Last Updated: June 27, 2023.

Columbia Technology Ventures is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

This Privacy Notice (“Notice”) describes how Columbia Technology Ventures (“Columbia”, “we”, “us” and “our”) collect, use, share, secure, and eventually dispose of (collectively “process”) personal data. Personal data is any information that does, or could, identify you.

This notice applies to all personal data collected by our websites, apps, and products (collectively "services"), and in the course of routine offline business contact with you where we are the data controller. Additional information on our personal data practices may be provided in offer descriptions, supplemental privacy notices or notices provided prior to or at the time of data collection.

Please read this policy carefully to understand how we handle and treat your personal information. 

Who is this notice addressed to?

This notice is addressed primarily to our service users (including visitors to our sites and trial users), supplier representatives, research participants and sales prospects.

It also applies to individuals whose personal data is processed as part of our services. For instance, if you are a publication author, a researcher, a patent holder, a party to an IP dispute or an individual otherwise involved in a such a dispute (e.g. a judge or an attorney), a clinical trials investigator or are otherwise an author of, or contributor to, reports, analysis, articles or other materials available in the public domain, your personal data may be included as content in our services.

Where we collect personal information from

We collect personal data directly from you:

When you use our services, e.g. when you purchase or have access to our services, you are usually required to provide us with your name and email address. You may also be required to provide other information necessary for your use of our services or additional information that you choose to disclose to us, such as your professional details or your user preferences.

When you interact with us, e.g. when you fill in a form online, contact us or request information from us, seek technical support or when you participate in research activities.

Through cookies and similar technologies included in our services, e.g. when you access our services, we collect device and information relating to your usage of our services.

We also collect personal data about you from third parties:

Our partners and service providers, e.g. technology providers involved in connection with your use of our services.

Publicly available sources e.g., technology transfer offices, scientific publications, patent & trademark offices, regulatory agencies, etc.

Our customers, e.g. your employer may provide us with contact information so that we can set up your login credentials.

Other public or paid-for sources, e.g., we may acquire data from public websites, social media or from data suppliers.

What information do we collect?

Columbia Technology Ventures collects data to enable us to operate the Services effectively, and to provide you with the best experiences on our website and our Services. You provide some of this data to us directly, such as when you register to use our Services, subscribe to a newsletter, respond to a survey, make an inquiry through our website, contact us for support, or contact us as a prospective customer, vendor, supplier, or consultant. We get some of your data by recording how you interact with our website and our Services by, for example, using technologies like cookies. We also obtain and process data in the context of providing the Services.

When you are asked to provide personal data, you may decline. But if you choose not to provide data that is necessary to enable us to provide the Services, you may not be able to use all or part of those Services.

The data we collect depends on the context of your interactions with Columbia Technology Ventures, the choices you make (including your privacy settings), and the Services you use. The data we collect can include the following:

• Name and contact information. We may collect your first and last name, email address, password, physical address, organization name, and job title.  
• Payment information. When you make purchases on our website or through an invoice, a secure frame will be opened directly to our payment provider, and any sensitive payment information that you provide is sent directly to the payment provider. We have no access to that information.
• Device and usage information. We may collect data about your device and how you and your device interact with Columbia Technology Ventures and our Services. For example, we may collect:
  • Usage data. We may collect data about the features you use and the Columbia Technology Ventures Services you purchase. This also includes your interactions on our website, and your interactions with us via email.
  • Device, connectivity and configuration data. We may collect data about the browser (e.g. Chrome or Internet Explorer), device, or IP address you use to connect to our Services. 

We do not process personal data about race or ethnicity; political opinions, or religious or philosophical beliefs; trade union membership; or genetic, biometric, health, or sex-life information (“special categories of personal data” as defined by the European Union General Data Protection Regulation). We may occasionally collect personal data that are subject to enhanced security requirements, such as requiring a credit card or government-issued ID to complete a transaction you have requested.

Why do we process your personal data?

Under European privacy law we need to identify a valid reason for using your personal data – known as a “lawful basis for processing”. Generally, we will process your personal data because:

• It is necessary to perform contractual obligations to you: e.g. if you have a contract with us, we process your personal data to perform that contract (i.e. provide you with services or payment).
• It is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party: further details of those legitimate interests are set out below.
• You have given us your consent: we only ask for consent in limited circumstances, e.g. for certain types of marketing communications in particular jurisdictions or for certain research related activities.
• It is necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation, e.g. to respond to a court order or a regulator.

What do we use your information for?

We use the data we collect to operate our business and to provide the Services to you. This includes using the data to improve our Services and to personalize your experiences. We may also use the data to communicate with you to, among other things, inform you about your account, provide security updates, and give you information about the Services. We may also use the data to manage your email subscriptions, improve the relevance and security of our website, respond to user inquiries, send you periodic marketing communications about our Services, and improve the relevance of our advertising.

Providing and improving our Services. We use data to provide and improve the Services we offer, and to perform essential business operations. This includes operating the Services, maintaining and improving the performance of the Services, developing new features, conducting research, and providing customer support. Examples of such uses include the following:

• Providing the Services. We use data to carry out your transactions with us and to provide the Services to you. In certain cases, the Services include personalized features and recommendations that enhance your productivity and enjoyment, and automatically tailor your experience based on the data we have about you.

• Technical support. We use data to diagnose product problems, and to provide other customer care and support services.

• Improving the Services. We use data to continually improve our website and our Services, including system administration, system security, and adding new features or capabilities.

• Business Operations. We use data to develop aggregate analyses and business intelligence that enable us to operate, protect, make informed decisions, and report on the performance of our business.

• Promotions. We may use your data to administer contests, promotions, surveys, or other site features.

• Improving Advertising Campaigns. We may use your data to improve our advertising campaigns, primarily in an effort to prevent targeting of impressions via third-party channels when they are not relevant to you.

• Sending Periodic Emails. We may use your data to send you periodic emails. Depending on the marketing preferences you select on your privacy dashboard, we may send you occasional marketing emails about our products and services, which you can unsubscribe from at any time using the link provided in the message.

• Generally. We use data to respond to your inquiries and requests relating to our Services, to create and administer your accounts, and to provide us with information and access to resources that you have requested from us. We also use data for general business purposes, including, among other things, to improve customer service, to help us improve the content and functionality of our Services, to better understand our users, to protect against wrongdoing, to enforce our Terms of Use, and to generally manage our business.

Communications. We use data we collect to communicate with you, and to personalize our communications with you. For example, we may contact you to inform you when your subscription is ending, to discuss your account, to let you know when updates are available, to remind you about features of the Services that are available for your use, to update you about a support request, or to invite you to participate in a survey. Additionally, you can sign up for email subscriptions, and choose whether you want to receive marketing communications from us.

Who will access your personal data?

Your personal data will, depending on the purposes of processing, be disclosed to different individuals and organizations, including:

• Employees, contractors or affiliates of Columbia Technology Ventures whose roles require access to your data. Our personnel are bound to confidentiality terms which cover their obligations to protect personal data.
• Service providers who process personal data on our behalf (“processors”); for example, Cloud computing providers and web analytics services like Google Analytics and credit card payment processors. Such vendors are contractually bound to protect your data to the same standard as set out in this notice and, in the case of credit card payment processors, to meet the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
• Professional advisors such as legal counsel and information security professionals where reasonably required to protect our rights, users, systems and our services.
• Government agencies, law enforcement, courts and other public authorities where we have a duty to disclose your personal data by law.

How do we protect your information?

We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you enter, submit, or access your personal information.

Do we use cookies?

Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computers hard drive through your Web browser that enables the sites or service providers systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. You can choose to disable cookies, but if you do, your ability to use or access certain parts of our website may be affected.

Do we disclose any information to outside parties?

We share your personal data with your consent, or as necessary to provide the Services to you. We also share your data with vendors working on our behalf; when required by law or to respond to legal process; to protect our customers; to maintain the security of our Services; and to protect our rights or our property.

We also share personal data with vendors or agents working on our behalf for the purposes described in this Policy. For example, companies we have hired to provide cloud hosting services, off-site backups, and customer support may need access to personal data to provide those functions. In such cases, these companies are required to abide by our data privacy and security requirements and are not allowed to use personal data they receive from us for any other purpose. We may disclose your personal data as part of a corporate transaction such as a corporate sale, merger, reorganization, dissolution, or similar event.

Finally, we will access, transfer, disclose, and/or preserve personal data, when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to:

1. comply with applicable law or respond to valid legal process, judicial orders, or subpoenas;

2. respond to requests from public or governmental authorities, including for national security or law enforcement purposes;

3. protect the vital interests of our users, customers, or other third parties (including, for example, to prevent spam or attempts to defraud users of our products, or to help prevent the loss of life or serious injury of anyone);

4. operate and maintain the security of our Services, including to prevent or stop an attack on our computer systems or networks;

5. protect the rights, interests or property of Columbia Technology Ventures or third parties;

6. prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Services; or

7. enforce our Terms of Use.

We may use and share aggregated non-personal information with third parties for marketing, advertising, and analytics purposes.

We do not sell or trade your personal information to third parties.

How to control your personal data

If you believe you have a right under applicable to access, modify or delete your personal data, you can submit your request to .

You can choose whether you wish to receive marketing communications from us. If you receive marketing communications from us and would like to opt out, you can do so by following the directions in that communication. Alternatively, you can request that we withdraw consent to use your personal data by submitting an email to  with the subject “Please withdraw my consent.” Columbia Technology Ventures will make reasonable efforts to verify your request. Please note that these choices do not apply to mandatory communications that are part of the Services, or to surveys or other informational communications that have their own unsubscribe method.

Third party links

Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third party products or services on our website or through our Services. If you access other websites using the links provided, the operators of these websites may collect information from you that will be used by them in accordance with their privacy policies. These third party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We, therefore, have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.

Where we store and process personal data; international transfers

Personal data collected by Columbia Technology Ventures may be stored and processed in the United States or in any other country where Columbia Technology Ventures or its affiliates, subsidiaries or service providers maintain facilities. The storage location(s) are chosen in order to operate efficiently, to improve performance, and to create redundancies in order to protect the data in the event of an outage or other problem. We take steps to ensure that the data we collect is processed according to the provisions of this Policy, and the requirements of applicable law wherever the data is located.

We transfer personal data from the European Economic Area and Switzerland to other countries, some of which have not been determined by the European Commission to have an adequate level of data protection. When we engage in such transfers, we use a variety of legal mechanisms, including contracts, to help ensure your rights and protections travel with your data. To learn more about the European Commission's decisions on the adequacy of the protection of personal data in the countries where Columbia Technology Ventures processes personal data, please visit: ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/data-transfers-outside-eu/adequacy-protection-personal-data-non-eu-countries_en

Data retention

We may retain your personal information as long as you continue to use the Services, have an account with us, or for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in the policy. You can ask to close your account by emailing us at , and we will delete your personal information on request.

We may, however, retain personal information for an additional period as is permitted or required under applicable laws, for legal, tax, or regulatory reasons, or for legitimate and lawful business purposes.

We will retain your personal data for as long as necessary to provide the Services to you, or for other essential purposes such as complying with our legal obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements. Because these needs can vary for different types of data in the context of the different Services we provide, actual retention periods can vary.

Processing personal data about children

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of thirteen (13), and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13. If you are under 13, please do not attempt to register for services or send any personal data about yourself to us.

California Online Privacy Protection Act compliance

Because we value your privacy we have taken the necessary precautions to be in compliance with the California Online Privacy Protection Act.

As part of the California Online Privacy Protection Act, all users of our site may make any changes to their information at anytime by logging into their control panel and going to the ‘Edit Profile' page.

Changes to our privacy policy

We will update this privacy statement when necessary to reflect customer feedback and changes in our Services. When we post changes to this statement, we will revise the “last updated” date at the top of the statement. We encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to learn how Columbia Technology Ventures is protecting your information.

How to contact us

If you have a technical or support question, please contact us by sending us an email at .

If you have a privacy concern, complaint or a question, please contact us by sending us an email at . We will respond to questions or concerns within 30 days.