Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY (PITCH2PITCH)

Effective Date: July 28, 2026

Last Updated: July 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how Pitch2Pitch ("we", "us", or "our"), operating the digital community platform located at https://pitch2pitch.eu/ ("Platform"), collects, uses, stores, discloses, and protects your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR") and the Bulgarian Personal Data Protection Act (Закон за защита на личните данни - ЗЗЛД).

1. DATA CONTROLLER IDENTIFICATION

The primary Data Controller responsible for the processing of your personal data collected through the Platform and associated monthly pitch events is:

Platform Entity: Pitch2Pitch Community Hub

Founder & Lead Representative: Emil Shekerdjiiski

Official Event Co-Host & Venue Partner: Networking Premium Co-Working (Sofia, Bulgaria)

Data Protection & Privacy Contact: privacy@pitch2pitch.eu (or via the contact channel listed on the /about section)

2. DATA WE COLLECT AND SOURCES

We collect personal data directly from you when you interact with our Platform, register for an account, apply to pitch, or participate in our live monthly pitch events.

| Platform Route / Area | Data Categories Collected | Source of Data |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| User Accounts (`/auth`) | Full name, email address, encrypted password hash, user role (Founder, Investor, Jury, Guest), avatar/profile picture. | Provided directly by User upon registration. |

| Pitch Applications (`/apply`) | Founder name, phone number, email address, company name, pitch deck slide upload, elevator pitch overview, funding stage. | Provided directly by Applicant. |

| Startup Showcase (`/businesses`, `/participants`) | Founder bio, LinkedIn/social media links, company traction, key milestones, product updates, team member lists. | Provided by Founder/User for public display. |

| Jury & Partner Network (`/jury`, `/partners`, `/sponsors`) | Executive bio, professional title, organization, headshot, investment focus, contact preferences. | Provided by Jury members / Sponsors. |

| Event Media (`/gallery`, `/videos`) | Photos, audio/video recordings of stage presentations, Q&A sessions, audience footage, event coverage. | Captured live during Pitch2Pitch events. |

| Technical Data & Security Logs | IP address, browser type, device information, operating system, page views, referring URLs, access timestamps. | Automatically collected via web server logs and analytical cookies. |

3. LEGAL BASES FOR PROCESSING (ART. 6 GDPR)

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

Performance of a Contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR): Processing your user credentials (/auth), evaluating pitch applications (/apply), and providing platform features necessary for your participation in competition episodes.

Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR): Capturing photography and video recordings at live events (/gallery, /videos) to promote the Pitch2Pitch community, maintaining platform security, preventing abuse, and showcasing startup traction (/businesses).

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR): Sending promotional newsletters (/news), setting non-essential cookies, or displaying optional personal bio information. You may withdraw consent at any time.

Compliance with Legal Obligations (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR): Retaining transactional records, accounting documentation, or responding to lawful inquiries by Bulgarian regulatory authorities.

4. PUBLIC NATURE OF EVENTS & MEDIA RIGHTS

Pitch2Pitch is a public startup competition held on the 11th of every month. By participating in or attending our events:

Stage Presentations: Presentations delivered on stage (1-minute pitch, 1 slide) and subsequent jury Q&A sessions are recorded in audio/video format and published across the Platform (/videos), YouTube, and affiliated media channels.

Photography: Event photography is routinely published under /gallery and used in marketing materials by Pitch2Pitch and Networking Premium.

Audience Opt-Out: Audience members who prefer not to appear in photos or videos should inform the event team at the registration desk upon entering Networking Premium venues, or submit a request to privacy@pitch2pitch.eu.

5. DATA SHARING AND RECIPIENTS

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We disclose personal data only to the following categories of recipients under appropriate legal safeguards:

Event Co-Hosts: Networking Premium (co-host and venue operator) for event management, security, and entrance check-ins.

Technical Service Providers: Cloud infrastructure hosting (e.g., Lovable, Vercel, shift^ infrastructure), database hosting, and email delivery service providers acting as Data Processors under strict Data Processing Agreements (DPAs).

Jury Panel Members (`/jury`): Selected pitch applications, slides, and founder contact details are shared with designated jury members for scoring and evaluation.

Public Internet Users: Information published in public sections (/participants, /businesses, /gallery, /videos) is accessible to anyone visiting the Platform.

6. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

When personal data is transferred to service providers outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure appropriate safeguards are implemented in compliance with Chapter V of the GDPR, including:

Processing under EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission.

Verifying that US-based providers are certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework.

7. DATA RETENTION PERIODS

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

Account Data (`/auth`): Retained until you request account deletion or after 36 months of account inactivity.

Pitch Applications (`/apply`): Retained for up to 24 months post-event for alumni tracking, re-application historical checks, and network analytics.

Published Event Media (`/gallery`, `/videos`): Retained indefinitely as part of the public archival history of the Pitch2Pitch competition series, unless a valid erasure request is approved.

Technical Server Logs: Retained for up to 12 months for security and audit purposes.

8. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE GDPR

As a data subject within the European Union, you have the following rights under Articles 15–22 of the GDPR:

Right of Access (Art. 15 GDPR): Obtain confirmation as to whether your personal data is being processed and receive a copy of that data.

Right to Rectification (Art. 16 GDPR): Request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Right to Erasure / "Right to be Forgotten" (Art. 17 GDPR): Request the deletion of your personal data under specific legal grounds.

Right to Restriction of Processing (Art. 18 GDPR): Request the temporary limitation of processing in certain circumstances.

Right to Data Portability (Art. 20 GDPR): Receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.

Right to Object (Art. 21 GDPR): Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing at any time.

Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw previously granted consent without affecting the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please submit your request to privacy@pitch2pitch.eu. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request.

9. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

The Platform uses essential session cookies required for core navigation, authentication (/auth), and application form handling (/apply). Non-essential analytical or marketing cookies are only placed with your explicit consent obtained via our cookie consent banner.

10. SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY CONTACT

If you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes applicable data protection laws, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Bulgarian national supervisory authority:

Commission for Personal Data Protection (КЗЛД / CPDP)

Address: 2 Prof. Tsvetan Lazarov Blvd., Sofia 1592, Bulgaria

Website: https://www.cpdp.bg

Email: kzld@cpdp.bg

11. AMENDMENTS TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our legal obligations, platform functionality, or processing practices. Updates will be posted directly to this page with a revised "Last Updated" date.