What we hold,why we hold it,and for how long.

This policy explains what personal data Catalysis23 collects, why we collect it, who sees it, how long we keep it, and what your rights are. It applies to visitors to our website, applicants, participants and alumni of our programmes, Catalysts (mentors and partners), and anyone else who contacts us.

• 01We collect what we need to run applications, programmes and community, and no more.
• 02Our programmes are public by design. Some of what you do in one, including video of you, will be published. Section 5 explains how and what control you keep.
• 03We do not sell personal data. Sponsors and partners do not receive your personal data unless you agree.
• 04You can access, correct or erase your data, and withdraw consent, by writing to us.

In short — for convenience only. The full policy below applies.

Catalysis23 is an early-stage venture firm. It is operated by Nikhil Srinath S, trading as Catalysis23, of Plot 40, Muthukumaran Nagar 2nd Street, Redhills, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600052 (Catalysis23, we, us). For the personal data described in this policy, we decide why and how it is processed. Under Indian law we are the Data Fiduciary.

Contact: team.catalysis23@gmail.com. Our Grievance Officer is named in section 17.

This policy is written to comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the rules made under it, and the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules made under it, as in force from time to time. Section 16 has additional information for people in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom.

We do not ask for information about your religion, caste, sexual orientation, political views or similar characteristics. Please do not send it to us.

• From you, directly: forms, interviews, emails, sessions and recordings.
• From your public profiles and links that you give us, such as your LinkedIn or GitHub, when we review an application.
• From our service providers and tools, such as our payment provider and website analytics.
• From Catalysts, teammates and Partners, when they give us feedback or references about you in connection with a programme.

We process personal data with your consent, or where the law allows another lawful basis, such as where you voluntarily give us data for a stated purpose and have not objected, or where we must comply with the law. We use it to:

• review applications, run interviews, make selection decisions and manage waitlists. Selection decisions are made by people;
• confirm seats, take payment and give refunds;
• run programmes: schedule sessions, connect teams with Catalysts, track milestones, keep the points ledger and give awards;
• document programmes, and publish and promote them (section 5);
• record outcomes, such as launches, users and revenue, to report on what programmes achieved and to maintain our track record;
• keep in touch with alumni and build our community;
• send you service messages, and marketing only where you have agreed;
• keep our website secure, prevent misuse and fix problems;
• keep accounts and comply with tax, accounting and other legal duties; and
• respond to your questions, requests and complaints.

We do not use your data for behavioural advertising, and we do not sell it.

Our programmes are public by design. Checkpoints, launches and Demo Day may be livestreamed or published, and we make films and short clips of programmes. If you take part, images, video and audio of you will be recorded and some of it will be published on our channels and, in agreed cases, those of Partners and Catalysts, as set out in our Terms.

You keep these controls:

• Off the record. You may ask for a session or conversation to be treated as off the record. If we agree, we do not publish it.
• Confession Booth. These recordings are private. We release a recording only after the relevant checkpoint has resolved, and you can veto the release of any clip about you before it is published. Vetoed clips are not published.
• Withdrawing consent and removal. You can withdraw your consent to future use, and ask us to remove published content that features you, by writing to us. We will remove it from channels we control within 30 days of a valid request. We cannot recall copies that others have already downloaded, shared or reposted, and we are not required to re-edit films already distributed.
• Accuracy. We show what happened accurately and in context, and we do not knowingly publish false statements about you.

• Service providers that process data for us, such as website hosting, form and email tools, cloud storage, video conferencing and livestreaming, editing and analytics tools, and payment providers. They may use the data only to provide their service to us.
• Catalysts working with your team. We share only what they need to help you, such as your name, team, product and progress. They are expected to keep it confidential.
• Partners and sponsors. We do not give them your personal data unless you agree. If a Partner offers you credits or tools, you will be asked whether to share your details with them. We may share aggregated or anonymised information, such as the number of teams that used a tool.
• Investors, incubators and other introductions. Only when you ask us to make an introduction or you agree to one.
• The public, through published Programme Content and public results, as described in section 5.
• Professional advisers, such as lawyers, accountants and auditors, under a duty of confidentiality.
• Authorities, where the law requires it or where it is needed to protect rights, safety or security.
• A successor. If our business is reorganised or transferred to a successor entity, your data may pass to it, and it will be bound by this policy. We will notify you.

We do not sell personal data.

If you give us personal data about another person, such as a teammate, a referee or a user you interviewed, you should have the right and their permission to do so. We use it only for the reason you gave it to us.

Some of our service providers store or process data outside India. Where that happens we take reasonable steps to make sure the data stays protected, and we transfer data only to places and providers that the law does not restrict. If we publish content, it can be viewed anywhere in the world.

We may keep data for longer where the law requires it, or where we need it to establish, exercise or defend legal claims. When we no longer need data, we delete it or anonymise it.

We use reasonable security safeguards, including access controls, limiting access to the people who need it, and secure storage for the systems we use. No system is perfectly secure. If there is a personal data breach that affects you, we will notify you and the relevant authority as the law requires.

Under Indian law you have the right to:

• access a summary of the personal data we hold about you and how it is processed;
• correct, complete or update your personal data;
• erase your personal data, where we no longer need it for the purpose or for a legal requirement;
• withdraw consent at any time. It is as easy to withdraw as it was to give. Withdrawal does not affect processing done before it, and we may still keep data we need to keep by law;
• grievance redressal: to complain to us and have your complaint addressed; and
• nominate another person to exercise your rights if you die or become unable to do so.

To use any of these, write to the address in section 17. We may ask you to verify your identity first. We aim to respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied after using our grievance process, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India.

Our website and programmes are for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If we learn we have, we will delete it.

We use cookies and similar technologies that are essential for the website to work. Where the law requires your consent, we use analytics cookies only if you agree, to understand how the website is used. Embedded content, such as YouTube videos, may set its own cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect how the website works.

We publish on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and Product Hunt. When you interact with our content there, the platform's own privacy policy applies. We are not responsible for how those platforms handle your data. Our website may also link to other sites we do not control.

We may update this policy. We will change the effective date and, for material changes, notify you by email or on the website. If we need your consent for a new use, we will ask for it first.

We may process your data on these legal bases: your consent (for example, for media and marketing), our need to take steps at your request or perform an agreement with you (for example, your participation in a programme), our legitimate interests in running, documenting and improving our programmes and community where these are not outweighed by your rights, and compliance with legal obligations.

You have the rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict and object to processing, to data portability, to withdraw consent at any time, and to complain to your local data protection authority. Where we transfer your data outside the EEA or UK, we use appropriate safeguards where required. To exercise a right, contact us using section 17.

For any question, request or complaint about this policy or your personal data, contact:

• Officer: name of Grievance Officer
• Email: team.catalysis23@gmail.com
• Address: registered address

We will acknowledge your message within 48 hours and aim to resolve it within 30 days.