Privacy Policy

The Tech Founders ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data when you use our website at thetechfounders.co.uk and our related services.

We comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. For full details on your data protection rights, please see our GDPR Compliance page.

1. Who We Are

The Tech Founders is a media, education, and community platform for Indian-origin tech founders, professionals, investors, and students in the United Kingdom. We operate the website thetechfounders.co.uk.

Data Controller: The Tech Founders
Contact: privacy@thetechfounders.co.uk
Location: London, United Kingdom

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly

• Account information: Name, email address, profile photo, and professional details when you register via LinkedIn or email.
• Event registrations: Name, email, and any additional details you provide when registering for events.
• User-generated content: Posts, comments, and other content you create on the platform.
• Communications: Messages you send to us via email or through the platform.

Information collected automatically

• Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, clicks, and navigation patterns.
• Device information: Browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and device type.
• Location data: Country-level location derived from your IP address (used for cookie consent compliance).
• Cookies and similar technologies: See our Cookie Policy for full details.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Providing our services: Operating your account, delivering content, processing event registrations, and enabling community features.
• Communication: Sending event confirmations, going-live notifications, and important service updates.
• Analytics: Understanding how our platform is used so we can improve the experience (with your consent where required).
• Security: Protecting against fraud, abuse, and unauthorised access.
• Legal compliance: Meeting our obligations under UK law.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: For analytics cookies, marketing cookies, and optional communications. You can withdraw consent at any time.
• Contract: To provide our services when you create an account or register for events.
• Legitimate interests: To improve our platform, ensure security, and send relevant community updates. We balance our interests against your rights and freedoms.
• Legal obligation: Where we are required by law to process or retain data.

5. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We may share data with:

• Service providers: Supabase (hosting and database), Vercel (website hosting), Resend (transactional emails). These providers process data on our behalf under data processing agreements.
• Analytics providers: Google Analytics (with your consent) to understand site usage.
• Legal requirements: If required by law, regulation, or legal process.

We do not share your personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

6. Content and Third-Party References

Our platform publishes original content as well as curated references, summaries, and commentary on third-party sources such as news articles, reports, and industry publications. Where we reference external content, we attribute the original source. Our editorial content represents our own views and analysis.

Some links on our platform may be affiliate or referral links. If you make a purchase or sign up through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This does not influence our editorial content or recommendations. Any such relationships are disclosed where applicable.

7. Data Retention

• Account data: Retained while your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from your dashboard.
• Event registration data: Retained for up to 12 months after the event for administrative purposes.
• Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymised data may be retained indefinitely. Identifiable analytics data is retained as per Google Analytics default settings.
• Cookie consent records: Retained for 12 months from the date of consent.
• Unverified accounts: Automatically deleted after 48 hours.

8. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers operate outside the UK. Where personal data is transferred internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the ICO, or transfers to countries with an adequacy decision.

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Rectify inaccurate data
• Erase your data (right to be forgotten)
• Restrict processing of your data
• Data portability (receive your data in a structured format)
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@thetechfounders.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), secure authentication, access controls, and regular security reviews. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed at individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child under 16, we will delete it promptly.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of significant changes via email. The "last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

• Email: privacy@thetechfounders.co.uk
• General enquiries: hello@thetechfounders.co.uk