Briggs AnalyticsThere's a new way to raise money, and it doesn't cost you equity
In this article
Why AI labs pay for itWho it makes sense forTwo catchesPut it in the same conversationUntil recently, a company that needed money had two choices. You could sell equity and give up part of the ownership. Or you could take a loan and carry the interest, the covenants and, often, a personal guarantee.
There's a third choice now. If your company has years of history in the paid tools it runs on, like the help desk, the CRM, the accounting system or the code repository, you can license that data to an AI lab.
There's no dilution and nothing to pay back. The business keeps running exactly as it was, and you keep the original records.
Why AI labs pay for it
AI labs are trying to teach their models how real work gets done. That only exists inside real companies, and they can't make it up. The market has started putting a price on it. Reddit disclosed $203 million in data licensing contracts in its 2024 IPO filing (SEC filing). In August 2026, Google won a court-run auction for Spirit Airlines' records with a $10 million bid (Business Insider).
Who it makes sense for
Picture a Series A or B company that's 18 months from its next raise. It wants more runway without risking a down round. For that company, this is a real option now.
It works the same way for an owner-run business that wants extra cash without bringing in a partner or a bank.
Two catches
First, exclusivity. If the buyer wants exclusive rights, you only get to sell that data once.
Second, you have to actually own the records. Client contracts kill a lot of these deals. If your customer agreements limit how their data can be used, those limits still apply. Read them, and have your attorney check anything before you sign.
Put it in the same conversation
"What's our data worth?" now belongs in the same conversation as "How much can we raise?" Before you sign a term sheet or a loan, find out what your records could bring in. It takes about two minutes and costs nothing.
See what your company's operational data could be worth.
Free to check · About 2 minutes · No obligation
Get my estimateSee what your data could be worth →In short
- A company that needs money can now license its data to an AI lab, alongside selling equity or taking a loan.
- There's no dilution and nothing to pay back, and the business keeps running exactly as it was.
- If the buyer wants exclusive rights, you only get to sell that data once.
- You have to actually own the records. Client contracts kill a lot of these deals.
