Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 7, 2026

FundingScout (“we,” “us,” or “our”) provides real-time startup funding alerts via web dashboard, email, Slack, Telegram, and SMS. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By creating an account or using FundingScout, you agree to the practices described below.

Information we collect

We collect only the information needed to operate the service:

  • Account information. Email address and password (hashed) when you sign up. Optional name and company name.
  • Alert preferences. The filters you save (industry, funding stage, geography, deal size) so we know what alerts to send you.
  • Phone number. Only if you choose to enable SMS notifications. Stored solely to deliver alerts you have explicitly requested. See “SMS data handling” below.
  • Integration credentials. If you connect Slack, Telegram, or web push notifications, we store the minimum tokens or chat identifiers needed to deliver your alerts.
  • Payment information. If you upgrade to Pro, payment is processed by Stripe. We never see or store your card number; Stripe holds it. We store your Stripe customer ID so we know which account is on Pro.
  • Usage data. Standard server logs (IP address, browser, request timestamps) for reliability, security, and abuse prevention.

SMS data handling

Your phone number, if you provide one, is treated with stricter protections than other account data:

  • We collect your phone number only after you explicitly enter it on the Settings page and complete a one-time SMS verification challenge.
  • We use your phone number only to deliver SMS notifications about funding rounds matching your saved alert filters, and to send a one-time verification code at the moment of opt-in.
  • We never sell, rent, lease, or otherwise share your phone number with third-party advertisers, marketers, data brokers, or affiliates for any purpose.
  • Your phone number is shared only with our SMS delivery sub-processor (Twilio Inc.) for the sole purpose of transmitting the alerts you have requested. Twilio is bound by its own privacy commitments, available at twilio.com/legal/privacy.
  • You can remove your phone number at any time from Settings → Phone Notifications, or by replying STOP to any SMS alert. Removal is immediate.
  • We retain your phone number only for as long as your account is active and SMS notifications are enabled. If you disable SMS or delete your account, we delete your phone number from our active database within 30 days.
  • Phone numbers and SMS opt-in consent records are never shared with third parties for marketing purposes, and are not used to build advertising profiles.

For full details on the SMS opt-in flow, message frequency, sample messages, and how to unsubscribe, see our SMS Alerts page.

How we use your information

  • To create and authenticate your account.
  • To match new funding announcements against your saved alert filters and deliver matched alerts via the channels you have configured.
  • To communicate operationally about your account (billing, security, service updates).
  • To prevent abuse, debug issues, and improve reliability.

We do not use your data for behavioral advertising. We do not sell your personal information.

Sub-processors

We use a small set of trusted infrastructure providers to operate FundingScout:

  • Supabase — database, auth, and edge functions.
  • Vercel — web application hosting and edge serving.
  • Stripe — payment processing for Pro subscriptions.
  • Twilio — SMS delivery (only for users who have opted in to SMS alerts).
  • Resend — transactional email delivery (account confirmations, daily digests).

Your choices

  • Update or delete data. You can update most of your data from Settings, or email us to request deletion of your account.
  • Disable SMS. Reply STOP to any alert, or remove your phone number from Settings.
  • Disable email digests. From Settings, or via the unsubscribe link in any email.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your data? Email info@fundingscout.io.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the service evolves. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated via email to active users.