Data Opportunity Handoff Checklist for Startup Shutdowns

Navigating a startup shutdown involves many complexities, including identifying and maximizing the value of remaining assets. For companies with significant operational data, data licensing can represent a substantial, often overlooked, opportunity.

SourceX facilitates data licensing for AI labs and data buyers. As a SourceX partner, you can earn by connecting us with companies that have eligible data. This checklist is designed for wind-down and VC advisors to efficiently evaluate and prepare a shutting-down company's data assets for potential licensing, ensuring all referral criteria are met.

Handoff Checklist: Preparing for a Data Licensing Referral

• Company Profile Qualification:

• [ ] Is the company based in the US?
• [ ] Did the company have 50 or more full-time employees at its peak? (Exclude contractors)
• [ ] Does the company have years of operating records?

• Data Rights and Licensing Readiness:

• [ ] Does the company possess clear legal rights to license its operational data?
• [ ] Is there an authorized sponsor within the company (or its appointed liquidator/receiver) who can approve and facilitate data licensing? This individual must understand the company's data and have the authority to act on its behalf.
• [ ] Is the data free from privacy concerns that would prevent licensing for AI training or analytics?
• [ ] Are data types and schemas well-understood and documented internally?

• Data Archive Assessment:

• [ ] Identify key data types that could be valuable for AI labs and data buyers (e.g., transactional, behavioral, operational, sensor data).
• [ ] Are the archives well-maintained and accessible?
• [ ] What is the format of the archived data (e.g., databases, flat files, cloud storage)?
• [ ] What is the approximate volume and temporal range of the data?

• Partner Referral Information (Internal Use Only):

• [ ] Key contact information for the authorized sponsor.
• [ ] A brief overview of the company's industry and the nature of its data assets.

Important Considerations for Partners:

• No Data Handling by Partners: As a SourceX partner, you should never handle or transmit any of the referred company's actual data. Your role is solely to make the introduction to SourceX.
• Reward Structure: Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 cumulative per referred company. Rewards become payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee.
• Attribution: Credit for a referral goes to the first valid referrer whose introduction leads to a verified company application within the attribution window.

By following this checklist, advisors can streamline the process of identifying valuable data assets during a shutdown, potentially creating a new revenue stream for the company and earning a significant reward as a SourceX partner. SourceX handles the entire data licensing transaction, from sourcing and rights review to delivery and payment.

Refer a company · How rewards work