Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

GapIdeation ("we," "our," or "the Service") is a research tool that helps founders and operators analyze companies, identify market gaps, and generate startup ideas backed by publicly available evidence. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you sign in via GitHub or Google OAuth, we receive:

• Your name and email address
• Your profile picture URL
• Your unique account identifier from the OAuth provider

We do not receive or store your password. Authentication is handled entirely by your chosen OAuth provider.

2.2 Usage Data

• Companies you search for and workspaces you create
• Settings and preferences (e.g., AI provider selection)
• Feature usage patterns (which tabs you visit, exports you generate)

2.3 API Keys

If you provide your own AI provider API keys (Anthropic or OpenAI) in Settings, these keys are stored locally in your browser and transmitted only to the respective AI provider's API. We do not store, log, or have access to your API keys on our servers.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To authenticate your identity and provide access to the Service
• To save your workspaces, settings, and analysis history
• To generate company analyses and startup ideas via AI providers
• To improve the Service based on aggregate usage patterns
• To communicate important updates about the Service

4. Data Sources and Evidence

GapIdeation aggregates publicly available information from sources including:

• Company websites, documentation, and pricing pages
• Public forum discussions (Reddit, Hacker News, Stack Overflow)
• Public GitHub issues and discussions
• B2B review sites (G2, Capterra, TrustRadius) where permitted

All evidence is presented as short, fair-use excerpts with direct links to the original source. We respect robots.txt and site terms of service. We do not scrape private or gated content.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• GitHub OAuth / Google OAuth — for authentication. Their privacy policies apply to data they process.
• Anthropic (Claude API) — for AI-powered analysis when selected as your provider.
• OpenAI (GPT API) — for AI-powered analysis when selected as your provider.
• Vercel — for hosting and deployment.

When you run an analysis, the company name and research context are sent to your chosen AI provider. We recommend reviewing their respective privacy policies.

6. Data Retention

Your account data and workspace history are retained for as long as your account is active. You may delete your account and all associated data at any time by contacting us. Browser-stored settings (including API keys) can be cleared by clearing your browser's local storage.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), secure session management via signed JWTs, and access controls. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data
• Export your workspace data and reports
• Withdraw consent and close your account
• Request removal of specific evidence sources via our "Remove source" mechanism

9. Cookies

We use essential cookies only, required for authentication and session management. We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies.

10. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date above.

12. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at privacy@gapideation.com.