A ten-minute read on what's happening, why your company's history has value, and how to protect yourself if you decide to take part.
The biggest technology companies in the world are racing to build AI that can do everyday office work.
You've probably heard of tools like ChatGPT. They learned to write by reading billions of pages on the public internet. The next step is AI that can actually do jobs: answer a customer's question, schedule a crew, follow up on an invoice, or route a delivery.
The problem for AI companies is that the internet doesn't show how real businesses run day to day. That knowledge lives inside companies, in their emails, schedules, customer requests and files. So AI companies have started paying established businesses for the right to learn from those records.
This isn't a rumor. It's been covered by Forbes and Fortune, and major companies have bid millions of dollars for the internal records of a business that shut down. See the coverage below.
AI companies want real examples of skilled work, and the most valuable examples come from businesses that have been operating for years. The things that tend to raise the value:
Ten years of records is worth more than one. Older, established businesses have an advantage here.
More people means more conversations, decisions and examples. Your peak headcount counts if you've downsized or closed.
Email plus scheduling plus customer records plus accounting tells a fuller story than email alone.
Trades, logistics, healthcare offices, professional services: work that takes judgment and experience is especially valuable.
Founded in 2009, 60 employees, two locations. The owner is thinking about retirement in a few years.
This example is for illustration only. Every company is different, values vary widely, and some companies won't qualify.
Think of us like a business broker or an insurance broker: we work for you, not the buyer.
Fifteen minutes, under a confidentiality agreement. We learn about your business and what you'd be comfortable sharing.
We describe your company to several buyers without using its name, and bring back real offers.
You pick the offer, choose what's included and sign the agreement directly with the buyer. You can walk away at any point before signing.
Records go straight from your systems to the buyer, with names and private details removed. Nothing ever comes to us.
Payment follows the schedule in your agreement. We're paid only when you are.
It's a fair question, and you should ask it of anyone offering money for your data. Here's what's been reported publicly:
Heirloom never asks for money, passwords or files. If anyone claiming to be us does, it isn't us.
There's no cost and no obligation. Start with a short application, or ask us to call you.