/ Privacy Policy /

1. Information we may collect

We may collect information directly from you when you join the pilot, complete a form, request access, 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.
• 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, pilot, community, and product features.
• 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, partnership discussions, and pilot applications.
• Maintaining security, preventing misuse, debugging errors, and improving platform performance.
• Sending service updates, pilot 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, pilot participation, 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. 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 pilot or 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 pilot.
• Professional advisers, regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where required or permitted by law.

6. 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.

7. 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, pilot participation, mentor or investor activity, legal requirements, and whether information is needed for platform integrity or audit records.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Contact us

For privacy questions or rights requests, contact us at hello@gradpreneur.ai. You can also visit gradpreneur.ai.