Communications
Teams, Slack and email threads where work is coordinated and decisions are agreed.
Refer & earn up to £50,000
Monetise your UK company’s operational data
Sterling Data licenses your everyday business records to AI labs, with UK GDPR compliance built in. You keep ownership and you’re paid in sterling.
What data can a UK company sell to AI labs?
Everyday operational records: Teams, Slack and email threads, documents and procedures, CRM history, support tickets, project tasks and finance workflows. AI labs use them to train and test models on how real businesses work. As a UK data broker, we license them under UK GDPR, so you keep ownership and approve every deal.
Documents and procedures
SOPs, contracts, tender submissions, method statements, reports and knowledge bases.
Systems and records
CRM history, support tickets, project tasks and finance workflows from tools like Xero and Sage.
Is it safe and legal to license company data?
It can be, with the right controls. We check you have the right to license each source, remove or replace personal identifiers and document a lawful basis under UK GDPR before anything is shared. You decide what’s included, and HR files are never licensed. Read our compliance approach.
Before any data moves, together we confirm:
Rights cleared and scope agreed
You can license each source, and exclusions are agreed in writing.
Personal data removed
Names and identifiers removed or replaced. HR files excluded.
Lawful basis documented
A specific LIA and DPIA, written up and kept on file for you.
Safe transfer to the US
Covered by the UK–US data bridge or the UK IDTA.
ICO registration C2062607. Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001. Data processed in UK/EU data centres.
How does selling your company data work?
In five steps over a typical 6–12 weeks: a valuation, agreeing scope and rights, data preparation and de-identification, matching with vetted AI labs, then the partnership begins. We do the legal and technical work, your team’s time is measured in hours, and nothing is licensed without your approval. See the full process.
1
Get started
Tell us about your company in two minutes: sector, headcount, years of records and the systems you use.
2
Evaluation
We review your records, confirm what you have the right to license and give you a valuation. Everything is covered by an NDA.
3
Preparation
We extract read-only, remove personal data and write the compliance documentation. Buyers only ever see a redacted sample.
4
Licence and payment
We negotiate with vetted AI labs and bring you the offer. Once you approve and the buyer accepts the dataset, our partnership begins and you get paid.
What does a UK data broker do for you?
Everything between your systems and the buyer. A UK team values the data, clears the rights, de-identifies it, writes the GDPR paperwork, finds vetted AI labs and negotiates the terms. You have one named contact from first call to payment, and you approve the final deal.
Valuation
An indicative range from one call, and a firm figure once we’ve reviewed a sample.
Rights clearance
Client, supplier and employee restrictions identified, resolved or excluded.
De-identification
Personal data replaced consistently, so workflows still make sense.
Compliance paperwork
LIA, DPIA and a de-identification certificate, written for you.
Buyer negotiation
We take your dataset to vetted labs and negotiate price and terms.
Secure delivery
Encrypted transfer after signing, then payment in GBP with a VAT invoice.
How much can a UK company earn from its data?
As of October 2026, most UK companies we assess fall between £100,000 and £500,000. The figure depends on the quality, uniqueness and value of the data: headcount, years of history, the systems you use and how complete the records are. See how company data is valued.
£50k+
Established UK companies with several years of records
£250k+
Larger operational records, or ongoing participation across several teams
£750k+
Highly distinctive UK data with significant value for AI development
Sterling Data at a glance
Key facts as of October 2026 for UK companies thinking about selling or licensing their operational data.
| What we do | UK data broker: we license UK companies’ operational data to vetted AI labs |
|---|---|
| Typical value | £100,000 to £500,000 for most companies we assess |
| Typical timescale | 6–12 weeks from first call to payment |
| Licence type | Non-exclusive by default. You keep ownership |
| Your approval | Nothing is licensed without your sign-off |
| Best fit | 30 to 500 employees and 3+ years of English-language records |
| Compliance | UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, with an LIA, DPIA and de-identification for every licence |
| Never included | HR files, special category data, payment details and credentials |
| Referral fee | Up to £50,000 for introducers |
| Regulation | ICO registration C2062607. Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001 |
| Operated by | Hetherington Projects, 45 Albemarle Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4JL |
Which UK industries can sell their data?
Almost any, as long as the records show how work actually gets done. Demand is strongest for companies with 30 to 500 employees and at least three years of English-language records, especially in finance, legal, construction, software, customer support and logistics. See what AI labs look for.
Accounting and finance
Month-end, VAT returns, reconciliations, approvals and reporting workflows.
Legal and contracts
Conveyancing, contract review, due diligence and compliance procedures.
Construction and engineering
Tenders, RAMS, valuations, variations and site reporting.
Software and engineering
Code history, incident reviews, product planning and technical documentation.
Customer support
and sales
Ticket workflows, CRM history, playbooks and QA processes.
Operations and logistics
SOPs, scheduling, fulfilment, procurement and supplier management.
For insolvency practitioners
Recover value from the archive before it’s gone
When a company enters administration or liquidation, its Slack, email and cloud subscriptions often lapse within weeks. We secure the archive, handle the data protection work and turn it into a recovery for creditors.
Talk to us about a case
For AI labs
Rights-cleared UK operational data
English-language workflow data from UK companies, with documented provenance and de-identification. Manifest and redacted sample before you commit.
Find out more
Refer a UK business and earn up to £50,000
Accountants, solicitors, IT providers and advisers already know which clients would qualify. Make an introduction and we’ll handle the rest. You’re paid in full when the partnership is approved.
Get a revenue estimate
Answer a few questions and we’ll send a private estimate. No data is shared at this stage, and there’s no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Email info@sterlingdata.ai.
Frequently asked questions
What is operational data licensing?
It’s when a company gives an AI lab permission to use records of how its work gets done, such as Slack and Teams messages, email, CRM history, support tickets and documents, to train and test AI systems. The company keeps ownership. The licence sets what the data can be used for and for how long.
How much is my company’s data worth?
It depends on headcount, years of history, how many connected systems you use and how complete the records are. Most UK companies we assess fall between £100,000 and £500,000. Get a revenue estimate for a private range.
Is it legal to license company data to AI companies in the UK?
It can be, if your company has the right to license the data and any personal data is either removed or processed on a documented lawful basis under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
We handle the rights checks, de-identification, legitimate interests assessment, DPIA and the safeguards for transfer to US buyers.
Will our customers’ or employees’ personal data be shared?
No. Names, contact details and other identifiers are removed or replaced before anything is packaged. HR files are excluded, and buyers only see redacted samples before a licence is signed.
Do we keep ownership of our data?
Yes. We arrange non-exclusive licences by default, so you keep ownership and can carry on using your data.
Who buys UK company data?
Mainly US frontier AI labs and the companies that build training environments for AI agents, plus a smaller number of UK buyers. Every buyer is vetted and signs a licence that limits how the data can be used.
Which UK companies qualify?
Companies with roughly 30 to 500 employees, at least three years of English-language digital history and work records in tools such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, a CRM or a ticketing system. Companies in administration or liquidation can qualify through their insolvency practitioner.
What happens after a company is referred?
After a referral is submitted, the Sterling team reviews the company and guides them through an initial AI interview. The interview helps assess whether the company and its data are a good fit for the program. Companies that meet the qualification criteria then move forward to partnership discussions, agreement finalisation, and onboarding. Once onboarding is complete, the company can begin participating in the program.
Can an insolvent company’s data be licensed?
Often, yes. The appointed insolvency practitioner decides whether the data can be realised as an asset for creditors. We work with the practitioner to secure the archive before subscriptions lapse and handle the data protection work.
How does the referral programme work?
Accountants, solicitors, insolvency practitioners and advisers who introduce a UK company that completes a licence receive a referral fee of up to £50,000, paid when the licence is paid. Refer a business.
Last reviewed by Kier Hetherington, Director.