Updated November 2026
AI data referral programs: get paid to refer a company
The firms that license company data to AI labs pay people who introduce a company that signs, from $10,000 per company to 10% of what the business is paid, by their own terms. A few also pay you when someone you recruit as a referrer brings in a deal, so one good introduction can keep paying.1,2,3,4,5,6
What they pay
What each program pays for a company you refer
Pewter pays introducers 10% of what the business is paid, up to $100,000 per business, within 30 days of the business being paid. micro1 pays $50,000 per company on deals up to $700,000 and 7.5% above that, or $75,000 for a company that is no longer operating.2,3,7
Mode pays US referrers the greater of $50,000 or 6% on their first five qualified deals, with higher tiers after that, and 6% outside the US. Ventra's partner page lists $10,000 per company that signs, and Polyshares pays 6% on eligible direct referrals. Grepped and Mercor also run referral programs, and Mercor doesn't publish what it pays.4,1,6,8,9
| Fact | Value and source |
|---|---|
| Pewter partner program | Pays introducers 10% of what the business is paid, up to $100,000 per business, once, within 30 days after the business is paid and Pewter receives its fee |
| Company referral payout | $50,000 per referred company on deals up to $700,000, then 7.5%; $75,000 for companies no longer operating on deals up to $1 million, then 7.5% |
| Mode referral program | US direct referrals earn the greater of $50,000 or 6% for the first five qualified deals, with higher lifetime tiers; $5,000+ when a referred company introduces another; outside the US 6% |
| Ventra referral fees | $10,000 per referred company that signs, plus $5,000 a tier down, on its partners page; its main site has also advertised up to $50,000 and, on 2026-10-30, 50% of what it makes |
| Referral program | Pays referrers 6% on eligible direct referrals and a 1% override on eligible deals referred by brokers they recruit |
Recruiting referrers
Programs that also pay you for the referrers you bring in
If you know other people with business owners in their network, some programs pay you on their deals too. micro1 pays 20% of what the partners you recruit earn, Polyshares pays a 1% override on deals from brokers you recruit, and Ventra lists $5,000 a tier down.5,6,1
Mode works a little differently: it pays $5,000 or more when a company you referred introduces another company. In our view, these second-tier payments matter most to accountants, IT providers and consultants who can bring colleagues in with them.4
Who you can refer
Which companies the programs will take
The company you refer still has to qualify, and most programs want 20 to 50 or more staff and a few years of records. micro1 asks for 30+ employees, Pewter 20+ full-time staff in the US with 3+ years of records, and Ventra 30+ employees in an English-speaking country.10,11,12
Mode's referral page sets lower bars for some fields, 10+ staff for law firms and 15+ for accounting, medical and finance, against 50+ for everyone else. Polyshares asks brokers for 50 or more employees, with 100+ preferred. Our quiz checks which buyers take a given company in about a minute.13,14
The fine print
Rules that catch referrers out
Read each program's terms before you pitch anyone. micro1's terms bar referrers from presenting themselves as its agent, recruiter, representative or partner, bar referring a company you own or work for without written disclosure, and let micro1 withhold, delay, reduce or refuse any payout.15,16,17
Most programs pay only after the business itself is paid, so a fee can take months to arrive. Pewter, for one, pays within 30 days after the business is paid and Pewter receives its fee, and the first partner to register a business keeps the credit for 12 months, so register a company before you make the introduction.2
Referrer or broker
Do you need to be a broker to do this?
No. A referrer introduces a company and is paid by the firm that buys, which is also how Pewter and Cognor Labs say they are paid. A few brokers instead take a success fee from the owner's payout, typically 20-30% at Jottings, which is a different deal for the owner and harder to sell to them.18,19,20
FAQ
Questions, answered with sources
Usually only with written disclosure. micro1's terms bar referring a company you own or work for without it.16
Every business is different, so this one is best talked through with the buyer you're working with. Their team goes over it with you before anything is signed.
Every business is different, so this one is best talked through with the buyer you're working with. Their team goes over it with you before anything is signed.
Before you sign
Questions to talk through with your buyer
Every business is different, so these are best talked through with the buyer you're working with. Their team goes over them with you before anything is signed.
Questions for this kind of business
- Do professional rules apply (AICPA, IRC 7216, HIPAA, ABA Model Rule 1.17, insurance agency contracts, adviser rules, state boards)?
- How is the payment taxed?
Questions for any buyer
- Is the license exclusive, and for how long?
- Can you sublicense the data, and to whom?
- Which AI labs will receive it, and will you tell us?
- How long do you keep it, and how is it deleted?
- What is your liability cap, and who indemnifies whom?
- Will the contract ban re-identification of people in the data?
- Who removes personal data, by what method, and do we approve it first?