Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Welcome to the Ko website (including all subdomains, the “Site”), which is operated by Ko Center Co. and its affiliates (collectively, “Ko,” “we”, “us” and/or “our”). 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, forums for discussions about topics relevant to startups, and profiles of founders and companies who have participated any of the Ko programs. This Privacy Policy sets forth Ko’s policy with respect to personally identifiable data (“Personal Data”) and certain other information that is collected from users of the Site.

Information We Collect

When you interact with us through the Site, we may collect Personal Data and other information from you, as further described below:

Personal Data That You Provide Through the Site: We collect Personal Data from you when you voluntarily provide such information, such as when you contact us with inquiries, register an account with us or submit an application to us.

By voluntarily providing us with Personal Data, you are consenting to our use of it in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you provide Personal Data to us, you acknowledge and agree that such Personal Data may be transferred from your current location to the offices and servers of Ko Center Co. and the authorized third parties referred to herein located in the United States.

Other Information

Non-Identifiable Data: When you interact with Ko through the Site, we receive and store certain personally non-identifiable information. Such information cannot presently be used to specifically identify you. Ko may store such information itself or such information may be included in databases owned and maintained by Ko affiliates, agents or service providers. We may use such information and pool it with other information to track, for example, the characteristics of businesses that apply to or are accepted by Ko, and we may publish or otherwise disclose such aggregated information.

Aggregated Personal Data: In an ongoing effort to better understand and serve the users of the Site, Ko may conduct research on the characteristics of such users, including but not limited to user demographics, interests and behavior based on the Personal Data and other information provided to us. This research may be compiled and analyzed on an aggregate basis, and Ko may publish or otherwise disclose such aggregated information. This aggregate information does not identify you personally.

Analytics and Tracking Technologies: We may, and we may allow third party service providers to, use cookies or similar technologies to collect information about your browsing activities over time and across different websites following your use of the Site. For example, 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/.

On most web browsers, you will find a “help” section on the toolbar. Please refer to this section for information on how to receive notification when you are receiving a new cookie and how to turn cookies off. We recommend that you leave cookies turned on because they allow you to take advantage of some of the Site’s features.

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 so in the future, we will describe how we do so in this Privacy Policy.

Our Use of Your Personal Data and Other Information

Ko uses the Personal Data you provide in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy. If you provide Personal Data for a certain reason, we may use the Personal Data in connection with the reason for which it was provided or for other Ko-related purposes. For instance (but without limitation):

• If you provide Personal Data in order to create a username and profile, we will use your Personal Data to provide you with access to such those components of the Site that require a username (including the Ko application process and the Ko Newsletter), to administer your access to the Site (e.g., sending a replacement password to the email address you provided to us) and to monitor your use of the Site.
• If you provide Personal Data to attend an event, we will use your Personal Data to give you access to that event and track the attendees of the event.
• If you are an investor and are signing up to attend a Demo Day, you will be asked to provide certain Personal Data and other information that we will use to manage and administer your participation in Demo Day-related activities (e.g., collecting and ranking your likes, scheduling meetings with companies, etc.).

Ko may also use your Personal Data and other personally non-identifiable information collected through the Site to help us manage and administer the Site (e.g., to moderate forums, detect or prevent vote fraud, etc.), improve the Site, better understand our users and improve the Ko programs. Please note that when we refer to your username in this Privacy Policy, such username may be your Hacker News ID or another username that you are permitted to create in connection with the Site, depending on the circumstances.

Our Disclosure of Your Personal Data and Other Information

In addition to the disclosures described above, there are certain circumstances in which we may share your Personal Data with certain third parties without further notice to you, as set forth below:

Business Transfers: In the event of a sale, merger, reorganization, dissolution or similar event, Personal Data may be part of the transferred assets.

Related Companies: Ko is comprised of a variety of entities, and we may share your Personal Data with those various entities for purposes consistent with this Privacy Policy.

Agents, Contractors and Other Third Parties: Ko, like many businesses, sometimes hires others to perform certain functions. Examples of such functions include mailing information and maintaining databases. When we employ or engage others to perform a function of this nature, we only provide them with the information that they need to perform their specific function under appropriate confidentiality obligations.

Legal Requirements: Ko may disclose your Personal Data 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, (ii) protect and defend the rights or property of Ko or individuals associated with Ko, (iii) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the Site or the public, or (iv) protect against legal liability.

Your Profile

If you create a username for the Site, please also note that your username, how long ago you created your account, your karma, and any information included in the “About” field in your profile (including stories, favorites, comments associated with your username and any information you include in that field) will be viewable by the public in your publicly accessible profile page. Please note that we have no obligation to delete any of stories, favorites or comments listed in your profile or otherwise remove their association with your profile or username.

Your Choices

You can visit the Site without providing any Personal Data. If you choose not to provide any Personal Data, you may not be able to use certain components of the Site.

Exclusions

This Privacy Policy does not apply to any Personal Data collected by Ko other than Personal Data collected through the Site. In addition, this Privacy Policy shall not apply to any information that we do not directly solicit from you that you provide to Ko through the Site or through any other means. This includes, but is not limited to, information posted to any public areas of the Site (such as comments or information posted in discussion forums), information provided to Ko or any Ko personnel or members by email or through the Contact page on the Site, information provided through social media platforms, information that you otherwise provide in connection with the Site outside of our application process or user profile creation process, and other unsolicited submissions (collectively, “Unsolicited Information”). All Unsolicited Information shall be deemed to be non-confidential and Ko shall be free to reproduce, use, disclose, and distribute such Unsolicited Information to others without limitation or attribution.

Links to Other Web Sites

This Privacy Policy applies only to the Site. The Site may contain links to other web sites not operated or controlled by Ko (the “Third Party Sites”). The policies and procedures we describe here do not apply to the Third Party Sites. The links from the Site do not imply that Ko endorses or has reviewed the Third Party Sites. We suggest contacting those sites directly for information on their privacy policies.

Security

Ko takes reasonable steps to protect the Personal Data provided via the Site from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no Internet or email transmission is ever fully secure or error free. In particular, email sent to or from the Site may not be secure. Therefore, you should take special care in deciding what information you send to us via email. Please keep this in mind when disclosing any Personal Data to Ko via the Internet.

Other Terms and Conditions

Your access to and use of the Site is subject to the Terms of Use. In addition, certain components of the Site (e.g., applications to Ko) may have additional sub-policies that apply to such components of the Site, and we will provide such sub-policies within the user interface for such components.

Changes to Ko’s Privacy Policy

The Site and our operations may change from time to time. As a result, at times it may be necessary for Ko to make changes to this Privacy Policy. Ko reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time and from time to time without prior notice. Please review this policy periodically, and especially before you provide any Personal Data. This Privacy Policy was last updated on the date indicated above. Your continued use of the Site after any changes or revisions to this Privacy Policy shall indicate your agreement with the terms of such revised Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy was last updated on November 5, 2020.

Access to Information; Contacting Ko

To keep your Personal Data accurate, current, and complete, please contact us as specified below. We will take reasonable steps to update or correct Personal Data in our possession that you have previously submitted via the Site.

Please also feel free to contact us if you have any questions about Ko’s Privacy Policy or the information practices of the Site.

You may contact us at: legal@ko.is