6 min read · Updated October 11, 2026

Who buys company data for AI?

AI labs, AI data companies and data marketplaces. Which route fits depends on your company and how much control you want.

The short answer

AI labs, AI data companies and data marketplaces buy or license company data, and Korra (korra.io) is a marketplace where a business lists a description of its records and approved buyers make offers. The right route depends on three things: whether your company is still operating, how much of the preparation you want someone else to do, and whether you want one buyer or several to compete.

Three kinds of buyer

Large AI labs buy data, but they rarely deal with small sellers one by one. In August 2026 Google won a bankruptcy auction for Spirit Airlines’ internal business data, which shows the labs will pay for operating records.

AI data companies buy records and turn them into training material that they sell on to the labs. micro1 is one: it says it buys and licenses operational data to build training environments.

Marketplaces and brokers connect owners with buyers. Some take your data and package it. Others, like Korra, only make the introduction and leave the records with you.

The main routes, compared

Each line below comes from the company’s own page or a named news story, linked at the foot of this page. Korra is included, and so are routes that may suit you better.

Route	What it is	Fits best when
Korra	A marketplace. You list a de-identified description, approved buyers make offers, you approve one. Korra does not take or prepare the records. The seller pays nothing.	You are operating or closing, want several buyers to compete, and want to keep the records and the terms in your hands.
SimpleClosure (AssetHub)	A wind-down company. AssetHub sells or licenses source code, workspace data and other startup assets to vetted buyers.	You are shutting down and want the whole wind-down handled in one place.
micro1 (Company Data Partnerships)	A direct buyer. It licenses operational data such as SOPs, knowledge bases, CRM data and project histories for AI training environments.	You have 30 or more staff, documented processes and English-language records, and want to deal with one buyer.
Troveo	A licensing marketplace. You sign one licence with Troveo, and it handles rights review, packaging and talks with buyers.	You want someone else to package the data and run the buyer conversations.
FileYield	A private data brokerage. Sellers describe their datasets, and FileYield arranges a listing or introductions to AI labs; price and terms are agreed between seller and buyer.	You want introductions to labs and are ready to negotiate the deal yourself.
Petrarch	A broker from Y Combinator. It sources and cleans datasets, checks legal clearance and resells them to AI companies.	You want a broker to prepare the records for you.
Defined.ai and Opendatabay	Dataset marketplaces. Providers list ready-made datasets such as text, speech, image and video.	You already have a packaged dataset to sell.
Trainspot	A marketplace launched in 2024 for creators to license books, images, video and code.	You own creative content rather than business records.
Verb	A consumer app for people who want to sell their own personal data.	You are a person, not a business.

Questions to ask any buyer or broker

Who is the end buyer, and what will they use the records for? Who prepares the records, and who pays for that work? Who holds the copy, for how long, and what happens at the end?

When are you paid, and what has to happen first? Can you say no after you see the terms? Ask for the answers in writing before you share a sample.

How it works on Korra

You describe your records in about 5 minutes. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is connected.

Korra turns the description into a listing card with names, emails, phone numbers and towns removed, and reads it before it is published. Approved buyers can see the card and make offers.

You see every offer and approve the one you want, or none. The licence is between you and the buyer. You pay Korra nothing; the buyer pays Korra’s fee.

Korra does not take, open, clean or deliver your records. You and the buyer agree what is shared, how and when.

Questions owners ask

Do AI labs buy data from small businesses?

Sometimes, but usually through AI data companies or marketplaces rather than one by one. A marketplace such as Korra lets several approved buyers see one listing.

What is the difference between Korra and SimpleClosure?

SimpleClosure is a wind-down company whose AssetHub sells startup assets during a shutdown. Korra is a marketplace for operating and closing businesses: you list a description, approved buyers make offers, and you approve one. Korra does not handle the rest of a wind-down.

Does Korra buy the data itself?

No. Korra connects sellers with approved buyers. The licence is between the seller and the buyer, and Korra never takes the records.

Is Korra the same company as Korra AI (korra.ai)?

No. Korra · Got Data at korra.io is a business data marketplace run by Korra Data. Korra AI at korra.ai is a separate company.

Sources

See what your data could earn.

Describe your records to Korra and get a starting range. Your files stay in your systems.

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