Terms of use and Studio Pass terms

Draft for legal review. This text is a working draft for Indus Experts to review and approve before launch. Items in [brackets] must be confirmed.

Terms of use

1. Who can use HBF Venture

You must be 18 or older. Every account is approved by HBF, and some roles require KYC. HBF may decline or close an account with a reason.

2. Your account

Keep your sign-in details private. Every account uses two-step sign-in. A person with several roles picks one role at sign-in and sees only that role's data.

3. No guarantees

HBF does not guarantee funding, investment, returns, projects, clients, income, employment, internships or equity. Approvals, credits, services and introductions depend on eligibility, selection, due diligence and individual agreements.

4. Investment risk

Investing in startups and private companies is high risk, and you may lose all the money you invest. Investment opportunities, where available, are offered privately to approved members only and are not an offer to the public. Every investment is governed by its own transaction documents. Information on the platform is not investment advice.

5. Fees

Membership and service fees, where they apply, are shown to you before you agree to them. [List fee types once approved.]

6. Acceptable use

Do not share false information, misuse other members' data, contact members outside agreed introductions to solicit investment, or try to access data your role does not allow.

7. Content and intellectual property

You keep ownership of what you upload and allow HBF to use it to run the platform for you. HBF's name, logo and platform belong to HBF Direct Limited.

8. Liability

Services between members are delivered by the provider named on the booking. HBF's liability is limited to the extent the law allows. [Liability cap to be set by counsel.]

9. Law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of India. Disputes go first to HBF's mediation process, then to the courts at [Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh].

Studio Pass terms

10. What credits are

Studio Pass credits are platform service credits. They are not money, a deposit, a loan, a security or an investment. They cannot be withdrawn, transferred or used outside HBF Venture. Partner perks never become credits.

11. Allocation

Credits are allocated only to approved ventures, under an individual agreement that sets the amount and any conditions.

12. Booking and delivery

When a venture books a listed service, credits for that booking are held. The provider delivers the agreed scope, and the founder confirms or disputes delivery within 7 days. A reminder is sent on day 5. If delivery is neither confirmed nor disputed by day 7, the booking is escalated to an HBF admin.

13. Disputes, partial delivery and cancellation

If the founder disputes delivery, credits stay held and the booking goes to mediation within 7 days. Partial delivery is settled against the agreed scope. A cancelled booking returns its held credits to the venture.

14. Settlement

Confirmed deliveries are settled in a monthly settlement run. HBF studio work is settled internally; startup providers receive credits or cash; outside partners receive cash, as their agreement sets out.

15. Expiry

Credits are valid for 2 years from the date they are loaded, and each allocation has its own expiry date shown in the venture's account. Credits are used oldest first. HBF sends reminders 90 and 30 days before expiry. Credits already held for a booking on the expiry date stay held until that booking settles; if the booking is then cancelled, those credits lapse. Unused credits lapse on the expiry date and are not refunded or converted into cash or equity.