Terms of service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Castanet— websites, applications, APIs, and related services (the "platform") — operated by ALT-PI FINTECH PRIVATE LIMITED("we", "us", "our"), a private limited company incorporated in India with its registered office in Mumbai, Maharashtra. By creating an account, subscribing, or otherwise using the services, you agree to these Terms. If you are using Castanet on behalf of an organisation, you represent that you have authority to bind that organisation, and "you" includes that organisation.

Our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Acceptable Use policies are incorporated by reference. Please read them carefully.

1. The services

Castanet provides software for startup discovery, structured profiles and pitches, and communication between founders and investors(the "Services"). We may add, modify, suspend, or discontinue features on reasonable notice where practicable.

Castanet is not a broker, investment adviser, bank, or exchange. We do not facilitate investment transactions, escrow, or the transfer of funds. Any introduction or conversation on the platform is between you and other users. You are solely responsible for your decisions, compliance with securities and other laws, and for obtaining your own legal, tax, and financial advice.

2. Eligibility and accounts

You must be at least the age of majority where you live and able to form a binding contract. You must provide accurate identity and entity information and keep it up to date. We may verify details, delay publication, or refuse service where information is incomplete, misleading, or high risk. The Services are currently oriented toward users and entities based in India; access from other regions may be limited or unsupported.

You are responsible for safeguarding your credentials and for all activity under your account. Notify us promptly at trust@castanet.info if you suspect unauthorised access.

3. Subscription plans and options

Certain features require an active subscription and/or internal points as described in the product. We offer different plans for different participant types (for example startups and investors), with feature sets that may include listing limits, discovery, placement, storage, follows, filters, and in-product tools.

Illustrative plan families on our marketing pages include, for startups, Starter and Growth, and for investors, Explorer and Active. Authoritative terms, pricing, duration, and entitlements for your purchase are those shown in your in-app subscription and billing experience (and confirmed at checkout), because plans, prices, and benefits may change from time to time.

Billing intervals we may offer include monthly, quarterly, and annual subscriptions, as available for your plan. Unless we state otherwise or you turn off renewal where the product allows, subscriptions may renew automatically for successive periods at the then-current rate. You can view status, renewal settings, and history in the Subscription area when signed in.

Points are an in-platform balance that may be required to activate or renew certain plans or to purchase add-ons, as described in the product. Points are not legal tender, are non-transferable except as we expressly allow, and may expire or be forfeited on account closure or breach of these Terms.

Taxes. Stated fees are exclusive of applicable taxes unless we say otherwise. You are responsible for any GST, withholding, or other taxes applicable to your purchase, except taxes on our net income. We may collect and remit GST or similar taxes in line with Indian law where we are required to do so. Export of tax-compliant invoices (for example against a valid GSTIN you provide) may be available in settings or billing communications where supported.

Price changes. We may change subscription prices or point economics prospectively. We will give reasonable notice where required by law; continued use or renewal after the effective date may constitute acceptance of new prices.

4. Fees, payment, and refund policy

You agree to pay all fees associated with your selected plan and any points or add-ons you purchase. Payments are processed by payment partners we engage; card and payment terms may also be subject to their rules. If a renewal charge fails, we may suspend access or downgrade features after any grace period shown in the product.

No refunds on subscriptions (general policy). Subscription and points purchases are final and non-refundable except where we are required to provide a remedy under applicable law. This policy exists because we commit to substantial upfront costs — including payments to infrastructure, security, hosting, and other vendors — to operate Castanet reliably; those obligations are incurred when subscriptions are sold, not when the billing period ends. By subscribing, you acknowledge that we generally do not refund subscription fees for partial periods, lack of use, dissatisfaction, change of mind, or account closure initiated by you.

Limited exceptions. Nothing in this section limits your statutory rights as a consumer where those rights cannot be waived. We may, at our sole discretion, issue credits or refunds where there was a clear duplicate charge, a processing error attributable to us, or prolonged outage caused by our systems — but we are not obligated to do so except as the law requires. If you have a billing concern, contact us promptly at trust@castanet.info with transaction details.

5. Your content and licence

You retain ownership of materials you submit ("Your Content"). You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, process, reproduce, display, and distribute Your Content solely to operate, promote, and improve the Services and to comply with law. You represent that you have all rights necessary to grant this licence and that Your Content does not violate law or third-party rights.

Initial listings or other materials may be subject to administrative review. We may remove or restrict content that violates these Terms, our Acceptable Use policy, or law, without rewriting your submissions on your behalf unless we agree otherwise.

6. Our intellectual property

The Services, including software, branding, and documentation, are protected by intellectual property laws. Except for the limited rights expressly granted in these Terms, we reserve all rights. You may not copy, modify, reverse engineer, scrape, or resell the Services except where law permits despite this restriction.

7. Acceptable use and enforcement

You must use the Services only in compliance with these Terms and our Acceptable Use policy. We may suspend or terminate access, remove content, or cooperate with authorities where we reasonably believe there is abuse, fraud, risk to others, or legal requirement.

8. Third parties

The Services may link to or interoperate with third-party sites or tools. We are not responsible for third-party content, practices, or failures. Your dealings with other users are solely between you and them.

9. Disclaimers

THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. WE DO NOT WARRANT UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OPERATION OR THAT THE SERVICES WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS OR PRODUCE ANY PARTICULAR INVESTMENT OUTCOME.

10. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL WE OR OUR DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, OR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, OR LOST OPPORTUNITIES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICES. OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATING TO THE SERVICES IN ANY TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID TO US FOR THE SERVICES IN THAT PERIOD OR (B) INR 5,000. THESE LIMITATIONS APPLY WHETHER THE CLAIM IS BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR ANY OTHER THEORY, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; in those cases our liability is limited to the fullest extent permitted by law.

11. Indemnity

You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless us and our directors, officers, employees, and affiliates from any third-party claims, damages, losses, or costs (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of Your Content, your use of the Services, your breach of these Terms, or your violation of law or third-party rights.

12. Term and termination

These Terms apply from your first use until terminated. You may stop using the Services and, where the product allows, close your account. We may suspend or terminate access for breach, risk, inactivity, legal requirement, or discontinuation of the Services (with notice where practicable). Provisions that by nature should survive (including intellectual property, disclaimers, limitations, indemnity, and dispute resolution) will survive termination.

13. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of India, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Subject to mandatory provisions applicable to consumers, you agree that the courts located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India shall have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising from these Terms or the Services, except that we may seek interim or equitable relief in any competent court.

14. Changes to these Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time. We will post the updated Terms on this page and update the "Last updated" date. Where changes are material and the law requires notice or consent, we will provide that notice or obtain consent as appropriate. Continued use after the effective date may constitute acceptance of the revised Terms.

15. Miscellaneous

If any provision is unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them in connection with a merger or sale of assets. Notices to you may be sent to your account email or posted in the product.

16. Contact

For questions about these Terms, visit our Contact page, email hello@castanet.info for general matters, or trust@castanet.info for compliance and billing disputes.