Privacy Policy

Sparc Club (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a private network for verified founders. We operate the Sparc Club website and mobile applications, and we are the controller of the personal data described in this policy. Sparc Club is a venture founded and powered by BrandSparc.

We collect the minimum we need to run a members-only network, we do not sell your data, we do not license contact lists, and we do not run third-party programmatic advertising.

Depending on how you use Sparc Club, we collect the following:

Account information. When you register, we collect your name, email address, a password you set (stored only as a one-way hash), and a profile photo if you choose to upload one.

Sign-in with LinkedIn. If you sign in with LinkedIn, we receive your name, your primary LinkedIn email address, your profile picture, and a stable identifier unique to your LinkedIn account. Section 6 covers this in full.

Sign-in with Google or Apple. If you use one of these, we receive the name and email address that provider returns to us, and an identifier unique to that account.

Founder verification information. To confirm that you are actually a founder, we ask for your company name, your company website, the domain of your corporate email address, and (optionally) a link to your LinkedIn profile. Where you provide a LinkedIn profile, we use Unipile, a LinkedIn technology partner, to read the public parts of that profile (for example your role and company) and to confirm it matches the details you gave us. This is a separate step from signing in, and we only run it once you have asked to be verified.

Content you create. Posts, comments, direct messages, Round Table discussions, opportunity listings, connection requests and verification applications you submit are stored so they can be shown to the members they are intended for.

Technical data. We record your IP address, browser and device type, the pages you visit, and the timestamps of your actions, so we can keep the service secure, diagnose faults and prevent abuse.

Website analytics. On our public website we use Google Analytics to measure aggregate traffic. It records page views, an approximate region and the referring site. We read it in aggregate only, and we do not use it to build advertising profiles.

• To create and operate your account, and to let you sign in.
• To verify that you are a founder and to show your verification status to other members.
• To show your profile, posts and shared content to the members of the network.
• To deliver the service itself: direct messages, Round Tables, opportunity alerts, and membership updates you have asked to receive.
• To keep the network secure, to detect abuse, and to enforce our zero-spam policy.
• To understand in aggregate which parts of the service members actually use.
• To comply with our legal obligations.

• Contract. Most processing is necessary to give you the account and network features you signed up for.
• Consent. Where you sign in with a third-party provider, we ask that provider for your permission and treat it as consent. You may withdraw this at any time by unlinking the provider.
• Legitimate interests. Security monitoring, fraud and abuse prevention, and improving the service, balanced against your interests.
• Legal obligation. Where we are required to retain or disclose information by law.

We share personal data only with the service providers we need to run Sparc Club:

• Infrastructure and hosting providers who store and process our database and files on our behalf.
• Email delivery providers who send the messages the service sends you. Every message we send is addressed to one person. We do not copy or blind-copy members onto each other’s emails, and every message includes a way to unsubscribe.
• Google Analytics, for aggregate measurement on our public website.
• Unipile, a LinkedIn technology partner, solely to verify founder status as described above.
• LinkedIn, where you sign in with LinkedIn, under the terms described in section 6.

We do not sell your personal data, we do not license or rent contact lists to anyone, we do not run third-party programmatic advertising, and we do not share member content outside the network without your consent. We may disclose information where the law requires it, for example in response to a valid legal process.

Sparc Club uses Sign In with LinkedIn using OpenID Connect. When you choose that button, LinkedIn shows you a consent screen describing what will be shared, and you approve it before anything reaches us. If you decline, no data is sent to us.

We request three scopes, and these are the only fields we receive:

• openid — a stable identifier for your LinkedIn account, so we can recognise you on later visits.
• profile — your name and profile picture.
• email — the primary email address associated with your LinkedIn account. Your account is keyed on this address.

We do not request, and we cannot access, your connections, follower list, posts, messages, invitations, work history, job applications or your activity feed. We do not use anything LinkedIn sends us for advertising, and we do not build a profile of you from it.

The access token is used once, at sign-in, to retrieve your name, email address and picture. We do not store it for later use against LinkedIn’s APIs.

Unlinking. You can unlink LinkedIn at any time by emailing info@thesparcclub.com. We then delete the linked identity and you sign in with your email and password instead. Signing in with LinkedIn is always optional; you can register with an email address and password alone.

We keep your account information and your content for as long as your membership is active. If you close your account, we delete your personal data, except for records we are legally required to keep, such as verification and financial records, which we retain for the period the law requires.

Security logs and technical data are kept for a limited period for investigation, and then deleted.

Data is encrypted in transit, passwords are stored only as one-way hashes, and access to member data is limited to the people who need it to operate the network. Direct messages, Round Table discussions and member updates are private to the verified founders in the network.

No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affects your data, we will notify you and the relevant regulator as required by law.

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• access a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
• correct anything inaccurate or incomplete;
• delete your account and your personal data;
• restrict or object to certain processing;
• receive your data in a portable, machine-readable format;
• withdraw consent where consent is the basis we rely on;
• complain to your local data protection regulator.

To exercise any of these, email info@thesparcclub.com from the address on your account. We will verify your identity before we act, and we will respond within the timeframe the law requires. You can also delete your account directly in the app settings.

Sparc Club is a network for founders. It is not directed at anyone under 16, and we do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has given us data, email us and we will delete it.

Some of our service providers process data outside your country. Where that happens we use appropriate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses, to protect your information.

We update this policy when what we do changes. The date at the top of the page always shows the latest version. If a change materially affects how we use your data, we will tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect.

Sparc Club — Privacy Team
Email: info@thesparcclub.com
Website: www.thesparcclub.com