Data as an Asset: Treat Your Company Records Like One

Why company data is an asset

AI companies need records of real work to train agents. That turned internal communications, from Slack threads to support tickets, into something buyers pay for. It's why wind-down firms, brokers and direct buyers have all entered the market in the past year.

How it's valued

There's no standard accounting value yet. In practice, value comes from the market: what buyers will pay based on years of history, how much work is in writing, how many connected systems you have, and team size. See how buyers price company data.

How it's usually lost

• A subscription is cancelled during cost cutting or a shutdown.
• Former employees' accounts are deleted to save seats.
• Retention settings auto-delete old messages.
• A migration to a new tool leaves the old history behind.
• Nobody exports before an admin leaves.

How to protect it

1. Keep accounts active, including former employees.
2. Check retention settings in Slack, Teams and email so history isn't auto-deleted.
3. Export full history once a year to storage you control.
4. Keep admin access with at least two people.
5. Note sizes and years of history for every system.

In a sale, shutdown or bankruptcy

In an acquisition, records go with the business. In a shutdown or bankruptcy, they can be sold separately. Either way, list data on your asset inventory so it isn't overlooked. See what to do with assets when closing and data in bankruptcy.

Know your number

Run the value calculator, or request an offer from Polyshares for an offer.

Common questions