Privacy Policy

Welcome to Startups Building Startups ("SBS", "we", "our", or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring a secure, high-trust ecosystem for B2B collaboration. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website (startupsbuildingstartups.com) and use our platform.

1. Information We Collect

To provide a verified and highly functional B2B matchmaking experience, we collect the following:

• Identity & Verification Data: Government-issued IDs, corporate registration documents, LinkedIn profiles, work-email domain verification, and (where applicable) facial recognition data — used strictly for our verification and trust-building processes.
• Professional & Corporate Data: Startup details, pitch decks, technical stacks, operational challenges ("Fix My Itch" posts), investment history, team membership, and organizational roles.
• Platform Activity Data: Posts, comments, messages, connection requests, search queries, watchlist activity, RSVPs, engagement metrics, and interaction logs.
• Financial Data: Billing details and transaction records related to premium memberships or escrow-based trust services (processed by secure, third-party payment gateways).
• Automated Data: IP addresses, browser types, device information, and usage patterns collected via cookies and tracking technologies (see our Cookies Policy).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to power the core functionalities of the SBS ecosystem:

• AI-Driven Matchmaking: Analyzing your professional data and platform activity to connect you with relevant founders, investors, and builders.
• Trust & Safety: Enforcing verification protocols, moderating reports, and maintaining a high-quality, scam-free environment.
• Platform Operations: Facilitating the "Fix My Itch" repository, processing escrow connections, delivering notifications, and providing customer support.
• Service Improvement: Training our internal matchmaking algorithms and improving user experience.

3. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal data. We share information only in the following circumstances:

• Within the Ecosystem: Your public profile, startup details, and "Fix My Itch" queries are visible to other verified users to facilitate collaboration. Posts marked followers-only and direct messages remain restricted.
• Service Providers: Third-party vendors who assist us (e.g. identity verification, escrow, email delivery, cloud hosting, analytics).
• Legal Obligations: If required by law, or in response to valid requests by public authorities.

4. Data Security & Retention

We implement industry-standard encryption and security protocols to protect your data, including row-level access controls so users only see what they are entitled to. We retain your information only as long as your account is active or as necessary to fulfill legal and regulatory obligations.

5. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to access, correct, export, or delete your personal data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. You can exercise most of these rights directly from your Settings page, or by contacting us.

6. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes via email or a prominent notice on the platform.