Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

BalkanBase.io is operated by Impact Hub doo Beograd.

Company name

Impact Hub doo Beograd

Registered address

Njegoševa 12, Zemun, Serbia

Company number

20502916

Tax ID

105975170

Contact email

balkan.base@impacthub.net

For privacy-related questions, corrections, deletion requests or data access requests, you can contact us at balkan.base@impacthub.net.

2. What BalkanBase.io does

BalkanBase.io is an open startup registry for the Western Balkans. Its purpose is to make startups from Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo easier to discover by investors, partners, ecosystem organisations, media and other relevant stakeholders.

The website contains public startup profiles based on founder submissions, publicly available information, ecosystem partner input and internal verification.

3. What personal data means

Personal data means any information that can identify a natural person directly or indirectly, such as name, email address, phone number, online identifier, location information, professional role or other identifying information.

Processing means any operation performed on personal data, including collection, recording, storage, organisation, use, sharing, correction, deletion or restriction.

4. What information we collect

We may collect the following categories of information.

4.1 Startup profile information

This may include:

• startup name;
• website;
• country;
• stage;
• primary vertical;
• tags;
• company type;
• founded year;
• one-line description;
• public profile description;
• publicly available founder or company information.

Some of this information may be displayed publicly on BalkanBase.io.

4.2 Founder and submitter contact information

When you submit a startup, update a profile or contact us, we may collect:

• your name;
• your email address;
• your role;
• your organisation;
• founder LinkedIn profile;
• founder email;
• additional notes or information you choose to provide.

Founder and submitter contact information is not displayed publicly by default.

4.3 Partner-only information

Some information may be stored as partner-only information. This may include:

• founder contact details;
• fundraising status;
• pitch deck link;
• pitch video link;
• traction information;
• investor materials;
• team information;
• additional company information.

Partner-only information is not displayed publicly on BalkanBase.io. It may be shared only with approved BalkanBase partners under a separate arrangement, and only where an appropriate legal basis or consent exists.

4.4 Internal information

We may keep internal information for moderation, verification, data quality and platform administration, including:

• verification status;
• source of information;
• duplicate check status;
• internal notes;
• profile update history;
• date of last review;
• submission source;
• review status.

This information is used internally and is not displayed publicly.

4.5 Newsletter information

If you subscribe to BalkanBase.io updates, we may collect:

• email address;
• user type or role;
• consent timestamp;
• source of subscription;
• unsubscribe status.

You can unsubscribe at any time.

4.6 Website usage data and cookies

We may collect limited technical and usage data, such as:

• pages visited;
• referral source;
• approximate device and browser information;
• cookie preferences;
• anonymised analytics data, if analytics tools are used.

More information is provided in our Cookie Policy.

5. How we use your information

We use collected information to:

• review startup submissions;
• verify startup profiles;
• publish public startup information;
• keep the registry accurate and up to date;
• respond to corrections, removal requests and inquiries;
• communicate with founders, partners and ecosystem stakeholders;
• send newsletter updates where consent has been given;
• improve website functionality and user experience;
• prevent spam, abuse and inaccurate submissions;
• support ecosystem research, scouting and partner work.

6. Public, partner-only and internal data

BalkanBase.io uses three main visibility levels.

Public data

Public data is visible to all website visitors. This may include startup name, country, stage, vertical, tags, website and public descriptions.

Partner-only data

Partner-only data is not public. It may be made available to approved BalkanBase partners under a separate scouting, research or partnership arrangement.

Partner-only data may include founder contacts, fundraising status, pitch materials, traction information and additional company information.

Internal data

Internal data is used only by the BalkanBase / Impact Hub Belgrade team for verification, quality control, moderation and administration.

We do not intentionally publish private founder contact details, pitch decks, financial information, traction information or internal notes without an appropriate legal basis or consent.

See our Cookie Policy for details on cookies and similar technologies.

7. Legal basis for processing

Depending on the situation, we may process personal data based on:

• consent;
• legitimate interest in operating and maintaining a startup registry;
• performance of a contract or pre-contractual communication;
• compliance with legal obligations;
• protection against misuse, spam or inaccurate submissions.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

8. Data processing and GDPR

BalkanBase.io processes personal data only for defined and legitimate purposes connected to the operation of the registry, startup discovery, ecosystem research, partner communication and platform administration.

Public startup data may be displayed based on founder submission, publicly available sources, ecosystem partner input, verification or legitimate interest in maintaining an open startup registry.

Private founder contact data, pitch materials, fundraising information, traction information and internal notes are not public by default.

Partner-only information may be shared only with approved BalkanBase partners under a separate arrangement and only when an appropriate legal basis or consent exists.

Newsletter data is processed based on consent. You may unsubscribe or withdraw consent at any time.

You may request access, correction, deletion or restriction of your personal data by contacting balkan.base@impacthub.net.

We do not use automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on users.

9. Data sharing

We do not sell personal data.

We may share data only where necessary and appropriate, including with:

• approved BalkanBase partners under a separate arrangement;
• service providers that help us operate the website, forms, database, email, analytics or hosting;
• legal or regulatory authorities if required by law;
• Impact Hub Belgrade team members and authorised collaborators working on BalkanBase.io.

Service providers may process data only for the purposes needed to provide the relevant service.

10. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

Startup profile data may be retained while the startup is relevant to the registry. Contact and submission data may be retained for verification, communication and audit purposes. Newsletter data is retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.

You may request correction or removal of your information at any time.

11. Your rights

Depending on applicable law, you may have the right to:

• access your personal data;
• request correction of inaccurate or outdated data;
• request deletion of your data;
• withdraw consent;
• object to processing;
• request restriction of processing;
• request portability of your data;
• lodge a complaint with a competent authority.

To exercise these rights, contact us at balkan.base@impacthub.net.

12. Corrections and removal of startup profiles

If you are a founder, authorised representative or relevant stakeholder and want to correct or remove a startup profile, contact us at balkan.base@impacthub.net.

Please include:

• startup name;
• your name and role;
• requested correction or removal;
• any supporting information.

We may ask for additional information to verify your authority to request the change.

13. Data security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, loss or unlawful processing.

However, no online system is completely secure. You submit information at your own risk.

14. Third-party links

BalkanBase.io may link to startup websites, partner websites, LinkedIn profiles or other third-party pages. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, accuracy or content of those external websites.

15. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.

16. Contact

For privacy questions, corrections, deletion requests or data access requests, contact:

BalkanBase.io / Impact Hub Belgrade
Email: balkan.base@impacthub.net