve](https://workflowdividend.com/closing-your-company.md) - [Non-dilutive funding How data licensing compares with grants and loans](https://workflowdividend.com/non-dilutive-funding.md) - [HMRC Time to Pay How it works, and where data licensing fits](https://workflowdividend.com/hmrc-time-to-pay.md) **About the author** Sean Key has been a freelance consultant for 22 years, mainly delivering data and digital projects into the NHS. He runs Applied Clinical Judgement, which connects professionals with AI training work, and helps established companies weigh up micro1's Company Data Partnerships program. He isn't a lawyer and isn't employed by micro1. If your company signs up through his introduction, micro1 may pay him a referral fee at no cost to you. [Sean Key on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seandkey/) ยท [Book a call](https://calendly.com/seandavidkey/the-workflow-dividend)