Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to:

• Visitors to our website and related landing pages;
• Individuals who register for tickets, passes, hackathon teams, pitch applications, volunteer roles, or sponsor/partner programs;
• Attendees, speakers, mentors, judges, sponsors, exhibitors, and other participants at Founders' Fest: What The Tech! Edition;
• Anyone who contacts us by email, forms, or social channels about the Event.

This policy does not cover third-party websites, apps, or services linked from our site (for example, registration platforms or payment providers). Those services have their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to review them before submitting information.

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us. We may collect the following categories of personal information:

• Identity and contact information — full name, email address, phone number, postal or billing address, organization or college name, job title or role, social or professional profile links you choose to provide, and government-issued ID details only where required for venue access, verification, or compliance.
• Registration and participation data — ticket or pass type, track or program selections (including hackathon, pitching, expo, or mentorship activities), team name and members, startup or project descriptions, résumés or portfolios you submit, application essays, demo links, GitHub or product URLs, and responses to custom registration questions.
• Event operations and preferences — dietary restrictions, accessibility needs, emergency contact details, t-shirt or merchandise size, travel or accommodation notes you voluntarily share, check-in status, badge information, and survey or feedback responses.
• Communications — content of emails, messages, or support requests you send us, plus related metadata (such as date, channel, and topic).
• Payment-related information — transaction identifiers, payment status, and limited billing details. Payment card data is typically processed directly by our payment or registration partners; we do not intentionally store full card numbers on our servers.
• Technical and usage data — IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, session duration, click patterns, and approximate geographic location derived from your connection or device settings.
• Media captured at the Event — photographs, video, audio recordings, livestreams, and screenshots taken by us, our contractors, or authorized media partners in public Event areas, which may incidentally include your image, voice, or likeness.

Where required by law, we will indicate which fields are mandatory and which are optional. If you choose not to provide required information, we may be unable to process your registration or provide certain Services.

We collect information through:

• Forms and registration flows on our website or third-party event platforms (such as Luma or similar tools);
• Direct email or messaging to our team;
• On-site registration desks, check-in, and Event interactions;
• Cookies, pixels, and similar technologies on our website (see Section 8);
• Partners, sponsors, or educational institutions that refer or coordinate group attendance, where you have authorized such sharing;
• Public sources, such as professional profiles, only where relevant to speaker, sponsor, or program vetting and permitted by law.

We use personal information for legitimate Event-related purposes, including to:

• Process registrations, applications, payments, and waitlist management;
• Communicate confirmations, schedules, venue instructions, safety notices, and operational updates;
• Operate hackathon, pitching, expo, mentorship, and networking programs you sign up for;
• Verify eligibility, prevent fraud, and enforce our Terms & Conditions and code of conduct;
• Provide customer support and respond to inquiries;
• Improve our website, programs, and attendee experience through analytics and feedback;
• Produce Event photography, video, highlight reels, and promotional materials;
• Send marketing communications about Founders' Fest, future editions, or carefully selected partner offerings where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent;
• Comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and protect the rights, safety, and security of attendees, staff, and the public.

Where applicable law requires a legal basis for processing personal information, we rely on one or more of the following: your consent; performance of a contract or steps prior to entering a contract (such as registration); our legitimate interests in operating a safe, well-run innovation event; compliance with legal obligations; and protection of vital interests or public interest where relevant.

If you are located in India, we process personal data in accordance with applicable Indian law, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and rules thereunder, as they come into force and apply to our processing activities.

We do not sell your personal information. We may share personal information with:

• Service providers — companies that help us with registration, email delivery, website hosting, analytics, payment processing, badge printing, survey tools, or Event logistics, under contracts that require confidentiality and appropriate security;
• Venue and campus partners — BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus and related facilities, to the extent needed for access control, safety, and operations;
• Program partners and sponsors — where you register for sponsor-hosted sessions, hiring lounges, challenges, or perks and have been informed that certain details will be shared for delivery of those experiences;
• Judges, mentors, and selection committees — limited application materials needed to evaluate hackathon, pitch, or award submissions;
• Professional advisors — lawyers, accountants, or insurers where necessary for compliance or risk management;
• Authorities — law enforcement, regulators, or courts when required by law, legal process, or to protect rights and safety.

We may also share aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you.

Our Services may integrate with or link to third-party platforms. For example, registration may be handled through event ticketing tools, videos may be embedded from third-party hosts, and our site may use analytics or content delivery services. Information you provide on those platforms is governed by their privacy policies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties, but we select providers with care and limit data sharing to what is needed for the Event.

Our website may use cookies, local storage, pixels, and similar technologies to remember preferences, maintain sessions, measure traffic, and understand how visitors use our pages. These technologies may collect technical data such as IP address, browser type, and interaction patterns.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Blocking or deleting cookies may affect certain site features. Where required by law, we will obtain consent before placing non-essential cookies.

Founders' Fest: What The Tech! Editionis a public-facing community and innovation event. By attending, you understand that photography, video recording, and livestreaming may occur in common areas. We may use captures that include attendees, speakers, or teams for Event archives, websites, social media, sponsor recaps, and future promotion of Founders' Fest programs.

If you have concerns about specific uses of your image, contact us before or during the Event where possible. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate documented objections that do not unduly impair Event operations or prior commitments to partners and media.

With your consent where required, we may send emails or messages about schedules, program updates, surveys, and Founders' Fest news. You may opt out of promotional emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link in a message or by contacting us. Even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send transactional or operational messages related to your registration or safety.

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, including Event operations, financial and tax record-keeping, dispute resolution, enforcement of agreements, and legal compliance. Typical retention periods include:

• Registration and participation records — for the Event cycle and a reasonable period afterward (often up to three years unless a longer period is required by law or ongoing programs);
• Marketing consents and preferences — until you withdraw consent or we no longer use the channel, plus a short archival period to honor your choices;
• Security and access logs — for a limited period aligned with security best practices;
• Event media — for promotional and archival purposes, which may extend beyond the Event unless you obtain a specific removal agreement.

When information is no longer needed, we delete, anonymize, or aggregate it where feasible.

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights to:

• Access personal information we hold about you;
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Request deletion, subject to legal exceptions;
• Withdraw consent where processing is consent-based;
• Object to or restrict certain processing;
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, where applicable.

To exercise these rights, email hello@foundersfest.org with the subject line "Privacy Request — What The Tech!". We may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within timelines required by applicable law.

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. Measures may include access controls, encryption in transit where supported by our providers, and staff training.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please use strong passwords and protect your account credentials on third-party registration platforms.

Founders' Fest: What The Tech! Edition is organized from India. If you access our Services from outside India, you understand that your information may be transferred to, stored in, or processed in India and other countries where our service providers operate. Those countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your jurisdiction. Where required, we take steps designed to ensure appropriate safeguards for cross-border transfers.

Our Services are intended for participants who meet the age requirements stated for their track. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16 without appropriate parental or guardian consent where required by law. If you believe we have collected information from a child in error, contact us promptly so we can take appropriate steps to delete it.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or Event operations. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised. Material changes will be posted on this page; where required by law, we will provide additional notice. Continued use of the Services after an update constitutes your acknowledgment of the revised policy where permitted by law.

For privacy questions, data requests, or concerns about this policy, contact:

• General & privacy inquiries: hello@foundersfest.org
• Sponsorship & partnership: sponsors@foundersfest.org
• Hackathon & program operations: hack@foundersfest.org

Founders' Fest — Founders' Fest: What The Tech! Edition
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, India