How we vet sellers and buyers
Trust in this market breaks down at two points: buyers cannot verify what they are buying, and sellers cannot verify who they are selling to. Our vetting standard closes both gaps.
Key takeaways
- Every seller passes 8 checks: authority to sign, ownership and chain of title, contract restrictions, privacy notice and lawful basis, third-party content, de-identification method, representative sample and manifest accuracy.
- Every buyer passes 5 checks: company identity, intended use, security and retention, onward transfer limits and ability to pay.
- We do not take custody of your raw data. Buyers see redacted samples under a mutual NDA, and full data moves only after you sign a license directly with the buyer.
Why a written standard matters
A license tag on a dataset does not prove it can be used legally, and a buyer's logo does not prove what will happen to your records. Buyers' lawyers ask the same questions on every deal, so we ask them first and write down the answers. Each side gets the evidence, not just our word.
The eight seller checks
- 1
Authority to sign
The person signing can bind the company, or the trustee, liquidator or board can act for a closed company.
- 2
Ownership and chain of title
The company created or acquired the records and holds the rights to license them, including IP assignments from staff and contractors.
- 3
Contract restrictions
Client contracts, NDAs, vendor terms and data processing agreements do not prohibit the proposed use.
- 4
Privacy notice and lawful basis
The privacy notice in force when the data was collected, and the applicable law, allow the disclosure, or the personal data is excluded.
- 5
Third-party content
Licensed content, open-source code and material owned by others is identified and either cleared or removed.
- 6
De-identification method
Direct and indirect identifiers are removed by a documented method, and a re-identification test is run on a sample.
- 7
Representative sample
The sample is drawn at random across the archive, not hand-picked, so a buyer can judge the whole package.
- 8
Manifest accuracy
Record counts, date ranges, systems and languages in the data manifest match what is actually delivered.
The five buyer checks
- 1
Company identity
Registered entity, beneficial owner where relevant, and a named signatory.
- 2
Intended use
Training, evaluation or fine-tuning, which models, and whether outputs will be commercialized.
- 3
Security and retention
Where data will be stored, who can access it, and when raw copies are deleted.
- 4
Onward transfer limits
Whether data may pass to affiliates, subprocessors or model partners, and on what terms.
- 5
Ability to pay
For larger deals, evidence the buyer can meet the price and payment schedule.
What a vetting file contains
| Item | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Rights evidence | Who signed, on what authority, and the contracts and privacy notices that permit the license |
| Provenance record | Where each record came from, which systems and dates, and what was excluded |
| De-identification method | What was removed or transformed, by whom, and the result of a re-identification test |
| Data manifest | Record counts, date ranges, languages and formats, matched to the delivery |
| Representative sample | Drawn at random across the archive, labeled with the sampling method |
| Buyer verification summary | Shared with the seller: identity, intended use, security and retention commitments |
What vetting does not do
Vetting reduces risk. It does not remove it, and it is not legal advice. We are a broker, not a law firm. We tell you what buyers will check and help you prepare, but you should take independent legal advice before signing any license.
For data owners
Ready to see what buyers will offer?
Book a consultation and we will scope your data, explain our fee in writing and set out the steps to competing offers from vetted buyers.
For AI teams
Ready to source?
Book a consultation to brief us. We shortlist vetted sellers, each with a vetting file covering rights evidence, provenance and a representative sample.