Privacy Policy

Last updated: 16 October 2026

This policy explains which personal data Start-IP collects when you use start-ip.eu and the Start-IP application, why we collect it, who processes it and which rights you have under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

1. Who is responsible for your data

The data controller is:

Start-IP di Gian Mario Rossi, ditta individuale (sole proprietorship), Alessandria, Italy, VAT 02822030066. Email: info@start-ip.eu

2. Data we collect

  • Account data: your name, company name, email address and password. Passwords are stored only in hashed form by our authentication provider.
  • Content you submit: the descriptions of your technology, the documents you upload and the reports we generate for you. This content may describe unpublished inventions and we treat it as confidential (see section 4).
  • Technical data: IP address, browser type, pages requested and error logs, collected by our hosting providers to run the service and protect it from abuse.
  • Communications: the content of emails you send us and our replies.
  • Survey answers: if you take part in one of our research surveys, the answers you give. Surveys are run on Google Forms.

We do not use analytics, advertising or tracking tools, and we do not buy personal data from third parties.

3. Why we use your data and on which legal basis

  • To provide the service you signed up for: creating your account, running your analyses and delivering your reports. Legal basis: performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).
  • To keep the service secure and prevent misuse. Legal basis: our legitimate interest in a secure service (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
  • To answer your messages and requests for access. Legal basis: steps taken at your request before a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) or our legitimate interest in replying (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
  • To run research surveys. Legal basis: your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), which you can withdraw at any time.
  • To meet legal obligations, for example tax and accounting rules. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR.

4. Confidentiality of your inventions

  • We use the content you submit only to run the analyses you request.
  • We do not use your content to train AI models, and our AI provider does not use it to train its models under its commercial terms.
  • We never sell your content or share it with other customers.
  • Our team accesses your content only when you ask for support, or when strictly necessary for security or to comply with the law.

5. Who processes your data on our behalf

We use a small number of service providers, each bound by a data processing agreement:

  • Supabase: database, user authentication and file storage.
  • Vercel: hosting of the website and application.
  • Anthropic: the AI models that analyse your description and the patents.
  • Railway: hosting of our patent search service.
  • Google: research surveys (Google Forms) only.
  • Our email provider, to send and receive emails.

We may also disclose data to public authorities when required by law.

6. Transfers outside the European Economic Area

Some of these providers are based in the United States or may process data there. When this happens, the transfer relies on an adequacy decision of the European Commission (such as the EU US Data Privacy Framework, for certified providers) or on the Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, as allowed by Articles 45 and 46 GDPR.

7. How long we keep your data

  • Account data, submitted content and reports: for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account or ask us to, we delete them, unless the law requires us to keep part of them.
  • Accounting records, such as invoices: for the period required by Italian law (currently 10 years).
  • Technical logs: for the short periods set by our hosting providers.
  • Emails: for as long as needed to handle your request and any follow up.
  • Survey answers: until the research is complete, then only in aggregated, anonymous form.

8. Your rights

Under the GDPR you have the right to:

  • access your data and receive a copy of it;
  • correct inaccurate data;
  • have your data deleted;
  • restrict or object to certain processing;
  • receive your data in a portable format;
  • withdraw your consent at any time, where processing is based on consent.

To exercise these rights, write to info@start-ip.eu. We reply within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Italian data protection authority, the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, or with the authority of the EU country where you live or work.

9. Security

Data is encrypted in transit, access to our systems is limited to the people who need it, and each customer can see only their own analyses.

10. Minimum age

Start-IP is a professional service and is not intended for people under 18.

11. Cookies

We use only the cookies that are strictly necessary for the service. Details are in our Cookie Policy.

12. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page. If the changes are significant, we will tell registered users by email before they take effect.