# Selling software company data to AI companies in Canada

> Can a software company in Canada sell its data to AI companies? Which buyers accept you, published payouts in CAD, and the rules that apply.

Canonical: https://origindatapartners.com/sell-company-data/canada/software-companies
By: Origin Data Partners
Published: 2026-10-26
Sources checked: 2026-10-26

## Quick answer

Yes. AI companies buy records from software companies, and micro1, Mercor and Handshake AI accept companies in Canada. Published payouts for this kind of company run C$70K to C$700K ($50K to $500K), from Mercor's private-code listing. Confirm IP assignments from employees and contractors, and remove secrets and customer data.

## Key facts

- Published payout: C$70K to C$700K ($50K to $500K)
- Buyers that accept you: 4 (micro1, Mercor, Handshake AI and Turing)
- Privacy law: PIPEDA, Law 25 (Plus the industry rules below)
- US tax withheld: 0% (With a W-8BEN-E)

## What software company records AI buyers want

micro1 names Canada a priority market and Turing lists it among its strongest regions, which puts Canadian code close to US terms.

Mercor runs a software company listing for private code; Turing buys codebases and full operating records.

| Record | Why buyers want it |
| --- | --- |
| Repositories with full history | Turing buys codebases alone for $10K to $100K+. |
| Tickets linked to commits | Linkage multiplies value. |
| Product specs and design docs | Show why decisions were made. |
| Support histories | Real user problems and fixes. |


## Which AI data buyers accept Canadian software companies

micro1 names Canada among its strongest markets after the US.

| Buyer | Fit for Canada | What to know |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [micro1](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/micro1-company-data-partnerships) | Strong fit | 30+ full-time staff, mostly English records; priority market; lists technology companies |
| [Mercor](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/mercor-data-monetization-program) | Strong fit | Software company listing (private code): $50K to $500K published |
| [Handshake AI](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/handshake-ai-data-partnerships) | Good fit | Names software; 20+ staff and 3+ years; accepts companies outside the US |
| [Turing](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/turing-project-lazarus) | Good fit | Full operating records up to $1M; strongest demand in the US, UK, Canada and EU |


## Published payouts in CAD

Mercor's private-code listing is the closest published figure for software companies, converted to CAD. Larger programs pay more for long, linked histories.

| Published figure | USD | CAD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mercor, private-code listing | $50K to $500K | C$70K to C$700K |
| micro1, large-scale datasets | $500K to $2M | C$700K to C$2.8M |
| Handshake AI, advertised range | $100K to $4M+ | C$140K to C$5.6M+ |


## Canadian rules for software companies

Confirm IP assignments from employees and contractors, and remove secrets and customer data.

Any personal data left in the records falls under PIPEDA, plus Quebec's Law 25; the [Canadian privacy steps](https://origindatapartners.com/sell-company-data/canada#rules) apply to every industry. Before anything leaves, exclude:

- Secrets, keys and credentials in code.
- Customer data in support tickets and databases.
- Open-source code under licenses that travel with it.

Source: [Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: PIPEDA](https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/)

## How much do AI companies pay for a codebase?

Turing says a repository alone typically pays $10K to $100K or more, and Mercor publishes $50K to $500K for private code. Code linked to its tickets, reviews and design docs earns the upper end.

Our guide covers this in depth: [Can a company sell its source code to AI companies?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/sell-source-code-ai-training).


## US tax on the license fee

For Canada: 0% with a treaty form (W-8BEN-E).

Source: [IRS: Tax treaty tables](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/tax-treaty-tables)

## Questions and answers

### Do AI companies buy software company data in Canada?

Yes. micro1, Mercor, Handshake AI and Turing accept companies in Canada. micro1 names Canada a priority market and Turing lists it among its strongest regions, which puts Canadian code close to US terms.

### How much do AI companies pay for software company data?

Published payouts for this kind of company run C$70K to C$700K ($50K to $500K), from Mercor's private-code listing, with larger tiers for big or unique datasets. Actual offers depend on your records and rights.

### Is it legal for a software company in Canada to sell company data?

Confirm IP assignments from employees and contractors, and remove secrets and customer data.

### How much do AI companies pay for a codebase?

Turing says a repository alone typically pays $10K to $100K or more, and Mercor publishes $50K to $500K for private code. Code linked to its tickets, reviews and design docs earns the upper end.

## Sources

- [micro1: Data partnerships](https://www.micro1.ai/data-partnerships)
- [Mercor: Monetize your data](https://www.mercor.com/data/)
- [Handshake AI: Data partnerships](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/data-partnerships/)
- [Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: PIPEDA](https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/)
- [IRS: Tax treaty tables](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/tax-treaty-tables)
- [European Central Bank: euro reference rates](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/index.en.html)