Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Fend, Inc. ("Fend," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use the Fend platform at thefend.com (the "Platform").

By using the Platform, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

Account information: When you sign up, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo from Google OAuth. We do not receive or store your Google password.

Profile information: You provide additional details including your headline, bio, expertise tags, LinkedIn URL, Twitter handle, website, and member type (e.g., Founder, Operator, Angel, VC, Advisor).

Company information: If you create or join a company, we collect the company name, description, website, industry, stage, and logo.

Content: We store Showcases and Pilots you create, including titles, descriptions, budget ranges, timelines, and requirements.

Payment information: We use Stripe to process payments. Fend does not directly store your credit card number or bank details. Stripe collects and processes payment information subject to Stripe's privacy policy.

Usage data: We collect basic usage information including pages visited, features used, and timestamps. We do not use third-party tracking or advertising cookies.

Communications: If you contact us or apply to the waitlist, we retain your email address and message content.

We use your information to: (a) operate the Platform and provide our services; (b) display your profile and company in the member directory; (c) display your Showcases and Pilots to other members; (d) process subscription payments and Pilot transaction fees; (e) send transactional emails (waitlist approval, welcome emails, payment receipts); (f) enforce our Terms of Service; and (g) improve the Platform.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your information for targeted advertising. We do not share your information with third parties for their marketing purposes.

Member directory: Your name, headline, bio, expertise, company affiliation, and member type are visible to other Platform members. This is core to the Platform's function as a professional directory.

Showcases and Pilots: Content you publish is visible to all Platform members.

Service providers: We share information with service providers who help us operate the Platform: Stripe (payment processing), Google (authentication), and Resend (transactional email). These providers process your information only on our behalf and under contractual obligations to protect it.

Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or government request.

Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

We use essential cookies only: (a) a session cookie to keep you signed in; and (b) a CSRF token cookie for security. We do not use analytics cookies, advertising cookies, or third-party tracking pixels.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but this will prevent you from signing in to the Platform.

We retain your account and profile information for as long as your account is active. If you cancel your subscription, your profile remains in our database but is no longer visible in the directory.

If you request account deletion, we will delete your personal information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law (e.g., financial records).

Waitlist submissions are retained for up to 12 months for applicants who are not approved.

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including: encrypted data transmission (TLS), secure authentication via Google OAuth, and access controls on our databases.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to: (a) access the personal information we hold about you; (b) correct inaccurate information; (c) delete your information; (d) export your information in a portable format; and (e) object to certain processing of your information.

To exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

California residents: Under the CCPA, you have additional rights including the right to know what information we collect and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.

The Platform is operated from the United States. If you access the Platform from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. By using the Platform, you consent to this transfer.

The Platform is not directed to individuals under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we have collected information from a child, we will delete it promptly.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or through the Platform. Your continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

For privacy-related questions or requests, contact us at [email protected].