Privacy Policy
What we collect, why we use it, and the choices you have about your information.
01Who operates the service
PitchPolar is operated by Aiko as an individual based in China. The service primarily serves founders in North America and lists pitch opportunities worldwide. This policy describes information handled through the current PitchPolar website and related communications. For privacy questions or requests, contact [email protected].
Public event previews, up to 30 free event selections, pricing and legal pages can be viewed without signing in. Public event data does not include member profiles, pitch notes or other users’ account records. Accounts require a verified email identity. Monthly and quarterly Pro subscriptions are processed by Waffo. Only confirmed production subscriptions grant paid access; sandbox payments do not. Optional Pro newsletters and saved-event reminders are available after you opt in. We will update this policy when changes to the service affect how we handle personal information.
02Information we collect
- Sign-in information: your email address, account identifier and the name supplied by your sign-in provider, when available. We record when your account is first seen and when you last access account data. Google sign-in or a single-use email verification code verifies your identity before we create a secure website session. Email codes expire after 10 minutes and are stored as keyed hashes. We retain a Google account identifier to link your sign-in to your existing PitchPolar account. Sessions expire after seven days and are revoked when you sign out. Temporary sign-in state and request limits help prevent misuse.
- Profile information you provide: your name, project or company, city, focus area, startup stage and saved reminder preference.
- My Pitches information: saved events, preparation or application status, feedback, follow-up notes, follow-up dates and meeting links or venue details you enter.
- Community interest: what you are building, what you are looking for, how you can help, an optional website link, your account name and email, and submission and update times.
- Subscription information, if you purchase Pro: your chosen monthly or quarterly plan, account and checkout references, transaction and subscription identifiers, subscription status, billing dates, payment confirmations, cancellation records and billing correspondence. We send Waffo your account identifier, email and a checkout reference to associate the subscription with your account and prefill checkout. Waffo may provide us with payment status, currency, amounts, tax and billing details, and limited payment-method information such as card brand or last four digits, when included in its transaction notifications. Waffo collects and handles the payment details you enter on its hosted checkout under its own privacy policy. These practices also apply to sandbox testing; use the provider’s test card details in the sandbox.
- Communications: messages and contact details you send us, including support, privacy and event correction requests.
- Technical information: our hosting and security providers may process IP addresses, browser and device information, request details, authentication cookies and security or diagnostic logs to deliver and protect the website.
We do not receive your Google password. Full payment card numbers and card security codes are entered on Waffo’s hosted checkout and are not collected or stored by the PitchPolar application.
03How we use information
We use information to authenticate users, save profiles and pitch records, manage paid access when a subscription is purchased, handle billing and cancellation requests, administer community interest, provide support, correct problems and protect the service from misuse. Account and access information also helps us distinguish administrators from other users and apply feature permissions.
We record separate opt-in preferences for the weekly newsletter, saved-event deadline reminders and event reminders. These emails require an active Pro subscription and the corresponding preference. We keep delivery attempts and provider message identifiers to retry failures and avoid duplicates. Newsletters are sent after editorial review. We may send service or support communications and previews you request. Signing in or submitting a community form does not automatically subscribe you to a marketing newsletter.
Where applicable law requires a legal basis, we rely on what is necessary to provide the requested service, legitimate interests in operating and securing it, compliance with legal obligations, or consent where required. You can withdraw consent for an optional use without affecting earlier lawful processing.
06Storage, retention and security
Account and application records are stored using Cloudflare’s database services. Website images are stored using Cloudflare’s object storage. Aiko administers the service from China and may access account information from China for support and operation. AWS, Cloudflare, Google and Waffo operate internationally, so information may also be processed in other countries outside your country of residence. Where applicable law requires safeguards for international transfers, those requirements apply.
We retain account records and information you save while they are needed to provide the service or address your requests. You can edit available profile and pitch fields through the website or request account and data deletion by email. We may retain limited information where needed for legal obligations, security or resolving disputes. Billing and signed payment-notification records may be retained to verify subscription access, reconcile payments and resolve billing issues. Expired hosted-checkout links are removed from our checkout records; account and transaction references may remain for these purposes. Waffo retains its own records under its privacy policy and applicable obligations. Provider logs and backup copies may remain for their applicable retention periods.
We use access controls and authenticated connections to help protect information. No online service can guarantee absolute security. Avoid submitting sensitive information that is not necessary for using PitchPolar.
07Your choices and requests
You can update your profile and pitch records using the available controls. To request access to, correction of, a copy of or deletion of your personal information, email [email protected] from your account email address where possible. Account deletion is currently handled by contacting us; there is no automatic account deletion button.
Depending on the law that applies to you, you may also have rights to object to or restrict processing, request portability, withdraw consent or complain to a relevant privacy regulator. We will assess and respond to requests under applicable law and may ask for information reasonably needed to verify your identity.
If you receive an optional preview or community update from us, you can reply to ask us to stop those messages. You can change each email preference in your account. Optional member emails include an unsubscribe link; using it does not cancel your paid subscription.
08Children’s information
PitchPolar is intended for adults aged 18 or older. We do not knowingly seek personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information to us, contact [email protected] so we can review and address it.
09Updates to this policy
We will update this page when our practices change and show the new effective date. For material changes, we will provide an appropriate notice and obtain consent where required. Contact Aiko at [email protected] with any questions about this policy.
Contact Aiko at [email protected].