1. Who we are
Akcela Ventures Ltd (Company No. 13413863) operates the website akcela.co.uk and the Akcela Startup Funding Portal. Our registered address is Fuel Studios, Pottergate, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1DX.
For questions about this policy, contact us at hello@akcela.co.uk.
2. What data we collect
We collect personal data when you:
- Visit our website — We use analytics cookies to understand how visitors use our site. This may include your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on the site.
- Submit a contact form — We collect your name, email address, and any information you include in your message.
- Apply for incubation — We collect information about you and your business, including your name, email address, business details, and any supporting materials you provide.
- Register for the Funding Portal — We collect your name, email address, company details, sector, stage, and financial information necessary to match you with relevant funding opportunities.
- Attend our events — We may collect your name and email address for event registration.
3. How we use your data
We use your personal data to:
- Respond to your enquiries and applications
- Deliver our incubation programme and related services
- Operate the Akcela Startup Funding Portal, including matching you with relevant grants and funding opportunities
- Send you communications about Akcela, our events, and our portfolio (with your consent)
- Improve our website and services through analytics
- Comply with legal obligations
We will never sell your personal data to third parties.
4. Legal basis for processing
We process your data under the following legal bases (UK GDPR):
- Consent — Where you have given us clear consent to process your data for a specific purpose (e.g., marketing communications)
- Contractual necessity — Where processing is necessary to deliver services you've requested (e.g., incubation programme, Funding Portal)
- Legitimate interest — Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights (e.g., website analytics, improving our services)
5. Data sharing
We may share your data with:
- Service providers — Third-party tools that help us operate our website and services. These providers process data on our behalf and are bound by data processing agreements.
- Partners — Where you have consented, we may share relevant information with our partners to deliver support services.
- Investors — If you are a portfolio company seeking investment, we may share your company information with investors in our network with your explicit consent.
We will never share your data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
6. Data retention
We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Specifically:
- Contact form submissions: 2 years
- Incubation applications: 3 years (or the duration of the incubation relationship plus 2 years)
- Funding Portal accounts: Duration of your account plus 2 years after closure
- Analytics data: 26 months
7. Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Rectify inaccurate data
- Erase your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Restrict processing of your data
- Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Object to processing based on legitimate interest
- Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@akcela.co.uk.
8. Cookies
Our website uses cookies to:
- Essential cookies — Required for the website to function (e.g., session management, authentication)
- Analytics cookies — Help us understand how visitors use our site
You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.
10. Contact
If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data:
- Email: hello@akcela.co.uk
- Address: Akcela Ventures Ltd, Fuel Studios, Pottergate, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1DX
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.