Updated October 2026
SimpleClosure vs Sunset: two ways to sell a closing startup's data
Both run startup shutdowns and both now monetize the data left behind. They differ in who takes the risk. SimpleClosure's Asset Hub sells the data to buyers on the startup's behalf: 150+ deals, typically $10K-$100K each. Sunset says it buys the dataset outright and then licenses it to AI labs itself.1,2
Side by side
SimpleClosure and Sunset, row by row
| Topic | SimpleClosure | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Sells the startup's data to buyers through its Asset Hub1 | Buys the dataset outright, then licenses it to labs; says it is not a broker2 |
| Deal size | Typically $10K-$100K; 150+ deals1 | Not published |
| Valuation basis | Not published | Head count, years operating, data volume, tool usage (as reported)3 |
| Scope | Code, Slack, email and docs; sensitive employee and health records excluded4 | Slack threads, product specs and code repositories2 |
| Wind-down service | Yes; 47% of its deals include code or data5 | Yes: legal, tax and operational wind-down work6 |
| Company | Expects to return over $10M to startups by end of 20267 | Sunsets HQ Corp., Delaware; CEO Brendan Mahony8 |
Who carries risk
Sold for you, or bought from you
When SimpleClosure sells on your behalf, the price depends on what buyers will pay and you share the outcome. When Sunset buys the dataset outright, you get a fixed amount and Sunset keeps whatever it later earns from licensing. A fixed sale is simpler for a company that is about to dissolve; a sale on your behalf may return more if buyers compete.1,2
Sunset's own pages are not fully consistent: its blog says it purchases datasets directly, while its asset pages describe selling or licensing assets to buyers for the founder. Ask which applies to your data before signing.2,6
Price
What a closed startup's data fetches
The best public guide is SimpleClosure's: typically $10K-$100K per deal. MIT Technology Review described one closed crypto startup netting about $25,000 for its code base, with about $15,000 for workspace data pending. Long histories can fetch more: Cielo24 sold 13 years of Slack, Jira and email for what was reported as hundreds of thousands of dollars.1,9,10
FAQ
Questions, answered with sources
Typically $10K-$100K per deal, Forbes reported; MIT Technology Review counts 150+ data deals.1
MIT Technology Review reports it looks at head count, years in operation, data volume and how the team used its tools.3
SimpleClosure excludes sensitive employee and health records. Sunset does not publish exclusions.4
We do not answer legal questions. Ask the licensing company: their team reviews this with you before anything is signed.
Before you sign
Legal questions go to the licensing company
We do not answer legal questions. Ask the licensing company before you sign: their team reviews these with you.
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?