Privacy Policy

Welcome to the Texonica website (including all websites to which this Privacy Policy is posted, the “Site”). This Site provides, among other things, information about our people, organization and application process, tools for applicants to submit applications and go through the application process, our blog, forums for discussions about topics relevant to startups, and profiles of founders and companies that have participated in the Texonica program (collectively the “Program”).

This Privacy Policy explains what Personal Information (defined below) we collect, how we use and share that data, and your choices concerning our data practices. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Service.

Before using the Service or submitting any Personal Information to Texonica, please review this Privacy Policy carefully and contact us if you have any questions. By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, please do not access the Site or otherwise use the Service.

PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT
We collect information that alone or in combination with other information in our possession could be used to identify you (“Personal Information”) as follows:
Personal Information You Provide: We may collect Personal Information when you create an account, subscribe to our newsletter, sign up for an event, or communicate with us as follows.

Hacker News Information: If you create a Hacker News profile, we may collect your username (please note that references to your username in this Privacy Policy include your Hacker News ID or another username that you are permitted to create in connection with the Site, depending on the circumstances), password, email address (only if you choose to provide it), the date you created your account, your karma (HN points accumulated by your account in response to submissions and comments you post), any information you choose to provide in the “about” field, and any submissions or comments that you have publicly posted to the Hacker News site (“HN Information”).

Event Information: If you attend one of our events, or if you are an investor and you sign up to attend Demo Day, we will collect Personal Information, which includes your name, email address, occupation, LinkedIn profile, location (city and country), interest-based data, the name and a description of your company or your fund and other information that we will use to manage, optimize and administer your participation in our various events (“Event Information”).

Work at a Startup Information: If you sign up for our Work at a Startup program (“WaaS”), we will collect Personal Information, which includes your name, email address, LinkedIn profile, and other information relevant to the type of job you are seeking, such as your location, eligibility to work in the United States, and your work experience, education, and skills (“WaaS Information”).

Startup School Information: If you sign up for our Startup School program (“SUS”), we will collect Personal Information, which includes your name, email, location (city and country), LinkedIn profile, gender, education, area of expertise, company information, and cofounder email addresses and other information that we will use to manage, optimize and administer your participation in SUS (“SUS Information”).

Application Information: If you submit an application to Texonica, Personal Information related to your application is governed by our Application Privacy Policy available at http://www.localhost:10038/privacy-policy/. In the event of any conflict between the Applications Privacy Policy and any other portion of this Privacy Policy or our Terms of Use, the Applications Privacy Policy will control.

Communication Information: When you subscribe to our newsletter or otherwise communicate with us, we may collect your name, contact information, and the contents of any messages you send (“Communication Information”).

Personal Information We Collect Through Our Social Media Pages: We have pages on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Medium, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn (“Social Media Pages”). When you interact with our Social Media Pages, we will collect Personal Information that you elect to provide to us, such as your contact details (“Social Information”). In addition, the companies that host our Social Media Pages may provide us with aggregate information and analytics regarding the use of our Social Media Pages.

Personal Information We Receive Automatically From Your Use of the Service: When you visit, use, and interact with the Service, we may receive certain information about your visit, use, or interactions (“Technical Information”). For example, we may monitor the number of people that visit the Service, peak hours of visits, which page(s) are visited, the domains our visitors come from (e.g., google.com, yahoo.com, etc.), and which browsers people use to access the Service (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, etc.), broad geographical information, and navigation pattern. In particular, Technical Information includes the following, which is created and automatically logged in our systems:

Log data: Information that your browser automatically sends whenever you visit the Site (“log data”). Log data includes your Internet Protocol address, browser type and settings, the date and time of your request, and how you interacted with the Site.

Cookies: Please see the “Cookies” section below to learn more about how we use cookies.

Device information: Includes name of the device, operating system, and browser you are using. Information collected may depend on the type of device you use and its settings.

Usage Information: We collect information about how you use our Service, such as the types of content that you view or engage with, the features you use, the actions you take, and the time, frequency, and duration of your activities.

Cookies: We use cookies to operate and administer our Site, gather usage data on our Site, and improve your experience on it. A “cookie” is a piece of information sent to your browser by a website you visit. Cookies can be stored on your computer for different periods of time. Some cookies expire after a certain amount of time, or upon logging out (session cookies), others survive after your browser is closed until a defined expiration date set in the cookie (as determined by the third party placing it), and help recognize your computer when you open your browser and browse the Internet again (persistent cookies). For more details on cookies please visit All About Cookies.

Analytics: Among other service providers, we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies to help us analyze how users use the Site and enhance your experience when you use the Site. For more information on how Google uses this data, go to www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.

Online Tracking and Do Not Track Signals: We and our third party service providers may use cookies or other tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities over time and across different websites following your use of the Site. Our Site currently does not respond to “Do Not Track” (“DNT”) signals and operates as described in this Privacy Policy whether or not a DNT signal is received. If we do respond to DNT signals in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy to describe how we do so.

Your Choices. On most web browsers, you will find a “help” section on the toolbar. Please refer to this section for information on how to receive a notification when you are receiving a new cookie and how to turn cookies off. Please see the links below for guidance on how to modify your web browser’s settings on the most popular browsers:

Internet Explorer

Mozilla Firefox

Google Chrome

Apple Safari

Please note that if you limit the ability of websites to set cookies, you may be unable to access certain parts of the Site and you may not be able to benefit from the full functionality of the Site.

Advertising networks may use cookies to collect Personal Information. Most advertising networks offer you a way to opt out of targeted advertising. If you would like to find out more information, please visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s online resources at http://www.networkadvertising.org and follow the opt-out instructions there.

If you access the Site on your mobile device, you may not be able to control tracking technologies through the settings.

HOW WE USE PERSONAL INFORMATION
We may use Personal Information for the following purposes:
To provide and administer access to the Service;

To grant access to and track attendance at our events;

To inform you about services or events we believe might be of interest to you;

To administer promotions and surveys you choose to participate in, as required by applicable law (for example, to provide a winners list or make required filings), or in accordance with the rules of the promotion or survey;

To respond to your inquiries, comments, feedback, or questions;

To send administrative information to you, for example, information regarding the Service and changes to our terms, conditions, and policies;

To analyze how you interact with our Service;

To maintain and improve the content and functionality of the Service;

To develop new programs and services;

To prevent fraud, criminal activity, or misuses of our Service, and to ensure the security of our IT systems, architecture, and networks; and

To comply with legal obligations and legal process and to protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property, and/or that of our affiliates, you, or other third parties.

Aggregated Information. We may aggregate Personal Information and use the aggregated information to analyze the effectiveness of our Service, to improve and add features to our Service, and for other similar purposes. In addition, from time to time, we may analyze the general behavior and characteristics of users of our Services and share aggregated information like general user statistics with prospective business partners. We may collect aggregated information through the Service, through cookies, and through other means described in this Privacy Policy.

SHARING AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
In certain circumstances we may share your Personal Information with third parties without further notice to you, unless required by the law, as set forth below:
Vendors and Service Providers: To assist us in meeting business operations needs and to perform certain services and functions, we may share Personal Information with vendors and service providers, including providers of hosting services, cloud services, and other information technology services providers, event management services, email communication software and email newsletter services, advertising and marketing services, and web analytics services. Pursuant to our instructions, these parties will access, process, or store Personal Information in the course of performing their duties to us.

Business Transfers: If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing due diligence, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, sale of all or a portion of our assets, or transition of service to another provider (collectively a “Transaction”), your Personal Information and other information may be shared in the diligence process with counterparties and others assisting with the Transaction and transferred to a successor or affiliate as part of that Transaction along with other assets.

Legal Requirements: If required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to (i) comply with a legal obligation, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements, (ii) protect and defend our rights or property, (iii) prevent fraud, (iv) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the Services, or the public, or (v) protect against legal liability.

Affiliates: We may share Personal Information with our affiliates, meaning an entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with Texonica. Our affiliates may use the Personal Information we share in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.