🔒 InnVenno Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains in detail how InnVenno Ltd ("InnVenno", "we", "us", or "our") collects, processes, stores, and discloses your personal data when you engage with our digital services, including our web application and any associated tools, features, or content (collectively referred to as the "Platform"). InnVenno is committed to protecting your privacy and complying with all applicable privacy legislation, particularly the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

By accessing or using the Platform, you are consenting to the data handling practices described in this Privacy Policy. Please read this document carefully to understand your rights and how your data is treated.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect and process a range of personal data to provide and improve our services. This includes:

• Identity Information: Your full name for account identification purposes.
• Contact Information: Your email address for communication, login verification, and support.
• Affiliation Information: Your university or institutional affiliation, used to assess user demographics and tailor academic collaboration opportunities.
• Usage Data: Data regarding your interaction with the Platform, collected through tools such as Google Analytics to monitor and evaluate engagement.

We do not knowingly or intentionally collect any sensitive personal data. If such data is submitted unintentionally, whether via free text fields, document uploads, or other input forms, we will take reasonable steps to promptly delete or anonymise the information upon identification. Users are encouraged to avoid submitting any special category data to the Platform, such as information regarding your health status, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, or biometric identifiers.

3. How We Collect Data

Your data is collected through the following methods:

• User Registration: When you sign up for an account, you provide personal data directly.
• Automated Collection: We employ tools such as Google Analytics to automatically collect information on how users navigate and interact with our Platform.
• Cookies: We use cookies and similar technologies for Platform functionality, performance monitoring, and user experience improvement. See Section 6 below for further details.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Our processing of your personal data is grounded in the principle of legitimate interests, as outlined in Article 6(1)(f) of the UK GDPR. These legitimate interests include:

• The operation and improvement of the Platform
• Communication with users about features and opportunities
• Analysis of Platform usage to better understand user behaviour and needs

We only rely on these interests after you have created an account on our Platform.

5. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data to:

• Manage your user profile and facilitate your access to the Platform
• Analyse aggregated engagement patterns to optimise Platform features and services
• Inform you about events, updates, opportunities, and features relevant to InnVenno and its closely associated partners
• Provide affiliated institutions, such as universities, with anonymised engagement statistics as part of academic or commercial collaboration frameworks

We expressly do not use any of your submitted business concepts, intellectual property, or research ideas for AI model training or commercial redistribution. If commercially sensitive information is submitted unintentionally, we will take prompt steps to identify and remove it from our systems. Submissions are stored temporarily only as needed to deliver relevant outputs or troubleshoot performance issues and are not retained beyond 30 days unless required for system diagnostics or user support.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on the Platform. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us understand Platform usage, remember user preferences, and support essential functions.

We categorise the cookies we use as follows:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Required for core functionality, such as login authentication and session management.
• Functionality Cookies: Used to remember user choices like language preferences and interface settings.
• Performance and Analytics Cookies: Help us monitor and improve Platform usage. For example, we use Google Analytics 4 (GA4), with IP anonymisation enabled and no ad personalisation features activated.
• Third-Party Cookies: Embedded content from services such as YouTube, Eventbrite, and Mighty Networks may set their own cookies, which are governed by their respective privacy policies.

You will be prompted to provide consent for all non-essential cookies when you first access the Platform. You can change your preferences at any time via the cookie banner or within your profile settings. Most cookies expire when you close your browser; a small number (such as preference cookies) may persist for up to 12 months.

For more information about cookie management, please refer to your browser's support documentation.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not rent, sell, or share your personal data with unrelated third parties.

We may disclose anonymised and aggregated analytics to academic partners or affiliated institutions for institutional reporting or collaboration purposes, strictly under the terms of mutually agreed contracts. This data does not contain personally identifiable information.

8. Data Storage and Security

All personal data is stored securely and subject to industry-standard protections. These include:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted both at rest and in transit using modern encryption protocols
• Infrastructure: Hosted through secure platforms, including GitHub, with access limited to authorised personnel
• Access Controls: We maintain strict administrative and technical access restrictions
• Monitoring: We regularly monitor our data systems for security compliance

9. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to achieve the purposes described in this policy:

• Contact Information: Stored for up to 12 months after account deletion for continuity and compliance purposes
• Usage and Engagement Data: Retained in anonymised form indefinitely to support long-term service improvements
• Input Data: Submissions such as business models or research content are not retained after account termination and are never used for AI model training or dissemination

10. Your Rights

You have a number of rights under the UK GDPR regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: You may request that inaccurate or incomplete data be corrected
• Right to Erasure: You can request deletion of your personal data from our systems
• Right to Restriction: You can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases
• Right to Object: You can object to our processing of your data if you believe it affects your fundamental rights

All requests should be directed to support@innvenno.com and will be handled in accordance with regulatory requirements.

11. Account Deletion and Data Removal

You have the right to delete your account at any time via the Platform's settings. Once your account is deleted:

• We will retain your contact details for 12 months for administrative purposes
• Anonymised engagement data will be preserved for future service enhancements
• Any intellectual property or research submissions you made will be deleted and will not be used for any other purpose

12. Children and Minors

The Platform is intended solely for use by individuals aged 18 years and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children or individuals under the age of 18. If we become aware of such data being submitted, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

13. International Data Transfers

All personal data collected is stored and processed within the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area (EEA). We do not transfer personal data outside these jurisdictions. Should any transfer become necessary in the future, we will implement appropriate safeguards as required under applicable laws.

14. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. Updates will be published on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. We recommend you review this Privacy Policy regularly to stay informed of our data practices.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or would like to exercise any of your rights related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact:

Email: support@innvenno.com
Jurisdiction: This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.