Privacy Policy
Written in plain English on purpose. This is what we collect when you use meluvianetwork.com, why we collect it, who sees it, and how to make us correct or delete it.
Who we are
Meluvia Network ("Meluvia", "we") runs a curated founder–investor network from South Africa. For the purposes of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) we are the responsible party for the information described on this page, and for the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) we are the controller. You can reach us at bryce@meluvianetwork.com.
What we collect
Information you give us
When you apply as a founder or register as an investor, we collect what you type into the form. For founders that is typically your name, email address, company name, where you're based, funding stage, sector, LinkedIn profile, a description of what you're building, how much you're looking to raise, and anything else you choose to tell us. For investors it is typically your name, email address, organisation or fund, investor type, typical cheque size, geography, LinkedIn profile, sectors and stages of interest, a short introduction, and notable portfolio companies if you share them.
If you email us, we keep the correspondence.
Information collected automatically
We do not set cookies, and we do not run analytics or advertising trackers on this site. Our hosting provider keeps standard server logs, including IP addresses, for security and reliability. The site loads its typefaces from Google Fonts, which means Google receives your IP address when the fonts are requested.
Why we use it
- To assess your application or registration. A person reads every one.
- To verify who you are. A light-touch check, mostly your LinkedIn profile and a short conversation.
- To make introductions. This is the point of the network. We share relevant details about you with a member on the other side of the table only when we are making an introduction, and only after confirming with you first.
- To communicate with you about your application, your membership and the network. We don't add you to marketing lists.
- To keep records of who is in the network and which introductions have been made.
Under GDPR our legal bases are your consent (the box you tick when you submit a form, which you can withdraw at any time) and our legitimate interest in running a vetted network. Under POPIA we process your information with your consent and because it is necessary to provide the service you have asked us for.
Who sees it
We don't sell personal information, and we don't share it with anyone for their own marketing. The people and services that do handle it are:
- Members we introduce you to. Only what is relevant to the introduction, and only with your agreement.
- Web3Forms, which delivers your form submission to our inbox.
- Google Workspace, which hosts our email.
- Railway, which hosts this website.
These providers may store information outside South Africa, including in the United States and the European Union. We rely on their contractual and security commitments to protect it.
How long we keep it
We keep your information while your application is being considered, while you are a member, and for a reasonable period afterwards so that we can maintain a record of the introductions we have made. If you ask us to delete it, we will, unless we have a legal reason to keep a specific record.
Your rights
- Tell you what personal information we hold about you.
- Correct anything that is wrong or out of date.
- Delete your information.
- Stop using it for a particular purpose, or withdraw your consent altogether.
- Give you a copy in a portable format.
Email bryce@meluvianetwork.com and we will respond within a month. If you are not satisfied with how we handle your request, you can complain to South Africa's Information Regulator, or to the data protection authority in your own country if you are in the EU or UK.
A few other things
Meluvia is for adults building or backing businesses. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.
We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your information, including serving this site over HTTPS and limiting who can access submissions. No system is perfectly secure, and we will tell you promptly if something goes wrong that affects you.
If we change this policy we will update this page and the date at the top. If a change materially affects how we use information you have already given us, we will tell you directly.
Contact
Questions about this policy or about your information: bryce@meluvianetwork.com.