Comparison
Handshake AI vs micro1: which company data program fits?
| Handshake AI | micro1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Licenses directly | Licenses directly |
| Relationship | None recorded | None recorded |
| What they buy | Its license page lists example sources: Gmail, Outlook, Google Drive, Dropbox, Slack, Notion, Monday.com, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Paychex, ServiceTitan, AutoCAD and Figma, plus '+1K more'.[1] as of Its sales job ads name workflow data, code and support transcripts as examples of the proprietary data it licenses.[2] as of The blog says it wants data showing how businesses actually operate: how decisions get made and how teams use tools.[3] as of | Process and knowledge records: SOPs, process documentation, internal knowledge bases, workflows, templates and operational frameworks.[4] as of Its eligibility FAQ also names CRM data and project histories as examples of high-quality operational data.[4] as of Under 'Operational data from every industry can contribute' it lists six sectors, including Finance & Accounting, Legal & Contracts and Operations & Logistics, naming records such as reconciliations, approvals, contract workflows, review processes, fulfillment workflows and inventory management.[4] as of |
| Who they buy from | Published minimum: 20+ full-time employees and 3+ years in operation.[1, 5] as of Its payout estimator uses employee count, years in operation and country as inputs; the defaults (100 employees, 10 years) are not eligibility rules.[6] as of | Program and referral pages: operationally mature companies with 30+ employees, established documentation and high-quality operational data.[4, 7] as of The application page says 30 to 200 employees and lists target industries including technology, BPOs and recruiting, financial services, consulting, legal and compliance, healthcare administration and logistics.[8] as of micro1 says it is primarily looking for companies that operate in English.[4] as of Its payout estimator also asks 'How many business entities does your company have?' ('Distinct businesses under your company, including subsidiaries') and 'Does your data include regulated or sensitive information?', giving health records, financial data, legal documents and personal information as examples.[9] as of |
| Payment model | The blog says each deal's terms are scoped in advance and protected under NDA; neither the blog nor the license page states payment structure or timing.[3, 1] as of Handshake says any payout depends on the data sources, volume and quality, the outcome of its due diligence, and acceptance of its data licensing terms.[6] as of | Paid according to the data's value, judged on dataset size and volume, workflow complexity, data quality, domain expertise and uniqueness.[4] as of Its pages do not say whether payment is one-time, staged or recurring; a June 2026 referral announcement calls the program 'a recurring revenue stream'.[4, 10] as of |
| Published ranges | The license page says payouts range from $100K to $4M; the blog says qualified partnerships typically fall in that range; the program page says $100K to $4M+.[1, 3, 6] as of With its default inputs (100 employees, 10 years), the program-page estimator shows $383,083–$896,969, labelled an indicative estimate and not an offer.[6] as of | Program page tiers: $100k+ for qualified partnerships, $500k+ for large-scale datasets or ongoing participation, $1M+ for highly unique proprietary data.[4] as of Its referral page and a July 2026 webinar page state $100K to $2M+ for approved data packages.[7, 11] as of An example result shown on its payout estimator was $50,284–$92,776, below the lowest tier; results are labelled 'Indicative estimate only'.[9] as of |
| Process | Step 1: a short intake form about the company and the tools it uses, described as requiring no commitment.[6] as of Step 2: a team member follows up and, if there is a fit, holds a scoping call on data parameters, de-identification, terms and timeline.[6] as of Companies introduced through its referral form are contacted within 1–2 days, Handshake says.[5] as of | Four steps: an assessment, a review of the submission, a discovery call, then the agreement and data requirements.[4] as of Before any participation, micro1 and the company together define the approved data scope, security and confidentiality standards, anonymization and redaction requirements, and 'Internal approval processes and permissions'.[4] as of Companies that arrive by referral are guided through an initial AI interview to assess fit.[4] as of |
| Data handling | The seller decides what to share and transfers data as it exists; Handshake removes identifying details and cleans records on its side.[6] as of Handshake says partner companies are never identified and data goes to frontier labs under confidentiality, for training and evaluation only, not publication.[6] as of Its trust portal lists SOC 2 Type II and other company-wide certifications; it does not say whether they cover the data-partnerships pipeline.[12] as of | PII is removed when relevant, access is limited to a few authorized staff, and each engagement runs in an isolated pipeline.[4] as of Some datasets may be synthetically rewritten to keep workflow structure while reducing direct ties to the original records.[4] as of The program page says data is retained only for agreed periods; the application page says original datasets are deleted after processing.[4, 8] as of |
| Geography | The payout estimator offers USA, Canada, Europe and Other as country options, and the interest form asks for country.[6] as of | Referrals are accepted globally; micro1 says current demand is strongest for companies based in the US, UK and Canada.[4] as of Its payout estimator asks for headquarters location: United States, Canada or Europe, or Other.[9] as of |
| How to apply | Interest form on the license page ('Find out what yours is worth'), asking for name, email, phone (optional), company, website (optional) and country.[1] as of Third parties can refer a company through a referral form and receive a $10K bonus when that company's deal closes.[5] as of | 'Get in touch' on the program page leads to an application form on jobs.micro1.ai asking for company, role, contact details, country and website.[8] as of A company introduced by a referrer must apply through the referrer's unique link for the referral to count.[7] as of |
| Not publicly stated |
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Handshake AI and micro1 both pay operating companies directly for operational data and both advertise amounts starting at $100K, as of October 2026. What decides fit is your headcount, the kind of records you hold, and whether you want the provider to handle de-identification or to set the rules yourself first.
Which one will consider a company our size?
| Your company | Handshake AI | micro1 |
|---|---|---|
| 20 to 29 full-time employees | Meets its minimum, with 3+ years in operation | Below its 30+ |
| 30 to 200 employees | Meets its minimum, with 3+ years in operation | Inside both of its stated ranges |
| More than 200 employees | Meets its minimum, with 3+ years in operation | Inside “30+”, outside “30 to 200” |
Handshake’s minimum, on its license page and referral page, is 20 full-time employees and three years in operation. micro1 says 30+ on its program page and referral page, but 30 to 200 on its application page. Handshake’s published minimum is a headcount and an age; micro1’s adds “established documentation” and says it is primarily looking for companies that operate in English.
Which records does each ask for?
Handshake AI leads with software systems. Its license page lists example sources from Gmail, Outlook and Slack to NetSuite, QuickBooks and ServiceTitan, and its sales job ad mentions “workflow data, code, support transcripts.” micro1 leads with written process: SOPs, process documentation, knowledge bases, templates and operational frameworks, plus CRM data and project histories (FAQ). Its program page doesn’t mention email or chat.
A company whose history sits mainly in email, chat and line-of-business software matches Handshake’s list more directly. A company with written SOPs and a maintained knowledge base matches micro1’s. A data inventory shows which description yours fits; many companies fit both.
How do their payout figures compare?
Handshake’s pages advertise $100K to $4M, or $4M+ on its program page. micro1’s program page has tiers of $100k+, $500k+ and $1M+, and its referral page says $100K–$2M+ for approved data packages. The higher top figure on Handshake’s pages is an advertised ceiling, not evidence that it pays more for the same records. Neither program names completed company-data deals or what they paid.
Both run payout estimators, and their outputs aren’t comparable. Handshake’s estimator shows $383,083–$896,969 at its defaults of 100 employees and 10 years. An example result shown on micro1’s estimator was $50,284–$92,776, with the inputs not shown. The estimators also ask different things. Handshake’s takes employee count, years in operation and country. micro1’s asks for employees, years of data, number of business entities, the share of data in English, headquarters location and whether any data is regulated, which tells you what micro1 weighs. Both label their results as indicative estimates.
Who prepares the data, and who sets the rules?
Handshake asks for data “as it exists today” and does the de-identification and cleaning on its side before confidential delivery to frontier labs, and says partner companies are never identified (program page). micro1 and the company define scope, security standards and “anonymization and redaction requirements” together before participating, then removes PII “when relevant,” may synthetically rewrite datasets, and says original datasets are deleted after processing (program page; application page).
If staff time is the constraint, Handshake’s description asks less of your team. If control over what leaves is the priority, micro1’s steps give you a defined place to set it. With either, ask to review the de-identified version of a sample before the full transfer.
How does each pay?
Handshake’s blog and license page don’t say whether payment is one amount or staged; the blog says terms are “scoped upfront, protected under NDA.” micro1’s program, application and referral pages don’t say either, though its $500k+ tier mentions “ongoing participation” and a June 2026 announcement describes the program as a way to turn operational data “into a recurring revenue stream.” Ask both the same questions: what triggers each payment, how many days after, whether due diligence can change the amount, whether any fees are deducted, and whether the license is exclusive. Upfront payment or revenue share explains the structures you may be offered.
Why might either contact us first?
Both sell through outbound teams and pay outside referrers. Handshake’s SDR job ad describes “high-volume outbound (calls, email, LinkedIn),” and a micro1 listing asks staff to “reach out to founders, executives, and business owners through outbound prospecting.” Handshake pays a referrer $10K when a referred company’s deal closes (referral page). micro1 advertises up to $50,000 per referral, paid as the referred company reaches milestones (referral page). If someone introduced you to either, ask whether they are paid for it.
Can we talk to both?
Yes. Handshake says its intake form requires “no commitment,” and micro1’s first application step asks for company and contact details. Any exclusivity would be set in the agreement, and neither publishes its agreement. Ask each about exclusivity before you sign, especially while the other is still reviewing your data.
When does Handshake AI fit better?
- You have 20 to 29 full-time employees and at least three years in operation, or more than 200 employees and want a published rule that clearly includes you.
- Most of your history is in email, chat, shared drives and business software rather than written procedures.
- Your team has little time for preparation, and you are comfortable with Handshake de-identifying data after transfer.
When does micro1 fit better?
- Most of what your company knows is written down in SOPs, templates and a knowledge base, rather than spread across inboxes and chat.
- You are based in the US, UK or Canada, the markets where micro1 says its demand is strongest, and your records are in English.
- You want to set the anonymization and redaction rules before anything is shared, rather than transfer data as it exists for Handshake to clean, and you want original datasets deleted after processing, as micro1’s application page states.
Sources
- Data Partnerships | Handshake AI (license / interest form page), Handshake. Accessed .
- Sales Development Representative, Data Partnerships @ Handshake (Ashby job posting), Handshake AI. Accessed .
- Introducing Handshake AI Employer Data Partnerships (Handshake blog), Handshake. Accessed .
- Monetize your company's operational data (micro1), micro1. Accessed .
- Handshake AI Data Partnerships referral page ('Refer a company, get $10K'), Handshake. Accessed .
- Handshake AI program page, Handshake. Accessed .
- Refer a company to micro1, earn $50,000, micro1. Accessed .
- Enterprise Data Partnership | micro1 (application page), micro1. Accessed .
- micro1 data payout estimator, micro1. Accessed .
- Announcing the micro1 Company Data Partnerships Referral Program, micro1. Published . Accessed .
- Partnering with micro1 to train frontier AI with company data, micro1. Published . Accessed .
- Handshake Trust Portal, Handshake AI. Accessed .
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