1. Information we may collect
We may collect information directly from you when you create an account, complete a form, contact us, create a profile, use AI tools, book mentor support, or interact with platform features.
- Identity and contact details such as name, email address, organisation, role, and location.
- Student or graduate profile information such as interests, skills, academic or career background, business goals, sector preferences, and startup stage.
- Business idea and planning information such as idea descriptions, market assumptions, customer notes, roadmap content, business plan drafts, validation activity, and investor-readiness materials.
- Mentor information such as expertise, profile details, rates, availability, session notes, and guidance areas.
- Investor or partner information such as investment interests, partnership enquiries, preferred sectors, and support preferences.
- Technical and website information such as IP address, browser type, device information, usage logs, cookie preferences, and pages visited.
- If you connect a Google account, the Google account information and Google Workspace or Google Photos API data that you expressly authorise through Google's OAuth consent screen. We only request the scopes needed for the connected feature you choose to use.
- Messages and communications you send to us, including contact form submissions and support requests.
2. How we use your information
We use personal information to operate, improve, protect, and personalise Gradpreneur AI. This includes:
- Providing access to the platform, community, and product features.
- Providing Google-connected features that you request, using only the Google data and permissions that you authorise.
- Helping students and graduates generate, refine, validate, plan, launch, and grow business ideas.
- Supporting mentor discovery, booking, guidance, session preparation, and mentor-led review.
- Supporting investor or partner enquiries and readiness pathways for promising student businesses.
- Responding to enquiries, support requests, account questions, and partnership discussions.
- Maintaining security, preventing misuse, debugging errors, and improving platform performance.
- Sending service updates, programme information, product notices, and relevant communications.
- Understanding platform usage so we can improve AI workflows, content, and user experience.
3. Lawful bases for processing
Where UK data protection law applies, we rely on lawful bases depending on the context:
- Contract: to provide platform access, mentor services, account functionality, or requested services.
- Legitimate interests: to improve the platform, respond to enquiries, secure our services, understand usage, and develop Gradpreneur AI in a way that is useful to students, mentors, investors, and partners.
- Consent: for optional communications, non-essential cookies, and other activities where consent is required.
- Legal obligation: where we need to keep records, comply with applicable law, or respond to lawful requests.
4. AI-generated workspaces and mentor support
Gradpreneur AI is designed to help users structure business ideas, validation, plans, roadmaps, and market research. Information you provide may be used to generate outputs inside your workspace and to help prepare mentor-ready context.
When you choose to work with a mentor, relevant information may be shared with that mentor so they can understand your business idea, review your progress, guide your decisions, and prepare for sessions. We encourage users not to submit unnecessary sensitive personal information, confidential third-party information, or information they are not authorised to share.
5. Google API data and Limited Use
The use of information received from Google Workspace APIs will adhere to the Google User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
The use of information received from Google Photos APIs will adhere to the Google User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Third-party AI service provider
- Provider
- Google LLC — Gemini Developer API
- Service plan
- Paid Tier 1
- Other AI providers
- None
When you connect a Google account, Gradpreneur AI uses authorised Google Workspace or Google Photos API data only to provide the specific, user-facing feature that you request and consent to.
- We access only the Google data and OAuth scopes necessary to provide the connected feature shown in the application.
- We do not use, transfer, or sell raw, aggregated, or derived Google Workspace or Google Photos user data to create, train, or improve foundational, generalised, or non-personalised machine learning or artificial intelligence models.
- We do not sell Google user data, use it for advertising, transfer it to data brokers, or use it to determine creditworthiness or for lending purposes.
- Where an AI or machine learning service processes Google user data on our behalf, that processing is limited to delivering the user-requested feature, and the provider is not permitted to use the data to train or improve generalised models.
- Google user data is not transferred to any AI provider other than the Gemini Developer API Paid Tier 1, and is not contributed to shared logs, datasets, evaluations, or product-improvement programmes that permit model training.
- Any permitted transfer or human access is limited to what is necessary to provide the requested feature with consent, maintain security, comply with law, or otherwise meet the Limited Use requirements.
You can review or revoke Gradpreneur AI's access through your Google Account connections. To request deletion of Google user data previously shared with Gradpreneur AI, email hello@gradpreneur.ai.
6. Who we may share information with
We do not sell personal information. We may share information where needed to provide and improve Gradpreneur AI, including with:
- Technology, hosting, analytics, email, security, and support providers.
- Mentors, where a student or graduate chooses mentor support or where mentor review is part of a programme.
- Investors or partners, where a user chooses to participate in investor-readiness or funding-support activity.
- Universities, accelerators, communities, or programme partners where they are involved in a cohort or programme.
- Professional advisers, regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where required or permitted by law.
7. International transfers
Some service providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this happens, we aim to use appropriate safeguards required by applicable data protection law, such as approved contractual protections or adequacy mechanisms.
8. How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described in this policy, including providing services, supporting users, improving the platform, meeting legal obligations, resolving disputes, and maintaining security.
Retention periods may vary depending on account status, programme participation, mentor or investor activity, legal requirements, and whether information is needed for platform integrity or audit records.
9. Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. No online service can guarantee absolute security, so users should also protect their account details and avoid sharing unnecessary confidential information.
10. Your data protection rights
Depending on where you are and the context of processing, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, object to, or receive a copy of your personal information. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time.
You can contact us using the details below. You may also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as Gradpreneur AI develops, as our services change, or as legal requirements evolve. We will update the date above when changes are made.
