DataLicensingAudit

What are your company's work records worth for AI training?

Mode Inc. runs BizBuyData.com, a program that buys de-identified copies of company email, chat, documents and tickets and resells them for AI research and training. Its program page says that data “could be worth $100K–$5M”. Its co-founder and CEO, Dan Novaes, said on The LFG Show that buyers will pay “anywhere from a couple hundred thousand all the way to $5 million”. We check those claims against Mode's own rules and show you an illustrative range before you decide anything.

Estimate your range How the estimate is calculated

DataLicensingAudit.com is an independent referral partner of Mode. We may earn a fee if your company is accepted. Estimates are illustrative, not offers.

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An illustration of the records in scope: a problem moving between teams until it's solved, with names replaced. It follows the examples Dan Novaes gave on The LFG Show at 4:08 and 13:47.

What is operational data licensing?

Operational data licensing means a company is paid for an agreed, de-identified copy of its internal work records (email, chat, documents, tickets, CRM and billing history), which is then used to train AI agents on how real teams solve problems. The company keeps its originals, and names and other identifiers are removed or replaced first.

In Mode's version, Mode is the buyer and payer. You approve which systems and date ranges are in scope, your team signs in to those systems (no passwords change hands), and Mode exports and de-identifies the agreed copy before reselling it, according to Mode's program FAQ and its October 13 press release. It is a data-license payment, not a loan or equity.

The demand is real and reported. Business Insider found that owners are receiving six-figure offers that expire in 48 hours, and that AI training company micro1 pays midsize companies $100,000 to $2 million for anonymized data (Business Insider, Oct 13, 2026). Read the full guide

Who qualifies?

Mode sets minimums by industry, counted in full-time office (desk) employees. Its own pages disagree, and the numbers have moved since launch, so treat these as a first filter and confirm current minimums during intake.

Minimum full-time office employees, by source
Organization typeMode's program page, as of Oct 29, 2026Mode's press release, Oct 13, 2026Mode's referral page, “minimum target”
Law firms6610
Accounting firms101015
Finance firms and medical practices1020No separate minimum15
All other businesses and nonprofits302050

Mode's October 13 press release cited 20 for general businesses; its program page lists 30 as of October 29, 2026. Our calculator uses the program-page minimums. Dan Novaes cited the launch figures on The LFG Show: “six for law firms … 10 for accounting, and 20 … for any regular business”.

Mode's referral page limits referrals to companies in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Its program page says companies with several years of records they own and teams primarily based in the U.S. are the strongest fit.

Estimate your range

Choose your industry and enter your full-time office headcount. You'll get an illustrative range and the arithmetic behind it, line by line. It is not an offer. How the estimate works

Industry
Full-time office employees

Count desk-based staff on payroll who work in email, chat, documents or tickets. Mode's application asks for desk and non-desk employees separately.

Illustrative range

Choose an industry

Choose your industry to see an estimate.

ALow end of Mode's published range BizBuyData program page, Oct 29, 2026
$100,000
BMinimum headcount for your industry BizBuyData program page, Oct 29, 2026
—
CRate per employee (A ÷ B)
—
DYour full-time office employees
40
EMidpoint (C × D)
—

Range shown: 0.8 × E to 1.35 × E, rounded to $10,000 and capped at $5,000,000. The band is our judgment, not a published figure. marks a figure traced to a public source.

Ask for an introduction to Mode

We review your answers and introduce companies that fit Mode's published rules. Mode is the buyer and payer in its BizBuyData program and decides eligibility and terms. You're asking about: choose an industry and headcount above. Change

DataLicensingAudit.com is an independent referral partner of Mode. We may earn a fee if your company is accepted. Estimates are illustrative, not offers. Privacy

How does the process work?

These are the steps and timings Mode has published. Your written agreement sets the actual amount and schedule.

From introduction to payment, according to Mode
StepWhat happensTiming Mode gives
Initial estimateWith your consent, we pass your answers to Mode. Mode reviews your size, years of records and systems, then gives an initial estimate.Not published
Letter of intentA nonbinding letter of intent holds the estimate while Mode assesses the data.14 days, plus one 7-day extension at Mode's request
Scope and final offerYou approve the systems and date ranges before any export. Mode makes a fixed offer, and the written agreement sets the amount and payment schedule.Not published
Export and de-identificationYour team signs in to the approved systems. Mode collects the agreed copy and removes or replaces identifiers before delivery.15 to 30 days
PaymentMode pays under the written agreement.“Expected within approximately 60 days” in the press release; Mode's FAQ currently estimates about three months from first call to payment

Sources: Mode's October 13, 2026 press release and program FAQ, read October 29, 2026.

What's shared, and what isn't?

You choose which systems and date ranges are in scope before anything is exported. The table reflects what Mode says about its process; it is not a guarantee, and no de-identification method is perfect.

The agreed copy versus everything else, according to Mode
Shared: the agreed copyNot shared
RecordsA copy of the systems you approve, such as email and calendar, documents, chat, call transcripts, CRM, billing and operationsYour original records and systems, which stay with you
ScopeOnly the systems and date ranges listed in your agreementAnything outside the approved scope
PeopleThe workflow, with names replaced (“Dan's going to become … Derek”, in Novaes's example)Names and contact details, which Mode says it removes or transforms before delivery
AccessYour team signs in to the approved systems for the exportPasswords; Mode says none are handed over
DeliveryA filtered copy for AI research and training, under your agreement's termsUnfiltered records; Mode says AI developers don't receive them

Keep these out, whatever a buyer accepts

This is our guidance, not Mode's rule. Have your own counsel review the scope.

  • Client files, matter documents and privileged communications. Law firms
  • Client tax-return information, which 26 U.S.C. §7216 restricts. Accounting firms
  • Patient health information covered by HIPAA. Healthcare practices
  • Donor and beneficiary records. Nonprofits
  • Customer content you process under customer contracts. Software companies
  • Passwords, API keys and other secrets.

Privacy risk is a live issue. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and more than 100 other members of Congress urged Google and Spirit Airlines to protect former Spirit employees' privacy in the pending sale of de-identified Spirit data to Google, which won the bankruptcy auction with a $10 million bid. The court hearing on the sale was moved to November 6, 2026 (Business Insider; Travel Weekly).

Questions owners ask

Who actually pays for company data?

In Mode's BizBuyData program, Mode is the direct buyer and payer. It buys an agreed, de-identified copy of your records and resells it for AI research and training. AI developers building workplace agents drive the demand, but they don't pay you directly.

How much could my company be paid?

Mode's program page says company data could be worth $100K–$5M, and Mode co-founder and CEO Dan Novaes said on The LFG Show that buyers will pay anywhere from a couple hundred thousand all the way to $5 million. Offers are case by case and not guaranteed. Mode says it weighs the systems and dates in scope, years of history, record volume and quality, and ownership and access terms.

Who qualifies?

As of October 29, 2026, Mode's program page lists minimums of 6 full-time office employees for law firms, 10 for accounting, finance and medical, and 30 for all other businesses and nonprofits. Mode's October 13 press release cited 20 for general businesses, so confirm current minimums during intake.

How long does it take to get paid?

Mode's October 13 press release says payment is expected within approximately 60 days. Mode's FAQ currently estimates about three months from first call to payment, and your written agreement sets the schedule.

What data is shared, and what stays private?

You choose which systems and date ranges are in scope before anything is exported. Mode says it removes or replaces names, contact details and other sensitive content, that your original records stay with you, and that no passwords are handed over. Keep client-confidential material out regardless.

Do our employees need to know?

Tell them before you sign. An Emory law professor told Business Insider that whether employees' consent extends to a sale of their workplace data is an ethically gray area, and California's privacy law covers employee data. Have counsel review the scope.

Is DataLicensingAudit.com part of Mode?

No. We're an independent referral partner of Mode. If a company we introduce is accepted and completes a deal, Mode may pay us a referral fee. We're not a CPA firm and don't perform attest or financial audits; our audit is an informal data-readiness review.