PewterHow the fee works
There is no fee to the owner at any stage.
Pewter is paid a fee by our licensing partner when a deal closes. If there's no deal, there's no fee. You can walk away at any point. Review the market evidence.
For established businesses in the US
Ask about licensing your firm's records with no fee to you.
There is no fee to the owner at any stage, and you can walk away at any point. Pewter is paid a fee by our licensing partner when a deal closes. If there's no deal, there's no fee.
Start without filesNo fee to youEvery term gets your written approval
Indicative range
Example: a 100-person firm, 10 years in business. Move the sliders for yours.
A scenario, not a valuation. Many firms are offered less, and some receive no offer once their records are reviewed.
Get a real estimateRange from our licensing partner's payout model for US firms (October 2026), using headcount and years in business only. What your records hold, who owns them and what a buyer accepts decide the real number.
Responsibilities
You make the decisions; we handle the groundwork.
From your initial estimate through payment, Pewter is your contact. Our licensing partner presents the offer, enters into the license with you and sends your payment.
Your part
A few hours of your time
- Respond to a handful of questionsTakes two minutes; no files or logins needed.
- Join two or three callsEach runs for around 30 minutes.
- Complete a brief data inventoryList your systems and how many years you have used them.
- Review a sample; approve the termsHave your lawyer review the agreement. Nothing is licensed before your signature.
Our responsibilities
- SizingWe give you a clear view of whether your records are likely to sell.
- Offer presentation and negotiationOur licensing partner presents the offer. We put it in writing for you, then work through exclusivity, scope and price.
- Export and de-identificationWe coordinate with your IT person; identifying details come out before delivery.
- Payment and closingWe follow every agreement milestone until payment is made.
No deal, no fee
There is no fee to the owner
Owners pay no fee at any point and may leave whenever they choose. With your permission, we might request a small sample before an offer to assess quality. We only carry out the full export once you have approved the terms in writing. Our approach to records.
Could your firm qualify?
Signs records may be a fit
- 20+ peopleFull-time employees, either today or at your peak.
- 3+ yearsOf email, files and records that remain available.
- US-basedWork conducted primarily in English.
- Any statusStill operating, closing down or already closed, provided the records remain.
Demand is greatest for records that document skilled work in sequence. Common fields include logistics, accounting, engineering, construction, distribution, manufacturing, trades and professional services. Regulated, privileged or third-party records may be excluded; these criteria do not ensure an offer.
Questions before you begin
Common questions from owners on their first call
What does this cost me?
Nothing, at any stage. Pewter is paid a fee by our licensing partner when a deal closes. If there's no deal, there's no fee.
How is Pewter paid?
When a deal closes, our licensing partner pays Pewter a fee. No completed deal means no fee.
What are everyone's roles, and who is your client?
Pewter identifies and qualifies opportunities, assesses your records, presents the offer and coordinates the transaction. Our licensing partner makes the offer, executes the license with you and pays you. You find out its identity before signing anything. Since the partner pays our fee, we aren't your lawyer or agent. We aren't a law firm or registered broker-dealer; we encourage you to ask your own counsel to review the agreement.
Does my data leave my control?
No. The transaction licenses an agreed copy that has been de-identified. Your original files remain yours, and your ownership is unchanged.
Could clients or employees be identified?
Before delivery, names, contact details, account numbers, credentials and payment details are removed or replaced. You may exclude regulated, privileged or third-party records. Since every method has some risk, you review the process and a sample before signing. Our approach to records.
Who can review my records before I sign?
Only if you give permission. We may request a small sample to assess quality before an offer, for review by Pewter or the licensing partner. You decide what it contains and may decline. We do not make the full export until you have signed.
Who uses the data, and how?
Authorized AI developers use it to train and evaluate models, as your agreement defines. Your approved terms specify exclusivity and permitted uses. See our free owner's guide, Before You Sell Your Data, for terms and questions to resolve before signing.
How much time will my team need?
Plan on a few hours from you for two or three calls and a brief inventory of your systems. If an export is required, your IT person or provider runs it, with us coordinating. No one needs to produce new data or tidy anything up.
What if I don't know which data we have?
That's true for most owners. On the call, tell us which tools you've used over the years, such as email, shared drives or your accounting or operating system, and we'll figure out what's there. Prefer to estimate it yourself first? Our free guide explains where to find the numbers in Google, Microsoft 365, Slack and a dozen other tools.
Why move now?
Labs are purchasing today. A single AI data company has committed $1 billion for the next twelve months. The value is also in the history you still hold: when subscriptions lapse or a firm winds down, archives are deleted and that value disappears.
For data buyers and AI labs
Looking to buy data? Share your next need.
We work with established US firm owners whose operating records aren't available on the open web. Tell us the workflow, sector and volume you're seeking; we'll give you an honest assessment of whether we can source it.
- Records from real operationsEmail, tickets, documents and system records from firms in logistics, accounting, engineering, distribution, trades and services.
- Owners who've agreedBefore delivery, each firm approves its terms and exclusions in writing.
- De-identified under written termsIdentifying details are taken out before delivery; a license agreement defines scope and permitted use.
Request an estimate
Check whether your records could sell
Estimated range
$385K to $895K
Example: 100 employees · 10 years in business
- Expect our call within one business dayLawrence or Troy will ask what you have and give you a realistic view.
- Your details stay confidentialWe ask for no files. Your firm's details go only to our licensing partner, so it can prepare an offer.
- No completed deal means no costYou may leave at any time before signing.