Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

ADVALEND ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, use our platform, or apply for funding through our services.

We provide business funding solutions powered by Stripe Capital. This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect when you use our website, platform, applications, and other online services (collectively, our "Services").

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By accessing or using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all the terms of this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

We may collect the following types of information when you use our Services:

• Business Information: Legal business name, business address, business phone number, business email address, business tax ID, business entity type, and industry.
• Personal Information: Name, email address, phone number, and other contact details of business owners and authorized representatives.
• Financial Information: Bank account information, payment processing history, sales volume, revenue information, and other financial data necessary to assess funding eligibility.
• Identity Verification Information: Date of birth, Social Security Number (for business owners/guarantors), and government-issued ID for identity verification purposes.
• Account Information: Username, password, and other security information used to access our platform.
• Communications: Information you provide when you contact us for customer support, respond to surveys, or communicate with us in any way.

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically

When you use our Services, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

• Device Information: Information about your device, including IP address, device type, operating system, browser type, and device identifiers.
• Usage Information: Information about how you use our Services, including pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, and actions taken within our platform.
• Location Information: General location information based on your IP address.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect information about your interactions with our Services. See our Cookie Policy section for more details.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third parties, including:

• Business Partners: Information from our business partners, including Stripe, when you apply for funding through our platform.
• Credit Bureaus and Financial Data Providers: Business credit information and financial data to assess funding eligibility.
• Identity Verification Services: Information to verify your identity and prevent fraud.
• Public Sources: Publicly available information about your business, such as business registrations, public filings, and social media profiles.

3. How We Use Your Information

We may use the information we collect for various purposes, including to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our Services
• Process and evaluate funding applications
• Facilitate funding disbursements and repayments
• Verify your identity and prevent fraud
• Communicate with you about your account, our Services, and promotional offers
• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• Monitor and analyze usage patterns and trends
• Enhance the security of our Services
• Comply with legal obligations
• Enforce our terms, conditions, and policies
• For other purposes with your consent

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with the following categories of third parties:

• Service Providers: Third-party vendors who provide services on our behalf, such as hosting, data analysis, payment processing, customer service, email delivery, and fraud prevention.
• Funding Partners: Stripe Capital and other funding partners who provide the capital for business advances.
• Financial Institutions: Banks and financial institutions involved in processing disbursements and repayments.
• Business Partners: Companies we partner with to offer integrated services or joint marketing promotions.
• Professional Advisors: Lawyers, accountants, and other professional advisors when necessary.
• Legal Authorities: Law enforcement, government agencies, and other parties when required by law or to protect our rights.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or a portion of our business.

We may also share aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you with third parties for marketing, advertising, research, or similar purposes.

5. Your Privacy Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• Access: You may request access to the personal information we have collected about you.
• Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Data Portability: You may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Opt-Out: You may opt out of certain uses and disclosures of your personal information.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below. Please note that we may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We maintain compliance with industry standards and regulations regarding data security, including PCI DSS for payment information. We regularly review and update our security practices to enhance protection of your information.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. The criteria used to determine our retention periods include:

• The length of time we have an ongoing relationship with you
• Legal obligations to which we are subject
• Whether retention is advisable in light of our legal position (such as for statutes of limitations, litigation, or regulatory investigations)

8. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect information about your interactions with our Services. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us improve our Services and your experience, see which areas and features of our Services are popular, and count visits.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the operation of our website and platform.
• Analytical/Performance Cookies: Allow us to recognize and count the number of visitors and see how visitors move around our website.
• Functionality Cookies: Used to recognize you when you return to our website.
• Targeting Cookies: Record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited, and the links you have followed.

Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually set your browser to remove or reject cookies. Please note that removing or rejecting cookies could affect the availability and functionality of our Services.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will promptly delete that information.

10. International Data Transfers

We may transfer your personal information to countries other than the country in which you initially provided the information. These countries may not have the same data protection laws as the country in which you initially provided the information. When we transfer your personal information to other countries, we will protect that information as described in this Privacy Policy and in accordance with applicable law.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time in response to changing legal, technical, or business developments. When we update our Privacy Policy, we will take appropriate measures to inform you, consistent with the significance of the changes we make. We will obtain your consent to any material Privacy Policy changes if and where this is required by applicable data protection laws.

You can see when this Privacy Policy was last updated by checking the "Last Updated" date displayed at the top of this Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at: