Someone referred my company to SourceX. What does that mean?

What does it mean that someone referred my company?

It means a person in your network, such as an advisor, banker, consultant or fellow executive, thought your company might qualify to license its business records to AI developers through SourceX, and told us who you are. That is all. No records moved, no agreement exists and you have no duty to respond.

SourceX is a managed data licensing service. Companies that hold years of operational records can license them to AI labs and data buyers while keeping ownership. Introductions come from partners in the partner referral program, who are asked to pass along basic fit information only.

What does the introduction include, and what does it leave out?

An introduction carries a short description of why your company might fit. It never carries the records themselves.

Partners are told not to export, upload or describe confidential material. If someone tells you they have already looked at your files on this basis, treat that as a red flag and ask them to stop.

Why would an advisor refer my company?

Advisors see how companies are structured and which ones keep long, well-organized histories, so they can spot a likely fit. Some also think licensing could be one more option for a client weighing a sale, a system retirement or a financing decision.

Partners are paid only if a company they introduced licenses data and the buyer pays. Their reward is a share of SourceX's own fee, so it is never deducted from what your company receives. You receive one all-in price with SourceX's fee included and no separate charges. For the full picture of who is paid and why, read who gets paid in a data licensing deal.

Do I have to respond?

No. Silence has no consequence. Nothing is binding until your company agrees price and terms and signs, and you can stop at any point before that.

If you do want to look, the order of events is:

1. You or your sponsor applies at sourcex.si/apply, or confirms the details the referrer submitted.
2. SourceX qualifies the company on size, history, data breadth and rights.
3. Your team completes a data inventory of systems and date ranges.
4. Price and terms are agreed with you before buyers see the opportunity.
5. Buyers review; once a company is deal-ready they typically respond within about two weeks.
6. If you sign, data is delivered under redaction rules you approved and you are paid once.

Can someone refer my company without my permission?

Yes, in the narrow sense that anyone can pass along a company name and a contact. A referral is not an application by you and does not commit you. It does let SourceX credit the first valid referrer if you later apply within the attribution window.

If you would rather not be contacted, say so to the referrer and to SourceX. You can also apply on your own, in which case ask SourceX how attribution would be recorded so you are not surprised by it.

Questions to ask the person who referred you

• How do you know my company, and why did you think of us?
• What exactly did you send to SourceX about us?
• Are you paid if we proceed, and is that disclosed to me?
• Have you seen or received any of our records? (The answer should be no.)
• Who else did you tell about this?

A good referrer answers all five plainly. If you are unsure whom to involve internally, see who to notify before licensing data.

What if my company is not a fit?

The baseline is a US company with 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), several years of documented operations, rights to license the data and an authorized sponsor such as an owner, CEO, CFO or authorized representative. Companies are also screened for red flags, such as records that belong to the company's clients, data already licensed for AI training, or archives that no longer exist. If your company has had a security incident, see whether a breached company can still license its records. You can also try the non-binding company fit checker, which needs no contact details.

How do I proceed or decline?

To proceed, apply at sourcex.si/apply. To decline, ignore the introduction or tell the referrer you are not interested. Customers who worry about what licensing means for them can read what to say when a customer asks if you sold their data before any decision.

Next step

If you are the person who made the introduction and want to do it properly, register as a partner. If you were the one introduced, take a look at the FAQ and decide at your own pace.