Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy was last updated on April 1, 2019.

Our Policy

Welcome to the website (the “Site”) of Foundation Capital, LLC (“Foundation Capital”, “we”, “us” and/or “our”). This Site is operated by Foundation Capital and has been created to provide information about our venture capital firm and related services to our Site visitors (“you”, “your”). This Privacy Policy sets forth Foundation Capital’s policy with respect to information including personally identifiable data (“Personal Data”) and other information that is collected from visitors to the Site.

Information We Collect

When you interact with us through the Site, we may collect Personal Data and other information from you, as further described below:

Personal Data That You Provide Through the Site

We collect Personal Data from you when you voluntarily provide such information, such as when you request to receive our newsletter or other information or contact us with inquiries. Wherever Foundation Capital collects Personal Data we make an effort to provide a link to this Privacy Policy.

By voluntarily providing us with Personal Data, you are consenting to our use of it in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you provide Personal Data to the Site, you acknowledge and agree that such Personal Data may be transferred from your current location to the offices and servers of Foundation Capital and the authorized third parties referred to herein located in the United States.

Other Information

Non-Identifiable Data: When you interact with Foundation Capital through the Site, we receive and store certain personally non-identifiable information. Such information, which is collected passively using various technologies, cannot presently be used to specifically identify you. Foundation Capital may store such information itself or such information may be included in databases owned and maintained by Foundation Capital affiliates, agents or Site providers. The Site may use such information and pool it with other information to track, for example, the total number of visitors to our Site, the number of visitors to each page of our Site, and the domain names of our visitors’ Internet Site providers. It is important to note that no Personal Data is available or used in this process.

In operating the Site, we may use a technology called “cookies.” A cookie is a piece of information that the computer that hosts our Site gives to your browser when you access the Site. Our cookies help provide additional functionality to the Site and help us analyze Site usage more accurately.  We (and our third party service providers) also use cookies to (i) tell us when a user is redirected to the Site because a user may have clicked on, or otherwise interacted with, one of our advertisements, and (ii) better target our advertisements to users who have previously visited our Site (known as “retargeting”). For example, we may allow third party service providers (e.g., Google Analytics) to use cookies or similar technologies to track Site visitors over time and across multiple websites and social media services to retarget Site visitors with advertisements. These cookies collect information about your browsing habits and website activity in order to make advertising relevant to you and your interests. For more information on how Google uses this data, go to www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.  In all cases in which we use cookies, we will not collect Personal Data except with your permission.  To opt-out of our use of cookies, you can instruct your browser, by changing its options, to stop accepting cookies or to prompt you before accepting a cookie from websites that you visit.  On most web browsers, you will find a “help” section on the toolbar. Please refer to this section for information on how to receive notification when you are receiving a new cookie and how to turn cookies off.  You can also visit https://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ to learn more about opting out of interest-based advertising. We recommend that you leave cookies turned on because they allow you to take advantage of some of the Site features.

Aggregated Personal Data: In an ongoing effort to better understand and serve the users of the Site, Foundation Capital often conducts research on demographics, interests and behavior based on the Personal Data and other information provided to us. This research may be compiled and analyzed on an aggregate basis, and Foundation Capital may share this aggregate data with its affiliates, agents and business partners. This aggregate information does not identify you personally. Foundation Capital may also disclose aggregated user statistics in order to describe our Site to current and prospective business partners, and to other third parties for other lawful purposes.

Do Not Track: Our Site currently does not respond to “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals and operates as described in this Privacy Policy whether or not a DNT signal is received. If we do so in the future, we will describe how we do so in this Privacy Policy.

Our Use of Your Personal Data and Other Information

Foundation Capital uses the Personal Data you provide in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy. If you provide Personal Data for a certain reason, we may use the Personal Data in connection with the reason for which it was provided. For instance, if you contact us by email, we will use the Personal Data you provide to answer your question or resolve your problem. Also, if you provide Personal Data in order to obtain access to services or other information, we will use your Personal Data to provide you with access to such services and information. Foundation Capital and its management company, related funds, general partner entities and affiliates (the “Related Companies”) may also use your Personal Data and other personally non-identifiable information collected through the Site to help us improve the content and functionality of the Site, to better understand our users and to improve the Site. Foundation Capital and its affiliates may use this information to contact you in the future to tell you about services we believe will be of interest to you. If we do so, each marketing communication we send you will contain instructions permitting you to “opt-out” of receiving future marketing communications. In addition, if at any time you wish not to receive any future marketing communications or you wish to have your name deleted from our mailing lists, please contact us as indicated below.

If Foundation Capital intends on using any Personal Data in any manner that is not consistent with this Privacy Policy, you will be informed of such anticipated use prior to or at the time at which the Personal Data is collected.

Our Disclosure of Your Personal Data and Other Information

Foundation Capital is not in the business of selling your information. We consider this information to be a vital part of our relationship with you. There are, however, certain circumstances in which we may share your Personal Data with certain third parties without further notice to you, as set forth below:

Business Transfers: As we develop our business, we might sell or buy businesses or assets. In the event of a business sale, merger, reorganization, dissolution or similar event, Personal Data may be part of the transferred assets.

Related Companies: We may also share your Personal Data with our Related Companies for purposes consistent with this Privacy Policy.

Agents, Consultants and Related Third Parties: Foundation Capital, like many businesses, sometimes hires other companies to perform certain business-related functions. Examples of such functions include mailing information, maintaining databases and processing payments. When we employ another entity to perform a function of this nature, we only provide them with the information that they need to perform their specific function.

Legal Requirements: Foundation Capital may disclose your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to (i) comply with a legal obligation, (ii) protect and defend the rights or property of Foundation Capital, (iii) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the Site or the public, or (iv) protect against legal liability.

Your Choices

You can visit the Site without providing any Personal Data. If you choose not to provide any Personal Data, you may not be able to use certain Site features.

Exclusions

This Privacy Policy does not apply to any Personal Data collected by Foundation Capital other than Personal Data collected through the Site. This Privacy Policy shall not apply to any unsolicited information you provide to Foundation Capital through the Site or through any other means. This includes, but is not limited to, information posted to any public areas of the Site, any ideas for new products or services, business plans, slide decks and other unsolicited submissions (collectively, “Unsolicited Information”). All Unsolicited Information shall be deemed to be non-confidential and Foundation Capital shall be free to reproduce, use, disclose, and distribute such Unsolicited Information to others without limitation or attribution.

Children

Foundation Capital does not knowingly collect Personal Data from children under the age of 13. If you are under the age of 13, please do not submit any Personal Data through the Site. We encourage parents and legal guardians to monitor their children’s Internet usage and to help enforce our Privacy Policy by instructing their children never to provide Personal Data on the Site without their permission.

Links to Other Web Site

This Privacy Policy applies only to the Site. The Site may contain links to other websites and services not operated or controlled by Foundation Capital (“Third Party Sites”). The policies and procedures we described here do not apply to Third Party Sites. The links from the Site do not imply that Foundation Capital endorses or has reviewed any Third Party Sites. We suggest contacting those Sites directly for information on their privacy policies.

Security

Foundation Capital takes reasonable steps to protect the Personal Data provided via the Site from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no Internet or email transmission is ever fully secure or error free. In particular, email sent to or from the Site may not be secure. Therefore, you should take special care in deciding what information you send to us via email. Please keep this in mind when disclosing any Personal Data to Foundation Capital via the Internet.

Other Terms and Conditions

Your access to and use of the Site is subject to the Terms of Use.

Changes to Foundation Capital’s Privacy Policy

The Site and our business may change from time to time. As a result, at times it may be necessary for Foundation Capital to make changes to this Privacy Policy. Foundation Capital reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time and from time to time without prior notice. Please review this policy periodically, and especially before you provide any Personal Data. This Privacy Policy was last updated on the date indicated above. Your continued use of the Site after any changes or revisions to this Privacy Policy shall indicate your agreement with the terms of such revised Privacy Policy.

Access to Information; Contacting Foundation Capital:

To keep your Personal Data accurate, current, and complete, please contact us as specified below. We will take reasonable steps to update or correct Personal Data in our possession that you have previously submitted via the Site. Please also feel free to contact us if you have any questions about Foundation Capital’s Privacy Policy or the information practices of the Site.

You may contact us as follows: darmstrong@foundationcap.com.