Updated October 2026
Pewter vs License My Data: two intermediaries that take closed companies
Your firm has closed or shrunk, and most buyers want a company with staff on payroll today. These two will still take you. Pewter accepts US firms with 20+ staff now or at their peak and 3+ years of records, while License My Data's closed-company route needs 50+ employees at the peak and plenty of Slack or Teams history. Both are paid out of the deal rather than by an upfront fee, and both registered their domains since September 2026.1,2,3,4,5,6
Side by side
Pewter and License My Data, row by row
| Topic | Pewter | License My Data |
|---|---|---|
| Closed firms | 20+ full-time staff at peak, 3+ years of records, US1 | 50+ employees at peak, substantial Slack or Teams history, ten countries2 |
| Operating firms | 20+ staff and 3+ years1 | 30+ employees and 2+ years; or 100+ and 4+ outside the EU and UK2 |
| How it is paid | By an unnamed licensing partner at close3 | Out of the transaction; shares commission with introducers4,7 |
| Deal type | The partner licenses the data and pays the business3 | Non-exclusive licence or one-time exclusive buyout; data pooled, company unnamed4 |
| Examples | $350,000 to a 60-person accounting firm; $650,000 to a 100-person freight broker (partner-reported)8 | None published |
| Operator | Buzzlead.io LLC, Florida, dba Pewter Labs; no people named9 | Minimus Ventures LLC, California; no people named10 |
Which fits
The size of the company you closed
A firm that peaked at 25 people clears Pewter's floor but not License My Data's closed-company bar, and one that peaked at 60 and ran on Slack or Teams fits both. License My Data's ten-country list helps a firm based outside the US, where Pewter takes US firms only.1,2
On effort, Pewter says the owner's part takes about 1 hour and that it coordinates the export with your IT person and removes names and contact details. Pewter is one of the buyers we work with, and the quiz checks whether your firm fits it or another buyer we work with.11,12
The unknowns
What neither tells you
Neither names the company that ends up holding your data. Pewter works with one licensing firm it does not name, and License My Data pools your data and never names you to the licensee, which also means you do not see who the licensee is. Both are new, with Pewter's domain dating from October 2026 and License My Data's from September 2026, so get the buyer's name in writing before you sign.3,4,5,6
For comparison, wind-down services that also sell data publish track records: SimpleClosure reports 150+ data deals at typically $10K-$100K each.13
FAQ
Questions, answered with sources
Pewter cites two examples reported by its partner, $350,000 and $650,000. License My Data publishes none.8
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
- Who owns this data: the company, an estate, or someone else?
- What are the trustee's, assignee's, receiver's or board's duties, and who receives the proceeds?
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?