PRIVACY POLICY

PRIVACY POLICY

Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

VC Consulting LTD
Sinanishko ezero 9A, office 3, Sofia, Bulgaria
Company Number: 207784343

Email: nik@nikyanev.com

VC Consulting LTD (“we”, “us”, “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect personal data when you visit nikyanev.com, subscribe to our newsletter, download free resources, or contact us about potential consulting services.

This policy applies only to data collected through the website and our newsletter. Any personal data exchanged after we enter into a consulting engagement is governed by a separate client agreement, not this Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are (Data Controller)

The data controller for all personal data covered by this Privacy Policy is:

VC Consulting LTD

Sinanishko ezero 9A, office 3, 1680, Sofia, Bulgaria

Email: nik@nikyanev.com

2. What Personal Data We Collect

2.1. Website Analytics Data (Google Analytics 4 & Framer Analytics)

When you visit the website, we automatically collect technical and usage data such as:

  • IP address (anonymized by GA4 by default)

  • Browser, device, and operating system information

  • Pages viewed and time spent on the site

  • Referrer information

  • General location (city/country)

This is processed through:

  • Google Analytics 4 (Google Signals not enabled)

  • Framer Analytics

  • Google Tag Manager (manages tags but does not collect personal data itself)

This data is aggregated and does not identify you personally.

2.2. Contact Form Data (Google Forms)

If you submit the contact or discovery call form, you provide:

  • Name

  • Email address

  • LinkedIn profile

  • Country

  • Company website

  • Description of your company

  • Fundraising goals

  • Amount raised so far

  • Your biggest fundraising challenge

  • A link to your pitch deck

We use this information solely to review your inquiry and respond.

2.3. Newsletter Subscription Data (Beehiiv)

If you subscribe to our newsletter, Behind The Round, we collect:

  • Your email address

  • The date, time, and IP address of your subscription (recorded automatically by Beehiiv as part of our consent audit trail)

We use this data to send you the newsletter, which contains educational content on startup fundraising and may include promotional content about our digital products, services, and occasional sponsored content from selected partners. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link included in every issue.

Consent is collected via the following notice displayed beneath the subscription form prior to submission: “By submitting this form, you’ll receive my free newsletter, which may include mentions of my digital products and services, and occasional sponsored content. Unsubscribe anytime, no hard feelings. More info in my privacy policy.”

We rely on this consent as the legal basis for sending the newsletter (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may withdraw consent at any time by unsubscribing.

2.4. Client Data (Handled Separately)

When you download a free resource via a landing page, your email address is collected through the subscription form at the point of sign-up. This simultaneously subscribes you to the newsletter, as disclosed in the consent notice displayed before submission.

Lead magnet landing pages are hosted on Carrd. Carrd does not collect or process your personal data directly — the email capture and storage is handled entirely by Beehiiv.

2.5. Embedded Content (YouTube)

The website may include standard YouTube embeds, which may collect usage data and set cookies even without direct interaction.

2.6. Client Data (Handled Separately)

IAny personal data processed during a consulting engagement (e.g., pitch decks, investor lists, financial documents, emails) is not covered by this Privacy Policy. It is handled under the confidentiality and data protection terms of the separate client agreement.

3. Why We Process Personal Data (Purposes)

We process personal data for the following purposes:

  • To respond to inquiries submitted through the contact form

  • To schedule introductory or exploratory calls

  • To assess whether we are a good fit to work together

  • To send the Behind The Round newsletter to subscribers who have consented

  • To deliver free resources (lead magnets) to subscribers

  • To include relevant promotional content about our digital products, services, and occasional sponsored content in the newsletter

  • To perform website analytics and understand site usage

  • To improve the performance, structure, and content of the website

  • To analyse demand for services and improve marketing efforts (aggregated data only)

  • To meet legal, accounting, and business compliance requirements

4. Our Legal Bases for Processing (Art. 6 GDPR)

We rely on the following legal bases for processing personal data:

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) - For sending the Behind The Round newsletter and delivering lead magnets. Consent is obtained via a clear notice displayed beneath the subscription form prior to submission. You may withdraw consent at any time by unsubscribing via the link in any newsletter issue, or by contacting us at nik@nikyanev.com. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) - Analytics & Embedded ContentFor analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4, Framer Analytics) and YouTube embeds, obtained via the cookie banner on your first visit.

Legitimate Interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) - For processing inquiries submitted through the contact form, as individuals voluntarily request to be contacted. We have conducted a legitimate interest assessment and determined our interest does not override your rights and freedoms.

Legal Obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) - For retaining records and fulfilling statutory obligations (e.g., accounting, tax, and compliance requirements).

5. Who We Share Personal Data With

We use third-party service providers who process data on our behalf as data processors. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data.

Analytics & Website

  • Framer — website hosting and analytics

  • Google Analytics 4

  • Google Tag Manager

Communication & Storage

  • Google Forms — contact and discovery call form

  • Gmail / Google Workspace — email communication

  • Google Drive — document storage

  • Notion — internal note-keeping; data is not shared externally

Newsletter & Lead Magnets

  • Beehiiv — newsletter platform; stores subscriber email addresses, subscription timestamps, and IP addresses

  • Carrd — landing page hosting; does not collect or process personal data

Domain Services

  • Superhosting.bg and GoDaddy — domain registration only

Fundraise Ready Products

Digital products and bootcamps are sold under the Fundraise Ready brand at www.fundraise-ready.com, operated under a separate legal entity. Personal data collected in connection with those transactions is governed by the Fundraise Ready Privacy Policy, not this document.

6. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers are based outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and may process your data in the United States or other countries. We ensure all such transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards:

  • Google (Analytics 4, Workspace, Tag Manager, Forms, Drive) — transfers protected under the EU–US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) and Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission.

  • Beehiiv — stores all subscriber data within AWS infrastructure in the United States. Transfers are protected by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission.

  • Notion — transfers protected by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

  • Framer — transfers protected by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law.

Inquiry emails and contact form submissions - Retained for up to 5 years after our last communication, for business records and compliance purposes.

Newsletter subscriber data - Retained for as long as you remain subscribed. After unsubscribing, your email address and subscription record are retained for up to 3 years for compliance and consent audit trail purposes, after which the data is deleted. You may request earlier deletion by contacting us (see Section 11).

Analytics data - Stored according to Google Analytics 4 and Framer default retention settings (typically 14 months unless configured otherwise).

Client engagement data - Handled exclusively under the separate client agreement, not this policy.

8. Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

  • Two-factor authentication on all relevant accounts

  • Secure website hosting via Framer

  • Encrypted data storage by third-party processors (Google, Beehiiv, Notion)

  • Access limited to authorised personnel only

  • Secure data transmission via HTTPS

However, no online system is entirely risk-free. You use the website and submit data at your own discretion.

9. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies for:

  • Website analytics and performance tracking (Google Analytics 4, Framer Analytics)

  • Embedded YouTube video functionality

A cookie banner will appear on your first visit, allowing you to accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can change your preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the site.

10. Children

We do not target or knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 18 years old. If we identify that such data has been collected, we will delete it promptly.

11. Your GDPR Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you

  • Rectification — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data

  • Erasure — request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”), where legally permitted

  • Restriction — request that we limit the processing of your data in certain circumstances

  • Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interest

  • Withdrawal of consent — withdraw your newsletter consent at any time via the unsubscribe link or by contacting us

  • Data portability — receive a structured, machine-readable copy of data you have provided to us

  • Lodge a complaint — with a supervisory authority

In Bulgaria, the supervisory authority is:

Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) — https://www.cpdp.bg/

To exercise any of your rights, contact us at: nik@nikyanev.com. We will respond within 30 days as required by GDPR.

12. Fundraise Ready (Separate Brand & Policy)

Fundraise Ready is a separate product brand operated under a distinct legal entity, offering digital resources, workshops, and bootcamps for startup founders. Products are sold at www.fundraise-ready.com.

Any personal data collected in connection with Fundraise Ready products — including payment information, purchase records, or course access — is governed by the Fundraise Ready Privacy Policy published at www.fundraise-ready.com. This Privacy Policy does not cover those transactions.

13. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our data processing activities, new services, or legal requirements. The latest version will always be available at nikyanev.com/privacy.

For material changes — such as the introduction of new data processors or significant changes to how we use your data — we will notify active newsletter subscribers by email before the change takes effect.