Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Founderbook is operated by Red Software Development Ltd (“we”, “us”). We are the controller responsible for the personal information described in this policy. The website and mobile apps use the same account and community data.

Red Software Development Ltd, company number 15757550, registered in England and Wales.

Email hello@redsoftwaredevelopment.com or write to the address above, marked “Founderbook: Privacy” or “Founderbook: Support”. Signed-in members can also contact us through Give feedback in the website or the mobile app’s support feature. You do not need an account to contact us by post.

2. Information we collect

• Account and profile: your name, email address, authentication information, account type, role, biography, photo, website, selected country and city, and account preferences.
• Professional activity: startup, agency and fund details; team memberships and requests; company affiliations; investment preferences; fundraising details; pitch decks and videos; verification evidence and work-email verification records.
• Community activity: connections and accompanying notes, event hosting and RSVPs, saved events and raises, group membership, posts, replies, votes, messages and read status. We record raise views, deck opens and saves to provide engagement information.
• Support and safety: feedback, screenshots, reports, relevant reported content, moderation decisions, account-deletion requests and records needed to investigate abuse or resolve a dispute.
• Technical information: IP address, request and error logs, browser or device information, session identifiers and security events. If you enable mobile notifications, notification services also process device subscription identifiers, permission settings and delivery or interaction information.

Most information comes from you and your use of the service. Other members provide information when they invite you, communicate with you or report content involving you. We may obtain event and organiser details from public event listings such as Luma and Eventbrite, and fund or verification information from submitted evidence and public business websites.

Account credentials and information needed for a requested action are necessary to provide that feature. Optional profile details and uploads are your choice. Please do not upload identification documents, financial account credentials, sensitive health information or other unnecessary sensitive personal information.

3. Why we use it

Under UK data protection law, our purposes and legal bases are:

• Providing the service, under our contract with you: create and secure your account, display your chosen profile, manage teams and events, deliver messages, store your uploads, apply visibility settings and respond to service requests.
• Operating a safe and useful community, based on legitimate interests: prevent fraud and misuse, review verification evidence, moderate reports, investigate faults, measure fundraising engagement, and maintain records needed to resolve disputes. Our interests are reliable service, community safety and accurate professional information; we consider the impact on your rights.
• Optional communications and device permissions, with consent where required: enable optional push notifications and any promotional communications that require consent. You can withdraw consent through notification preferences, device settings or by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect earlier lawful processing.
• Legal obligations: respond to valid legal requests and comply with applicable record-keeping and data protection duties.

Search and matching use information such as city, stage and investment preferences. Access rules may automatically restrict features based on membership or verification status. Verification and moderation decisions can be referred to our team for review; we do not use solely automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects on you.

4. Who can see your information

Founderbook is a community service. Your profile and professional details are visible to other members as the relevant feature permits. Public event listings can be viewed without an account. Profile photos and event covers use public image links; anyone with the link may be able to view them.

RSVPs may be visible to the organiser and other permitted attendees. Group contributions and messages are visible to their intended members or recipients. Team and fund administrators can see relevant membership requests and manage their teams. A private group does not prevent its members from copying information they can access.

Raise visibility and membership rules control access to pitch materials. Authorised viewers receive temporary file links, but a recipient can still download or copy a file. Raise managers can receive engagement information. Verification evidence, private support attachments and report details are restricted to those handling the relevant process rather than displayed in the public directory.

Authorised staff may access relevant information to support the service, investigate a report, verify claims or meet a legal requirement. Messages are not end-to-end encrypted. Do not use the service to exchange material that must remain confidential from the service operator.

We may disclose necessary information to professional advisers, regulators, courts or law enforcement where justified by law, or to a successor if the business is transferred, subject to applicable privacy protections. We do not sell your personal information or use it for cross-service targeted advertising.

5. Service providers and international transfers

We use Supabase for accounts, database services and file storage; Google Firebase and Google Cloud for website hosting and delivery, and the Sites hosting service and Cloudflare for our preview site; Resend for work-email verification; and OneSignal, together with Apple or Google notification infrastructure, for supported mobile push notifications. These providers process the information needed to perform their functions. Their own service or device privacy notices may also apply.

Our providers may process information outside the UK, including in the United States and countries where they or their subprocessors operate. Where a restricted international transfer requires protection, we use an applicable adequacy framework or approved contractual safeguards, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or UK Addendum to standard contractual clauses, as appropriate. Contact us for information about the safeguards applicable to your data and how to obtain a copy.

Opening an external registration site, business website or map shares connection information with that provider and is subject to its privacy terms. Loading an embedded Google venue map sends Google your IP address, browser information and the venue query. App stores and device platforms process download and device information under their own policies.

6. Device storage, permissions and notifications

The website uses browser storage to keep you signed in, preserve an RSVP journey and support installation. Its service worker caches public application assets and an offline shell, rather than member profiles, messages or backend responses. The mobile app also stores session information on your device. Signing out or clearing app or browser data removes local access information, but uninstalling the app does not delete your account.

The current Founderbook website does not include advertising cookies or third-party behavioural analytics. Infrastructure providers and external services you open may use their own cookies or similar technologies. You can control browser storage in your browser settings; blocking essential storage may prevent sign-in or installation from working.

Mobile photo or camera access is used when you choose to add an image. Notification permission is optional and can be changed in device settings. Notification previews may appear on a locked screen, so use your device’s preview controls if needed. Our mobile notification integration disables precise-location sharing; the service uses the country and city you select rather than tracking your GPS location.

7. Retention and account deletion

We keep account information while your account is active and information remains needed to provide the service. Retention depends on the type of record, whether it is still used by a community or team, an unresolved report or dispute, security needs and applicable legal duties. We do not promise one deletion period for every category.

You can request account deletion in Settings on the website or mobile app, or contact us using the details above if you cannot sign in. Transfer teams you wish to keep under another member’s control before deleting. Deletion removes account access and starts removal of associated information and files. If cleanup is incomplete, the service may ask you to retry; a pending request is not confirmation that all data has been erased.

Shared organisational records, content contributed to a continuing conversation, moderation evidence and records necessary for legal claims may remain where there is a lawful reason, with identifying information removed or restricted where appropriate. Backups and security records may persist until their normal replacement or retention cycle ends. Copies another member downloaded or independently retained are outside our direct control. Contact us if a retained record still identifies you and you want it reviewed.

8. Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you can request access to your information, correction, erasure, restriction of use, or a portable copy of information you provided. You can withdraw consent at any time where we rely on it. These rights have legal conditions and exceptions.

Your right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests because of your particular circumstances, and to direct marketing at any time.

Contact us using the details in section 1. We may ask for proportionate information to verify your identity. Requests are normally free and answered within one month; where the law permits an extension or fee, we will explain why.

You can complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or call 0303 123 1113. You may also complain to your local data protection authority where applicable. You do not have to contact us before contacting an authority.

9. Children

Founderbook is a professional community intended for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly invite children to create accounts. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

10. Changes and contact

We will update this policy when our practices or legal requirements change. The date above identifies the current version. For material changes, we will provide an appropriate notice through the service or another available contact channel, and seek consent where required. Questions and privacy requests can be sent to Red Software Development Ltd using the contact details in section 1.