NorthSeed ("the Platform") is operated by NorthSeed Technologies, a business registered in Kenya under the Registration of Business Names Act (Business No. BN-36SMOWME) ("we," "us"). By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform. We may update these Terms from time to time; continued use after changes means you accept the updated Terms.
2. What NorthSeed Is
NorthSeed is a directory connecting startup founders with investors. Anyone can browse listed startups without an account. Creating an account is required to submit a startup listing (as a founder) or to access the investor dashboard and request introductions to founders (as an investor). Investor introduction requests are reviewed by the founder in their dashboard; if the founder accepts, contact details are shared automatically between both parties. We are not a broker, dealer, or investment advisor, and we do not participate in or guarantee any investment transaction. The subscription and listing fees buy platform access only; they do not purchase, reserve, or guarantee any introduction, meeting, funding, or investment outcome.
3. Accounts
You must provide accurate information when creating an account.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.
You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account.
One account per person. Founder and investor accounts serve different purposes and roles cannot be freely switched.
Investor accounts require payment of an activation fee and an ongoing subscription to remain active — see Section 10 (Fees).
4. Startup Listings
Listings cost USD $1 to submit. The fee is charged each time you upload a new startup for review, and it is non-refundable.
Submission does not guarantee approval or publication.
All submissions are reviewed by our admin team before going live. We may approve, reject, or request changes to a listing at our sole discretion — for example, if information is incomplete, links don't work, or content appears fraudulent or misleading.
If your startup is rejected: the $1 fee is not refunded, but you receive a free re-upload credit that is applied automatically to your next submission. Rejected listings are removed from the Platform to keep the directory current, and the credit can be used to upload the same or a different startup. This credit does not expire and applies until one of your submissions is approved.
You are solely responsible for the accuracy of the information you submit, including traction figures, funding status, and links. Do not submit false or misleading information.
You choose what startup information is public versus visible only to logged-in investors. Once a field is marked public, it will be visible to anyone browsing the Platform, and may be indexed by search engines or copied by third parties outside our control.
We may periodically re-review published listings and remove listings that are inactive, defunct, or found to violate these Terms.
5. Your Content and Intellectual Property
You retain ownership of the content you submit to the Platform, including text, logos, images, and other media ("Your Content").
You must own or have permission to use everything you upload. By submitting Your Content, you confirm that you own it or have all the rights needed to share it, and that it does not infringe anyone else's copyright, trademark, privacy, or other rights.
You grant NorthSeed Technologies a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, resize, display, and distribute Your Content on the Platform and in our promotional materials (such as social media posts about featured startups), for as long as your listing is on the Platform and for a reasonable period afterwards to complete removal from our systems and backups.
The NorthSeed name, logo, design, and software are owned by us and may not be copied or used without our written permission.
6. Copyright Complaints (DMCA)
We respect intellectual property rights and respond to valid notices of alleged copyright infringement. If you believe content on the Platform infringes your copyright, send a written notice to our designated copyright agent that includes:
Your physical or electronic signature.
Identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed.
Identification of the material you claim is infringing, with enough detail (such as the page URL) for us to locate it.
Your name, postal address, telephone number, and email address.
A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf.
When we receive a valid notice, we will promptly remove or disable access to the material and notify the user who submitted it.
Counter-notice: if you believe your content was removed by mistake or misidentification, you may send a counter-notice to the same agent with your signature, the location of the removed material, a statement under penalty of perjury that you believe in good faith it was removed by mistake, your contact details, and your consent to the jurisdiction of the courts where you are located. We may restore the material unless the complainant tells us they have filed a court action.
Repeat infringers: we will suspend or terminate the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe copyright.
Knowingly sending a false notice or counter-notice may expose you to liability for damages.
7. Introduction Requests
Investors may request an introduction to a founder via the "Request Introduction" feature on a startup's profile. The founder receives the request in their dashboard and may accept or decline it.
If the founder accepts, contact details for both parties are shared automatically through the Platform, and they may continue the conversation outside the Platform.
We do not guarantee that a founder will respond to or accept an introduction request.
Any conversations, negotiations, or agreements that follow an introduction happen directly between the founder and investor. NorthSeed is not a party to, and takes no responsibility for, the outcome of any such interaction.
8. Prohibited Conduct
You agree not to:
Submit false, fraudulent, or misleading startup or personal information
Use the Platform to solicit users for unrelated products or services
Attempt to bypass the admin review, payment, or introduction process
Scrape, copy, or republish listings in bulk without permission
Harass, impersonate, or misrepresent yourself to another user
Upload content that infringes on intellectual property or violates any law
Use contact details shared through introductions for spam or unsolicited marketing
Interfere with the security or normal operation of the Platform
9. No Investment Advice, No Guarantee, and Your Regulatory Responsibility
NorthSeed does not vet startups for investment quality, verify financial claims beyond basic review, or provide investment, legal, or financial advice. Any decision to invest in, partner with, or engage a startup listed on the Platform is made entirely at your own risk and discretion. Always conduct your own due diligence.
NorthSeed is not licensed or regulated as an investment advisor, securities broker, dealer, exchange, or crowdfunding platform by the Capital Markets Authority of Kenya (CMA) or any other financial regulator. Nothing on the Platform constitutes an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in any jurisdiction.
You are solely responsible for ensuring that any fundraising, investment, or business arrangement you pursue complies with the laws that apply to you, including the Capital Markets Act (Cap 485A), the Securities Act (where applicable), the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (POCAMLA), and any securities, anti-money-laundering, and tax laws in your own country.
We do not currently verify the identity, source of funds, or accreditation status of any investor or founder. Users must comply with all applicable anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing laws, and must not use the Platform to launder money, finance terrorism, or conduct any unlawful transaction.
10. Fees
Browsing the Platform is free. Founder accounts are free to create.
Startup listing fee: Founders pay a one-time fee of USD $1 per startup upload. If a submission is rejected, the fee is not refunded, but the founder receives a free re-upload credit as described in Section 4.
Investor account fees: Investor accounts require a one-time activation fee of USD $32 (or its equivalent in Kenyan Shillings) to access the investor dashboard, followed by a recurring fee of USD $2 per month to keep the account active. All payments are made to NorthSeed Technologies and processed by Paystack using M-Pesa or card. We do not store your full card details; they are handled by Paystack.
Card payments renew automatically each month until you cancel. To cancel auto-renewal, email us at legal@northseedapp.com from your registered email address; we will process your request promptly, and access continues until the end of the current billing period.
M-Pesa payments do not auto-renew. You must manually repay each month to keep your investor account active; access is suspended if a payment is missed.
All fees are non-refundable once payment is confirmed, except where required by law.
We reserve the right to change these fees. We will give reasonable advance notice of any change, and the new fee will apply from your next billing period.
11. Email Updates and Waitlist
If you join our waitlist or subscribe to updates, you agree to receive emails from us about NorthSeed launches, features, and news.
Every marketing email includes a one-click unsubscribe link and our postal address. You can unsubscribe at any time, and we will stop sending marketing emails promptly.
We may still send you service messages related to your account, payments, or security, which are not marketing.
We do not sell your email address. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle your data.
Our postal address: NorthSeed Technologies, P.O. Box 00518-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
12. Privacy and Data Protection
We process personal data in line with Kenya's Data Protection Act, 2019, and other applicable data protection laws. Our Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, who we share it with, and your rights.
To run the Platform we use service providers such as Supabase (database and authentication), Vercel (hosting), Cloudinary (image storage), and Paystack (payments). Your data may be processed in countries outside Kenya.
When a founder accepts an introduction request, you agree that your contact details will be shared with the other party as described in Section 7.
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data by emailing us at legal@northseedapp.com.
13. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms, submitted fraudulent information, infringed intellectual property rights, or misused the Platform. You may also request deletion of your account at any time by emailing legal@northseedapp.com. Terminating your account does not entitle you to a refund of fees already paid, except where required by law. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 5, 6, 10, 15, 16, and 17) will continue to apply.
14. Disclaimer of Warranties
The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not guarantee that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that any listing information is complete or accurate.
15. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, NorthSeed, NorthSeed Technologies and its team shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Platform, including but not limited to losses related to investment decisions, business dealings, or interactions initiated through introductions made on the Platform. Nothing in these Terms limits any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law, including your statutory consumer rights.
16. Indemnification
You agree to defend and hold harmless NorthSeed, NorthSeed Technologies and its team from claims, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from Your Content, your violation of these Terms, or your infringement of any third party's rights.
17. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of Kenya, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Kenya, without limiting any mandatory rights you have under the laws of your country of residence.
18. Changes to These Terms
We may revise these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by an updated "Last updated" date at the top of this page, and where practical we will also notify registered users by email.