Every company has a backlist
AI labs are paying companies to license their real work history, with personal details removed. We check whether yours qualifies, for free.
Records from the tools companies already use
Data Value Score
How strong is your company's data?
Move the sliders. It takes 20 seconds. It's an indicator of fit, not an offer.
Programs advertise $100K–$2M+ for strong candidates. Your actual offer depends on the program's evaluation.
The offer, in 15 seconds
What happens to your records.
AI fails at most real jobs because it has never seen how real companies operate. Your records show it, start to finish. That's what labs pay for.
Closed companies are often the best fit.
The records are sitting idle, nobody inside is using them, and there are programs built specifically for companies that are no longer operating.
The catch is timing. Workspaces get deleted when the bills stop. If your Slack, Google Workspace or GitHub still exists, check before you shut it off.
Whoever controls the company's assets now can apply: a former CEO, the board, an acquirer, or a trustee.
How it works
Four steps. You decide at every one.
Check eligibility
Seven quick questions about size, tools and history. No data leaves your hands.
Create a profile
If you fit, you register directly with the licensing program. We walk you through it.
Evaluation
The program reviews what you have and how it's stored, using de-identified samples.
Offer and payment
You get an offer and decide. Payment follows transfer and approval, usually within weeks to a few months.
Who qualifies
A quick read on fit.
The largest programs
- 30+ employees, now or at your peak
- Work tracked in software: Slack, Google Drive, Jira, Zendesk, HubSpot, GitHub
- Several years of records still accessible
- Programs advertise $100K–$2M+
Smaller-team programs
- Small teams and agencies, even under 10 people
- Fewer records needed: a couple of years in your core tools
- Smaller payouts than the big programs, same simple process
- Often a faster review
Usually not a fit at any size: records that are mostly patient health data or legal client files, contracts that forbid sharing data, or workspaces that have already been deleted. Either way, English-language records and someone who can authorize it.
How we're paid
Backlist is an independent referral partner. When a deal closes, the licensing program pays us a referral fee. You never pay us, and it never comes out of your offer. We're not affiliated with any data marketplace or AI lab.
Questions
The honest answers.
How much will we get?
It depends on headcount, years of history, which tools you used and how complete the records are. The largest programs advertise $100K to $2M+ for qualifying companies with 30+ people; smaller-team programs pay less. We won't quote you a number before the program has evaluated your data, and nobody else should either.
We're a small team. Can we still qualify?
Yes. Some licensing programs work with teams under 30, including very small ones, as long as the work lives in tools like Slack, Google Drive or a help desk. Payouts are smaller than the big programs, but the process is the same: a quick check, an evaluation, and an offer you can accept or decline.
Is our customers' data being sold?
No. Personal and customer-identifying details are removed before delivery, and buyers only see redacted previews. If a contract forbids sharing certain data, it's left out.
Our company shut down. Who can sign?
Whoever controls the company's assets now. Usually that's the former CEO or board. If there was a bankruptcy or an assignment for the benefit of creditors, it's the trustee or assignee. We'll help you work out who that is.
What does it cost?
Nothing. If a deal closes, the program pays us a referral fee. It doesn't reduce your offer.
How long does it take?
The eligibility check takes two minutes. From profile to payment usually takes a few weeks to a few months, depending on evaluation, legal review and data transfer.
Is this legitimate?
Fair question. You never send us data or money. You register directly with the licensing program, see its offer, and decide. We recommend having your own counsel review any agreement before you sign.