Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Ridge ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal and financial data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our natural asset investment platform.

We use industry-standard security through Firebase and comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to ensure your investment data remains private and secure.

2. What Data We Collect

We collect the following types of data:

• Project information: Details about your natural assets (forests, farms, marine resources)
• Financial data: Revenue, costs, investment requirements (encrypted and secure)
• Impact metrics: Environmental and social impact data
• Documents: Certifications, permits, financial statements (encrypted storage)
• Contact information: Name, email, organization details
• Technical information: Browser type, device information (for security and optimization)

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your data for the following purposes:

• Creating investment-ready profiles for your natural assets
• Matching your projects with qualified investors (only with your permission)
• Generating investment attractiveness scores and benchmarks
• Providing analytics and insights to improve your investment readiness
• Facilitating secure communication between asset owners and investors
• Ensuring compliance with investment regulations and standards

4. How We Store Your Data

Your data is stored securely using industry-standard practices:

• Storage location: Google Cloud Platform (Firebase Storage)
• Encryption: All data is encrypted at rest and in transit
• Access control: Strict authentication and authorization mechanisms
• Data isolation: Your data is isolated from other users' data
• Backup: Regular automated backups to prevent data loss
• Retention: Data is retained until you choose to delete it

5. Your Rights Under GDPR

Under GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: View all your uploaded documents and parsed data
• Right to Rectification: Correct any inaccurate parsed data using our editing feature
• Right to Erasure: Delete your documents and associated data at any time
• Right to Data Portability: Export all your data in JSON or CSV format
• Right to Restrict Processing: Control how your data is processed
• Right to Object: Object to certain types of processing

To exercise these rights, contact us using the information below.

6. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to provide our service:

• Google Cloud Platform: For hosting, storage, and infrastructure
  ((See Google Cloud Privacy Policy))
• Google Gemini AI: For document parsing and data extraction
  Your documents are processed by AI but are not used for model training
• Firebase: For authentication, database, and real-time updates
  (Part of Google Cloud Platform)

7. Data Security

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your data:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• Automated virus scanning for uploaded documents
• Regular security audits and updates
• Access logging and monitoring
• Secure authentication mechanisms
• Input validation and sanitization

8. Children's Privacy

Our service is not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

10. Contact Information

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your GDPR rights, please contact us at:

11. Legal Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: You consent to processing when you upload documents
• Legitimate interests: To provide and improve our service
• Legal obligations: To comply with applicable laws and regulations