Terms of Service — Cofounders

1. INTRODUCTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS
Welcome to Cofounders ("Platform", "we", "us", "our"), accessible at https://cofounders.my. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of our website, directory, and services.
By accessing or using this Platform, whether as a visitor or a registered member, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use this Platform.
These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and the operator of this Platform under the laws of Malaysia.

2. ELIGIBILITY
2.1 You must be at least 18 years of age to use this Platform.
2.2 By using this Platform, you represent and warrant that you are a natural person, startup founder, entrepreneur, or individual with a genuine interest in building or co-founding a business venture in Malaysia.
2.3 You must not use this Platform if you are prohibited by any applicable law from entering into a binding agreement.
2.4 The Platform is primarily designed for individuals based in or building for the Malaysian market. We do not restrict access to international users, but our services, community, and matching criteria are optimised for Malaysian founders.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES
3.1 Cofounders provides a curated online directory that connects founders in Malaysia who are seeking co-founders for their startup ventures.
3.2 Users may apply to create a profile which, if approved following our review process, will be listed in the publicly accessible or gated directory.
3.3 The Platform operates a manual review and curation process for all applications. Submission of an application does not guarantee listing, and we reserve the right to approve or reject any application at our absolute discretion without being required to provide reasons.
3.4 We may offer additional features, access tiers, or services from time to time, which will be governed by these Terms and any supplemental terms we publish.

4. USER ACCOUNTS AND PROFILES
4.1 To be listed in the directory, you must submit an application and await approval. Upon approval, you will be granted access to create or manage your profile.
4.2 You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any login credentials associated with your account and for all activities that occur under your account.
4.3 You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information in your application and profile, and to update that information as necessary to ensure it remains accurate.
4.4 You must not impersonate any person, misrepresent your identity, create fictitious ventures, or provide misleading information about your experience, stage, or intentions.
4.5 You may not create more than one profile without our prior written consent.
4.6 We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if we determine, at our discretion, that you have provided false or misleading information or are otherwise in breach of these Terms.

5. ACCEPTABLE USE
5.1 You agree to use this Platform only for lawful purposes and in a manner consistent with these Terms.
5.2 You must not use this Platform to:
(a) Engage in unsolicited commercial communications, spamming, or bulk messaging of other users;
(b) Harvest or scrape contact details, profile information, or data from the Platform for any commercial or non-commercial purpose without our express written consent;
(c) Solicit investment from other users without appropriate legal authority or disclosure;
(d) Engage in recruitment activities, whether for employment or contractual purposes, if you are not yourself a founder building a venture;
(e) Misrepresent your identity, professional background, venture stage, or intentions;
(f) Upload, transmit, or otherwise distribute any content that is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, discriminatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable;
(g) Introduce viruses, malware, or any harmful code into the Platform;
(h) Circumvent, disable, or otherwise interfere with any security or access control features of the Platform;
(i) Use automated tools, bots, or scripts to interact with the Platform without our prior written consent.
5.3 Breach of this clause may result in immediate account suspension or termination, and we reserve the right to report unlawful conduct to the relevant authorities.

6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
6.1 All content on this Platform, including but not limited to the website design, branding, logo, curation methodology, descriptive text, graphics, and software, is owned by or licensed to us and is protected under Malaysian intellectual property laws, including the Copyright Act 1987.
6.2 You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Platform for its intended purpose in accordance with these Terms. This licence does not include the right to reproduce, distribute, modify, or commercially exploit any content from the Platform.
6.3 By submitting a profile to the Platform, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to display, reproduce, and distribute your profile content on the Platform and in connection with our promotional activities, including social media, for the purpose of operating and promoting the service.
6.4 You retain ownership of any content you submit. However, you warrant that you have the right to grant us the licence described in clause 6.3 and that your content does not infringe any third party's intellectual property rights.
6.5 We do not claim ownership of content you submit, but we may remove content that violates these Terms or applicable law.

7. THIRD PARTY INTERACTIONS AND CONNECTIONS
7.1 The Platform facilitates introductions and connections between founders. We do not mediate, supervise, or take responsibility for any interactions, agreements, co-founder arrangements, equity discussions, or business dealings that occur between users, whether on or off the Platform.
7.2 We do not verify the claims made by users in their profiles beyond our initial review process. You are responsible for conducting your own due diligence before entering into any arrangement with another user.
7.3 Any co-founder agreement, partnership, shareholder arrangement, or other commercial agreement entered into as a result of connections made through this Platform is entirely your own responsibility. We are not a party to such agreements and accept no liability arising from them.
7.4 We strongly recommend that users engage qualified legal and professional advisors before entering into any formal arrangement with a co-founder identified through this Platform.

8. DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
8.1 The Platform and its services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranty of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
8.2 We do not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components.
8.3 We do not guarantee that use of the Platform will result in finding a co-founder, forming a successful business, or achieving any particular outcome.
8.4 To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Malaysian law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or in connection with your use of the Platform, including but not limited to loss of profits, loss of data, business interruption, or reputational harm.
8.5 Our total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising from or in connection with these Terms or the Platform shall not exceed the total amount paid by you to us in the twelve months preceding the claim, or RM 500, whichever is lesser.
8.6 Nothing in these Terms shall limit liability for fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, death, or personal injury caused by negligence, to the extent such limitation is not permitted by law.

9. TERMINATION AND SUSPENSION
9.1 You may close your account and request removal of your profile at any time by contacting us.
9.2 We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Platform at any time and for any reason, including breach of these Terms, without prior notice.
9.3 Upon termination, your right to use the Platform ceases immediately. We may retain certain information about you in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable legal obligations.
9.4 Clauses that by their nature should survive termination including intellectual property, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution shall continue to apply after termination.

10. AMENDMENTS
10.1 We may update or amend these Terms at any time by publishing the revised version on this website with an updated date.
10.2 Your continued use of the Platform after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.
10.3 For material changes that significantly affect your rights, we will endeavour to provide reasonable notice, which may include a notice on the Platform or an email to your registered address.

11. GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
11.1 These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Malaysia.
11.2 Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall first be referred to negotiation between the parties. If the dispute is not resolved within 30 days, either party may refer the matter to mediation through an appropriate body in Malaysia.
11.3 If mediation fails, the dispute shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Malaysia.

12. MISCELLANEOUS
12.1 Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and us in relation to your use of the Platform and supersede all prior agreements and representations.
12.2 Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
12.3 Waiver. Our failure to enforce any right or provision shall not be deemed a waiver of those rights.
12.4 No Partnership. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, agency, joint venture, or employment relationship between you and us.
12.5 Contact. For any queries, please contact us at [insert email address].

1. INTRODUCTION
Cofounders ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and what your rights are under the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 ("PDPA") of Malaysia and its subsidiary regulations.
By using this Platform, you consent to the collection and use of your personal data as described in this Privacy Policy.

2. WHO WE ARE AND HOW TO CONTACT US
2.1 The data user for the purposes of this Privacy Policy is the operator of the Platform at https://cofounders.my.
2.2 If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights under the PDPA, please contact us at: [insert email address].

3. WHAT PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT
3.1 We may collect the following categories of personal data from you:
(a) Identity Data: your name, photograph, and any identifiers you include in your profile;
(b) Professional Data: your startup name, industry, stage, skills, what you are building, and what kind of co-founder you are seeking;
(c) Contact Data: your email address and any other contact information you provide during the application or registration process;
(d) Location Data: your state or city in Malaysia as disclosed in your profile;
(e) Usage Data: information about how you interact with the Platform, including pages visited, time spent, and actions taken;
(f) Device and Technical Data: your IP address, browser type, operating system, and referral source, collected automatically through standard web technologies;
(g) Communications Data: the content of any communications you send us through contact forms or email.
3.2 We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data as defined under the PDPA, such as data relating to physical or mental health, political opinions, religious beliefs, or criminal records.
3.3 We do not collect financial data such as bank account details or payment card information directly. If payment processing is introduced, it will be handled by a third-party payment provider under their own privacy terms.

4. HOW WE COLLECT YOUR PERSONAL DATA
4.1 We collect personal data through the following means:
(a) Direct collection: information you provide when you apply to join the Platform, create or update your profile, contact us, or otherwise interact with us directly;
(b) Automated collection: data collected automatically through cookies, web analytics tools, and server logs when you access or use the Platform;
(c) Third-party sources: we may receive information about you from third parties, for example if you apply or register via a referral or link from another platform, subject to that third party's privacy policy and applicable law.

5. PURPOSES FOR WHICH WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA
5.1 We process your personal data for the following purposes:
(a) To assess your application and determine whether to approve your listing on the Platform;
(b) To create, maintain, and display your profile in the directory;
(c) To facilitate connections and introductions between founders on the Platform;
(d) To communicate with you about your account, updates to the Platform, or changes to these terms;
(e) To send you service-related updates or, where you have consented, promotional communications about the Platform;
(f) To improve, develop, and maintain the Platform and its features;
(g) To monitor Platform usage and detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, or security incidents;
(h) To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations.
5.2 We will only process your personal data for the purposes described above or for compatible purposes. We will not use your personal data for any purpose that is materially different without obtaining your prior consent.

6. LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING
6.1 We process your personal data on the following legal bases under the PDPA:
(a) Consent: where you have given your explicit consent to the collection and use of your personal data, including by submitting your application and agreeing to this Privacy Policy;
(b) Contractual necessity: where processing is necessary to perform our obligations to you under the Terms of Service, including maintaining your profile and facilitating connections;
(c) Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests, including for fraud prevention, platform security, and service improvement;
(d) Legal obligation: where processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation to which we are subject.

7. DISCLOSURE OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA
7.1 We may disclose your personal data to the following categories of recipients:
(a) Other users of the Platform: your profile information, to the extent that it is listed in the directory, will be visible to other approved members of the Platform and, depending on your settings, to public visitors;
(b) Service providers: third parties who assist us in operating the Platform, including web hosting providers, analytics providers, and email service providers, who process data on our behalf under appropriate data processing arrangements;
(c) Professional advisors: our legal, financial, and technical advisors, subject to confidentiality obligations;
(d) Regulators and law enforcement: where we are required by law, court order, or regulatory authority to disclose your data;
(e) Successors in business: in the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or sale of all or part of our business, your data may be transferred to the successor entity, subject to equivalent privacy protections.
7.2 We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
7.3 Where we share your data with third-party service providers, we require them to process your data only on our instructions and in accordance with the PDPA and applicable law.

8. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS OF DATA
8.1 Your personal data is primarily processed and stored within Malaysia. Where we transfer data outside of Malaysia, we will ensure that such transfers comply with the PDPA, including that the recipient country provides an adequate level of protection or that we have put in place appropriate safeguards.
8.2 Our third-party service providers may operate servers in countries outside Malaysia, including in the United States, European Union, or the Asia-Pacific region. Where this is the case, we will ensure appropriate contractual or regulatory protections are in place.

9. RETENTION OF PERSONAL DATA
9.1 We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, or as required by applicable law.
9.2 If you close your account or request deletion, we will delete or anonymise your personal data within a reasonable period, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain records and our legitimate interest in maintaining records for dispute resolution and fraud prevention.
9.3 Usage and technical data collected automatically may be retained in aggregated, anonymised form for analytical purposes after your account is closed.

10. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE PDPA
10.1 Under the PDPA, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
(a) Right of access: you may request access to the personal data we hold about you;
(b) Right of correction: you may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
(c) Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time, though withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal;
(d) Right to limit processing: in certain circumstances, you may request that we limit the processing of your personal data;
(e) Right to complain: you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Personal Data Protection Commissioner of Malaysia if you believe your rights have been infringed.
10.2 To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [insert email address]. We will respond to requests within 21 days.
10.3 We may require you to verify your identity before processing any request.

11. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES
11.1 We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate and improve the Platform. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.
11.2 We use the following types of cookies:
(a) Strictly necessary cookies: required for the Platform to function and cannot be disabled;
(b) Analytics cookies: used to understand how users interact with the Platform, including which pages are visited most frequently. These may be provided by third-party services such as Google Analytics;
(c) Preference cookies: used to remember your settings and preferences.
11.3 You may control your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Platform.
11.4 We do not use advertising or tracking cookies for third-party marketing purposes.

12. SECURITY
12.1 We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or alteration.
12.2 We cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted over the internet. You use the Platform and transmit data at your own risk in this respect.
12.3 In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in harm to you, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

13. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY
13.1 This Platform is not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a minor, we will take steps to delete that data promptly.

14. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
14.1 We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The date at the top of this Policy indicates when it was last revised.
14.2 We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. Continued use of the Platform after changes have been posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.
14.3 For material changes that affect your rights or the way we handle your data, we will take reasonable steps to notify you directly.

15. GOVERNING LAW
15.1 This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of Malaysia, including the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 and its subsidiary regulations, and any successor or amending legislation.