Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 18 April 2026

Fndr Circle (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is a product of Hoja Digital. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled in a safe and responsible manner, in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and other applicable data protection laws.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the Fndr Circle mobile application and website (the “Service”), including data collected through analytics and session recording tools like PostHog.

1. Information We Collect

a. Personal Information

When you create an account or use our Service, we may collect:
- Full name
- Email address
- Profile information (e.g., founder details, startup stage, industry interests)
- Marketing preferences and consent status

b. Usage Data

We may collect information about how you interact with the app, including:
- Pages or features viewed
- Time spent in the app
- Actions taken within the app (e.g., saving opportunities)
- Session recordings via PostHog (clicks, scrolls, navigation)

c. Device Information

We may collect:
- Device type
- Operating system
- Unique device identifiers

d. Analytics Data

We use tools such as PostHog and Firebase Analytics to understand user behavior and improve the Service. Session recordings are anonymized — meaning that sensitive personal data like names, emails, and payment details are not captured. Recordings are used only to see user interactions and patterns.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:
- Provide and maintain the Service
- Send you curated weekly startup opportunities and high-signal intelligence
- Personalize your experience based on your founder profile
- Improve app functionality and performance
- Monitor usage and detect technical issues
- Analyze session recordings to enhance user experience
- Communicate important updates, security alerts, or promotional marketing where consent has been provided

3. Marketing and Communications

With your explicit consent, we may use your email address to send you newsletters, marketing materials, and other information regarding startup opportunities.

Opt-out: You may opt-out of receiving any, or all, of these communications from us by following the unsubscribe link or instructions provided in any email we send, or by updating your preferences within the app settings.

4. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal data.

We may share information with:
- Service providers (e.g., PostHog, Firebase, email delivery services, hosting providers)
- Legal authorities if required by law

5. Data Storage and Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information. Your data may be stored on secure servers provided by third-party services such as PostHog and Firebase.

Session recordings are anonymized and stored securely. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

6. User Consent

By using Fndr Circle, you consent to the collection and processing of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. Marketing communications are sent only to users who have provided explicit opt-in consent during onboarding or in their profile settings.

7. Your Rights

Under POPIA and other data protection laws, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data
- Object to the processing of your data
- Opt-out of analytics tracking or marketing communications

To make a request, contact us at the email below.

8. Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary to provide the Service and fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy. Anonymized session recordings may be stored for analytics purposes for a limited period.

9. Third-Party Services

Our Service uses third-party tools, including:
- PostHog (session recording, analytics)
- Firebase (authentication, analytics, database)

These services have their own privacy policies which we encourage you to review.

10. Children's Privacy

Fndr Circle is not intended for individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, you can contact our Information Officer at:

Email: legal@hojadigital.co.za
Company: Hoja Digital

By using Fndr Circle, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.