Comparison
micro1 vs Mercor vs Handshake: which company data program fits your business
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The short answer
micro1, Mercor and Handshake AI all license company records for AI training, but they publish very different terms. micro1 publishes price tiers ($100K+, $500K+, $1M+) and wants 30+ employees. Handshake AI wants 20+ full-time employees and 3+ years, publishes the widest range ($100K to $4M+), and names tools that suit operators and trades, such as QuickBooks, Paychex and ServiceTitan. Mercor publishes the fastest payment timing (typically 2 to 4 weeks after signing) and the broadest industry list, but no price range.
None of the three publishes its exclusivity terms. The best of them for you is the one that puts the strongest written offer on the table, so ask more than one.
micro1 vs Mercor vs Handshake side by side
Every cell below is the company's own published term, with a link to where it says so. Where a company does not publish something, the table says so rather than guessing.
| micro1 | Mercor | Handshake AI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company background | San Francisco training-data company; $500M gross annual run rate in August 2026 (source: Dealroom, Aug 2026 (micro1)) | Largest AI training-data contractor by revenue; $2B+ gross annualized revenue in June 2026 (source: Dealroom, Jul 6, 2026 (Mercor)) | The AI arm of the Handshake careers network (source: Handshake blog, employer data program) |
| What it buys | SOPs, knowledge bases, internal documents, CRM data, project histories, QA processes, decision records, feedback on AI outputs (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Workplace data from connected tools; "the more tools you share, the higher the payout" (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | Company operational data (source: Handshake AI, license your data) |
| Tools it names | None named; describes record types instead (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Slack, Teams, Gmail, Outlook, Confluence, Salesforce, GitHub, Drive, Notion, 100+ others (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, Notion, Monday.com, Figma, AutoCAD, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Paychex, ServiceTitan, "1K more" (source: Handshake AI, license your data) |
| Industries named | Software and engineering, Finance and accounting, Customer support, Sales and CRM, Legal and contracts, Operations and logistics (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Legal, Healthcare, Finance and insurance, Professional services, Manufacturing, Retail and e-commerce, Real estate, Logistics and supply chain (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | None named (source: Handshake AI, license your data) |
| Minimum size | 30+ employees; form describes 30 to 200 (source: micro1, data partnerships, micro1 operating-company form) | Not published; qualification form (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | 20+ full-time employees (source: Handshake AI, license your data) |
| Years in business | Not published (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Not published (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | 3+ years in operation (source: Handshake AI, license your data) |
| Geography | English records; US first, then UK and Canada (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Not published (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | Estimator asks for USA, Canada, Europe or other (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships) |
| Advertised pay | $100K+, $500K+ and $1M+ tiers; referral page says $100K to $2M+ (source: micro1, data partnerships, micro1, company referral) | No range published (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | $100K to $4M+ (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships) |
| How price is set | By tier: qualified, large or multi-team, highly unique (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Data volume, number of tools connected, and depth (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | "Depending on the data shared"; estimator uses headcount, years and country (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships) |
| Payment timing | Not published (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Wire on delivery of the anonymized dataset, typically 2 to 4 weeks after signing (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | Not published (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships) |
| Fees to the business | None published (source: micro1, data partnerships) | None: no upfront costs, setup fees or deductions (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | None published (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships) |
| Data handling | Removes personal information, may synthetically rewrite, sample review, originals deleted after processing (source: The Next Web, Oct 9, 2026, micro1 operating-company form) | Automated de-identification; no lab or vendor sees raw data; SOC 2 Type II (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | Scoped up front, under NDA, de-identified; partner companies never identified (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships, Handshake blog, employer data program) |
| Exclusivity | Not published (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Not published (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | Not published (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships) |
| Referral to an introducer | Up to $50K per company that signs (was $25K at launch) (source: micro1, company referral, micro1 forum, referral program launch (Jun 16, 2026)) | Bonus, amount not published; "up to $100K" was removed (source: Mercor, Monetize your data, UsagePricing tracker of Mercor's page) | $10K flat when the deal closes (source: Handshake AI, refer a company) |
| Recent news | $1B, 12-month enterprise data commitment, Oct 9, 2026 (source: micro1, $1B announcement (Oct 9, 2026), The Next Web, Oct 9, 2026) | March 2026 security incident; Meta paused work; contractor class actions in April (source: Fortune, Apr 2, 2026, Staffing Industry Analysts) | Reports $250M paid to partners and 1K+ partner companies (self-reported) (source: Handshake AI, license your data) |
These are three of the programs we track. Nyne, Mode, Pewter, HUMXN and others buy similar records on different terms, and some set a lower size floor. The full directory of company data buyers lists every one with its eligibility, advertised pay and referral terms.
What micro1, Mercor and Handshake each buy
All three want the same underlying thing: the written trail of how work gets done inside a real company. They describe it differently, and the differences tell you which records each one values.
micro1 describes record types. Its list is operating procedures, knowledge bases, internal documents, CRM data, project histories, QA processes, team decision records and feedback on AI outputs, across six domains from software to legal and contracts (source: micro1, data partnerships). If your company has years of written procedures and a CRM people actually used, micro1's language fits you.
Mercor describes tools. It names Slack, Teams, Gmail, Outlook, Confluence, Salesforce, GitHub, Drive and Notion, and says it supports 100+ others. It also says the more tools you share, the higher the payout (source: Mercor, Monetize your data). That favors a company whose work lives across many connected systems.
Handshake AI names the most operator-friendly tools. Alongside email, Slack and file storage, it lists NetSuite, QuickBooks, Paychex, AutoCAD, Figma and ServiceTitan (source: Handshake AI, license your data). Accounting, payroll, design and field-service software are the systems a trades business, an engineering firm or a distributor runs on.
What usually qualifies, across all three
Records your company created and owns: procedures, internal documents, project and ticket histories, CRM activity, internal messages and the decisions behind them. The more years you have, and the better they connect across systems, the more they are worth to a buyer.
Pay: Mercor vs Handshake vs micro1 on advertised price
Only two of the three publish a number, and neither number is an offer.
- micro1 publishes three tiers: $100K+ for a qualified partnership, $500K+ for large datasets or work spanning several teams, and $1M+ for highly unique data (source: micro1, data partnerships). Its referral page describes $100K to $2M+ for approved data packages (source: micro1, company referral).
- Handshake AI says partnerships "can range from $100K to $4M+ depending on the data shared." Its estimator example for a 100-person US company with 10 years of history shows $383,083 to $896,969 and says it is not an offer (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships).
- Mercor publishes no range. It says price depends on data volume, how many tools you connect, and depth (source: Mercor, Monetize your data).
Handshake's top end is the highest of the three on paper, and micro1's tiers are the most specific about what moves the price. Mercor's lack of a published range says nothing about its price either way; you learn its number by going through qualification.
Across every buyer we track, the same things move a price up: more years of history, records that connect across systems, clear rights to what you share, and fewer exclusions. Our company data value checker shows which programs you likely qualify for and what each one advertises.
Eligibility: size, history and geography
This is where the three differ most, and where a lot of owners rule themselves in or out too early.
| Requirement | micro1 | Mercor | Handshake AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 30+ employees (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Not published (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | 20+ full-time (source: Handshake AI, license your data) |
| Years | Not published (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Not published (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | 3+ years (source: Handshake AI, license your data) |
| Language and country | English; US, then UK and Canada (source: micro1, data partnerships) | Not published (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | Asks for USA, Canada, Europe or other (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships) |
| Other | Operationally mature, repeatable workflows (source: micro1 operating-company form) | Qualification form (source: Mercor, Monetize your data) | None published (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships) |
Handshake AI has the lowest published bar of the three, at 20 full-time employees, but it is the only one that also asks for 3+ years in operation. micro1 sets the higher headcount floor and says its operating-company form is for companies of roughly 30 to 200 people (source: micro1 operating-company form). Mercor publishes no floor at all, so a smaller company has no way to know without asking.
If you are under 20 people, none of these three publishes a bar you clear. Some other programs do: Mode accepts accounting firms from 10 employees and law firms from 6 (source: Mode, data program, BizBuyData, $50K referral). The buyer directory shows each program's floor.
Data handling and privacy
Each company describes its own process. None of these descriptions replaces a contract, but they tell you what to hold each one to.
- micro1: you keep ownership and license a copy. micro1 removes personal information, may synthetically rewrite datasets, lets you review samples before use, and deletes the original datasets after processing (source: The Next Web, Oct 9, 2026, micro1 operating-company form). What is never included is set partnership by partnership (source: micro1, data partnerships).
- Mercor: automated de-identification, opt-in scoping, and a statement that no AI lab buyer or third-party vendor ever sees your raw data. It says it holds SOC 2 Type II and covers extraction, anonymization and transfer (source: Mercor, Monetize your data).
- Handshake AI: the company scopes what is shared up front, under NDA; Handshake de-identifies and formats the data, and partner companies are never identified (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships, Handshake blog, employer data program). Its page also says data partners remain responsible for making sure their transfer complies with applicable law (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships).
Handshake's last point is worth reading twice, and it is a sound rule with any buyer: you are the one who needs the right to share what you share. That covers customer contracts, employee privacy notices, platform terms of service, and any client confidentiality duties.
Professional firms: client material stays out with every buyer
micro1 names legal and contracts as a domain, and Mercor's legal examples include contracts, case files and discovery documents (source: micro1, data partnerships, Mercor, Monetize your data). For a law firm, those are client materials that ABA Model Rule 1.6 keeps confidential. For an accounting firm, client books and anything derived from a tax return stay out under IRC 7216. Only firm-owned, non-client material can be in scope. See the guides for law firms and accounting firms.
Payment speed and certainty
Mercor is the only one of the three that publishes when a business gets paid: by wire on delivery of the anonymized dataset to the buyer, typically 2 to 4 weeks after signing (source: Mercor, Monetize your data). Note the trigger. Payment follows delivery to the buyer, so any delay in extraction or de-identification moves your payment date too.
micro1 does not publish a seller payment schedule (source: micro1, data partnerships). Handshake's page lists payment terms and timing among its FAQ questions, but the answers were not readable on the page when we checked (source: Handshake AI, data partnerships). For both, the payment schedule is something you get in the written offer.
Certainty comes from the signed contract. Ask each buyer to put in writing:
- The total price, and whether any part is contingent on data acceptance, volume or quality.
- The event that triggers each payment: signing, delivery, buyer acceptance or a later milestone.
- The date by which each payment is due, and what happens if the buyer rejects part of the data.
- Whether any amount can be clawed back, and on what conditions.
Track record and risk
All three are large, established companies in AI training data. Their company data programs are all new in 2026. Here is the public record that matters to a seller.
micro1 reached a $500 million gross annual run rate in August 2026 (source: Dealroom, Aug 2026 (micro1)), and Forbes reported it raised more than $100 million at a $4 billion valuation (source: Forbes, Sep 22, 2026). It started its company-data referral program in June 2026 (source: micro1 forum, referral program launch (Jun 16, 2026)), bid $12.5 million for bankrupt Spirit Airlines' records in September (source: Fortune, Sep 14, 2026), and on October 9 committed $1 billion over 12 months to licensing enterprise data, financed by Citi and Hercules Capital (source: micro1, $1B announcement (Oct 9, 2026), The Next Web, Oct 9, 2026).
Mercor reported more than $2 billion in gross annualized revenue in June 2026 and was valued at $10 billion in October 2025 (source: Dealroom, Jul 6, 2026 (Mercor)). In March 2026 it had a supply-chain security incident, after which Meta paused work with it (source: Fortune, Apr 2, 2026), and contractor class actions followed in April (source: Staffing Industry Analysts). Mercor says no AI lab or third-party vendor sees raw data and that it holds SOC 2 Type II (source: Mercor, Monetize your data). If you are handing over Slack and email, ask what changed after the incident and ask for its current SOC 2 report under NDA.
Handshake AI reports $250 million paid out to partners and 1,000+ partner companies (source: Handshake AI, license your data). Those are its own figures and may include its contractor network. In March 2026, Business Insider reported that several contractors on OpenAI projects had accounts suspended and pay withheld, which Handshake declined to comment on (source: Business Insider via AOL, Mar 4, 2026). That concerns its contractor work, not company data licensing, but it is useful context on how disputes get resolved.
Size cuts both ways for a seller. A large buyer is likely to pay what it signs. It also writes its own contract, and you will have more leverage if you hold a competing offer when you negotiate it.
Referral terms: micro1 vs Mercor vs Handshake
All three pay people who introduce companies, on very different terms. This matters to owners too: if someone is pitching you one of these programs, they may be paid for it.
- micro1: up to $50,000 per referred company that signs, no cap on the number of referrals. Its terms default to 7.5% of the license price where no amount is posted, require consent from someone authorized at the company, and pay workflow deals only after the company reaches a minimum revenue threshold (source: micro1, company referral, micro1 referral terms (updated Oct 14, 2026)). The amount was up to $25,000 at launch in June 2026 (source: micro1 forum, referral program launch (Jun 16, 2026)).
- Mercor: a "refer a company" bonus paid when the referred company goes live and starts earning, with no published amount (source: Mercor, Monetize your data). A third-party tracker recorded "up to $100K per referral" on the page in July 2026; that line was gone by September (source: UsagePricing tracker of Mercor's page).
- Handshake AI: $10,000 flat per referred company, paid when the company's deal closes (source: Handshake AI, refer a company).
For every program's introducer terms, and the rules that apply when the introducer is your CPA or lawyer, see AI data referral programs compared.
Which AI data partnership program fits your business
The best AI data partnership program for your business is the one whose published bar you clear, that names the systems you run on, and that puts the best written terms in front of you. Four common cases:
A 25-person HVAC company on ServiceTitan
You are under micro1's 30-employee floor (source: micro1, data partnerships). Handshake AI fits on paper if you have 3+ years in operation: you clear its 20-employee bar and it names ServiceTitan, QuickBooks and Paychex among the sources it buys (source: Handshake AI, license your data). Mercor publishes no floor and does not name trades or home services in its industry list, so you would find out through its qualification form (source: Mercor, Monetize your data). Outside these three, Mode names ServiceTitan (source: Mode, data program), and the buyer directory shows others that name trades.
A 60-person freight broker
All three are open to you. micro1 names operations and logistics as a domain and you clear its floor (source: micro1, data partnerships); Mercor names logistics and supply chain (source: Mercor, Monetize your data); and you clear Handshake's 20-employee, 3-year bar (source: Handshake AI, license your data). This is the case where competing offers matter most. Get written terms from more than one before you agree to anything exclusive.
A 12-person law firm
None of the three publishes a bar a 12-person firm clears. micro1 asks for 30+ employees and Handshake for 20+ (source: micro1, data partnerships, Handshake AI, license your data). Mercor publishes no minimum, but its legal examples (contracts, case files, discovery documents) are client material a firm cannot license (source: Mercor, Monetize your data). Mode accepts law firms from 6 employees (source: BizBuyData, $50K referral), and the directory lists others. Before you talk to any buyer, read the law firm guide: only firm-owned, non-client material such as your own blank templates, internal procedures and training material can be in scope.
A 150-person software company
All three fit. micro1 names software and engineering as a domain and its operating-company form describes companies of 30 to 200 people (source: micro1, data partnerships, micro1 operating-company form). Mercor names GitHub, Confluence and Slack (source: Mercor, Monetize your data), and you clear Handshake's bar easily (source: Handshake AI, license your data). Your leverage is high, so focus on scope (what code and which systems), exclusions (customer data, credentials, anything under NDA) and exclusivity.
Working with more than one program
Often you can talk to all three. Licensing to more than one depends on exclusivity, and none of the three publishes its exclusivity terms (source: micro1, data partnerships, Mercor, Monetize your data, Handshake AI, data partnerships).
- One exclusive license per dataset. If a buyer takes an exclusive license to a set of records, you cannot license the same records to anyone else for the term. A non-exclusive license leaves you free to license them again.
- Ask before you sign, not after. Ask each buyer whether its license is exclusive, for how long, and exactly which systems and date ranges it covers. Different records can sometimes go to different buyers.
- Get competing written offers. Buyers price the same records differently. Nyne, for example, says it will beat a qualifying written offer from another buyer, and that estimates and "up to" quotes do not count (source: Nyne, compare data licensing offers). A written offer is what gives you leverage.
Running that process, shopping your records to several buyers and comparing their written terms line by line, is the work a sell-side advisor does. The guide to licensing company data for AI walks through the whole sequence.
How Regulr is paid, and how we write these pages
Regulr is a sell-side advisor. When a business we introduce signs a license, we may be paid a fee by the buyer or through a program's referral terms. We list every program we can verify whether or not it pays us, order is never set by fees, and every figure is the company's own advertised term with a link to where it says so. Regulr has not closed a data deal yet, so nothing here describes our results.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for selling company data, micro1 or Mercor?
It depends on what you need most. micro1 publishes price tiers ($100K+, $500K+ and $1M+) and a 30+ employee floor, so you know roughly where you stand before a call. Mercor publishes no price range or size minimum but does publish the fastest payment timing of the three: by wire on delivery of the anonymized dataset, typically 2 to 4 weeks after signing. The better choice is whichever one puts a stronger written offer in front of you, which is why it pays to ask both.
How much does Mercor pay for company data compared to micro1 and Handshake?
Mercor does not publish a range. Its page says price depends on data volume, the number of tools connected and data depth. micro1 advertises $100K+ for a qualified partnership, $500K+ for large datasets and $1M+ for highly unique data. Handshake AI says its partnerships can range from $100K to $4M+. All three are advertised figures, not offers.
What is the minimum company size for micro1, Mercor and Handshake?
micro1 asks for 30+ employees, and its operating-company form describes companies of 30 to 200 people. Handshake AI asks for 20+ full-time employees and 3+ years in operation. Mercor publishes no headcount or years minimum and screens companies through a qualification form instead.
Which AI data program pays the fastest?
Of the three, only Mercor publishes a timeline: payment by wire on delivery of the anonymized dataset to the buyer, typically 2 to 4 weeks after signing. micro1 and Handshake AI do not publish seller payment schedules. Whatever a page says, get the payment schedule and the event that triggers each payment in the signed agreement.
Can I license my company's data to micro1 and Mercor at the same time?
Possibly, but none of the three publishes its exclusivity terms. If one buyer takes an exclusive license, you generally cannot license the same records to anyone else for the term. Ask each buyer in writing whether its license is exclusive, for how long, and which records it covers before you sign with any of them.
Is Mercor safe to share company data with after its 2026 breach?
Mercor had a supply-chain security incident in March 2026, after which Meta paused work with it and contractor class actions followed in April. Mercor says no AI lab buyer or third-party vendor sees raw data and that it holds SOC 2 Type II. If you talk to Mercor, ask what changed after the incident, who handles your data and where, and request its current SOC 2 report under NDA.
Do micro1, Mercor or Handshake charge the business a fee?
Mercor says there are no upfront costs, setup fees or deductions, and that it covers extraction, anonymization and transfer. micro1 and Handshake AI are buyers that pay the business directly, and neither publishes a seller fee on the pages we checked. Confirm in the written offer that the price is the amount you receive.
Which of the three pays the biggest referral bonus?
micro1 advertises up to $50,000 per referred company that signs, up from $25,000 at its June 2026 launch. Handshake AI pays $10,000 flat when the referred company's deal closes. Mercor offers a referral bonus but publishes no amount; an 'up to $100K per referral' line recorded on its page in July 2026 was gone by September.
Sources
Program terms checked against each company's own pages on October 15, 2026.
- micro1, data partnerships
- micro1 operating-company form
- micro1, company referral
- micro1 referral terms (updated Oct 14, 2026)
- micro1 forum, referral program launch (Jun 16, 2026)
- micro1, $1B announcement (Oct 9, 2026)
- The Next Web, Oct 9, 2026
- Forbes, Sep 22, 2026
- Dealroom, Aug 2026 (micro1)
- Fortune, Sep 14, 2026
- Mercor, Monetize your data
- UsagePricing tracker of Mercor's page
- Fortune, Apr 2, 2026
- Staffing Industry Analysts
- Dealroom, Jul 6, 2026 (Mercor)
- Handshake AI, data partnerships
- Handshake AI, license your data
- Handshake AI, refer a company
- Handshake blog, employer data program
- Business Insider via AOL, Mar 4, 2026
- Mode, data program
- BizBuyData, $50K referral
- Nyne, compare data licensing offers
Brian Boesen · Founder, Regulr AI
Brian runs Regulr AI, which works for established businesses that want to license de-identified records to AI companies. He checks each program's published terms against its own pages and updates these guides when they change. Last updated October 15, 2026.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules vary by state and by profession, and they apply to your facts, not to a category. Before you share anything, have your own counsel (and for law firms, your state bar's ethics hotline) confirm what is in scope.
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