# Selling software company data to AI companies in the UK

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

Canonical: https://origindatapartners.com/sell-company-data/united-kingdom/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 the UK. Published payouts for this kind of company run £37K to £370K ($50K to $500K), from Mercor's private-code listing. Confirm IP assignment from contractors, who own their work by default under UK copyright law unless assigned.

## Key facts

- Published payout: £37K to £370K ($50K to $500K)
- Buyers that accept you: 4 (micro1, Mercor, Handshake AI and Turing)
- Privacy law: UK GDPR (Plus the industry rules below)
- US tax withheld: 0% (With a W-8BEN-E)

## What software company records AI buyers want

micro1 names the UK a priority market, and Turing lists the UK among its strongest regions.

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 UK software companies

micro1 names the UK among its strongest markets after the US.

| Buyer | Fit for the UK | 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 GBP

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

| Published figure | USD | GBP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mercor, private-code listing | $50K to $500K | £37K to £370K |
| micro1, large-scale datasets | $500K to $2M | £370K to £1.5M |
| Handshake AI, advertised range | $100K to $4M+ | £75K to £3M+ |


## UK rules for software companies

Confirm IP assignment from contractors, who own their work by default under UK copyright law unless assigned.

Any personal data left in the records falls under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018; the [UK privacy steps](https://origindatapartners.com/sell-company-data/united-kingdom#rules) apply to every industry. For detail, see [GDPR, CCPA and licensing company data for AI](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/data-licensing-gdpr-ccpa). 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: [ICO: UK GDPR guidance](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/)

## 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 the UK: 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 the UK?

Yes. micro1, Mercor, Handshake AI and Turing accept companies in the UK. micro1 names the UK a priority market, and Turing lists the UK among its strongest regions.

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

Published payouts for this kind of company run £37K to £370K ($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 the UK to sell company data?

Confirm IP assignment from contractors, who own their work by default under UK copyright law unless assigned.

### 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/)
- [ICO: UK GDPR guidance](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/)
- [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)