How much is your company's data worth?

What drives the value of company data

Volume and years of history

More people producing records over more years means more examples of real work. A long, continuous history also shows how processes change, which is hard to find elsewhere.

Domain specialism

Data from specialist fields, such as engineering, finance, legal operations or logistics, captures expertise that general text lacks. The more specialised the knowledge, the more distinctive the data.

Richness of workflow and communication data

Slack or Teams threads, tickets, code reviews and project documents show how decisions are made and tasks handed off. Records that connect together, such as a ticket linked to a discussion and a resolution, are more useful than isolated files.

Language

Most current programmes, including micro1's, look mainly for English-language records.

Cleanliness

Well-organised, consistently structured records need less preparation, which makes them easier to approve.

Clear ownership and rights

Buyers need confidence that you can license what you are offering. Data you clearly own, without conflicting contracts, is worth more than data with open questions.

Ability to de-identify

If names, emails and other identifiers can be reliably removed or masked, more of your data can be included safely.

Exclusivity

An exclusive licence can command more than a non-exclusive one, but it limits what you can do later. Our licensing primer explains the trade-off.

What reduces value

• Thin data. Few records, short history or little written communication.
• Heavy client-confidential content. Material covered by NDAs usually has to be excluded.
• Unclear rights. Data inherited from acquisitions, contractors or partners without clear terms.
• Mostly non-English records. These fall outside most current programmes.

How to improve your position before an assessment

You cannot change your history, but you can make it easier to assess. List every system your team uses and how far back each one goes, as gaps in history are often just archives nobody has looked at. Identify client work covered by NDAs so it can be excluded cleanly rather than holding up the whole package. Check that you hold admin access and can export from each tool, and read each provider's terms on how exported data may be used. Finally, agree internally who signs off. A clear, well-organised picture of your records speeds up review and avoids surprises late in the process.

The published range

For reference, micro1's published range ($100k to $2M+ per data package), subject to micro1's review and approval; not guaranteed. Where an individual company lands depends on the factors above and on micro1's assessment of the data itself.

How the free Cadabra valuation works

Our quiz asks about your headcount, years trading, sector, documentation, systems and how much of your work happens in tools such as Slack or Teams. It weights those answers against the factors in this guide and returns an indicative range in about a minute.

It is an estimate only. It is not an offer and is not legally binding. The final value is set by micro1 after it reviews your data. If you want to understand the full process first, read how to sell your company data for AI training.

Common misconceptions about data value

"Size is all that matters." Raw volume helps, but a large archive of attachments or automated notifications is less useful than a smaller set of real conversations, decisions and hand-offs between people.

"Old data is worthless." History is often an advantage. Several years of continuous records show how work evolves, which is difficult to find elsewhere.

"Only tech companies qualify." Specialist knowledge in any field, from logistics to professional services, can be distinctive. What matters is how well the records capture real expertise and workflows.

"Personal data rules it out." Most company records contain personal data. The question is whether it can be reliably de-identified, with names, emails and identifiers removed or masked before any transfer.

A quick self-assessment checklist

• Roughly how many people have produced records, and over how many years?
• Which systems hold the history: Slack or Teams, email, documents, tickets, code, CRM?
• Are records mainly in English?
• Does the company clearly own the data, without conflicting contracts?
• Which material is covered by client NDAs and would need to be excluded?
• Can you export from each system, and who holds admin access?
• Who inside the company has authority to approve a licence?

Answering these honestly gives you a realistic view of your position before any assessment, and they are the same themes our free valuation asks about.

Who to involve internally

Valuation questions touch several parts of the business, not just leadership. Bring in whoever owns your key systems, usually IT or an operations lead, so exports and access are not a bottleneck. Involve finance to understand how any proceeds will be treated, and legal counsel or an external advisor to review the scope, warranties and deletion terms. If investors hold consent rights over significant assets, brief them early rather than at the point of signing.

It also helps to nominate one person to coordinate the process. They keep the inventory of systems up to date, collect answers from each team, and act as the single point of contact during scoping. That avoids conflicting answers and makes review faster. Keeping a simple written log of decisions, such as what was excluded and why, gives you a clear record if questions come up later.