Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you voluntarily provide when using the Platform:

Builder Applications: Name, email address, state/location, skills and capabilities, tools and equipment, production capacity estimates, and prior manufacturing experience.

Customer Inquiries: Organization name, contact name, email address, production requirements, and timeline information.

Communications: Any correspondence you send to Aedes through the Platform.

Automatically Collected Data: Standard server log data including IP addresses, browser type, referring URLs, pages visited, and timestamps. We use this data to operate the Platform and detect abuse. We do not use tracking cookies for advertising purposes.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Evaluate builder applications and determine network eligibility • Respond to customer production inquiries and capability assessments • Communicate with you about your application, inquiry, or participation status • Send operational communications related to the Platform or your participation • Improve the Platform and our services • Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, or security incidents • Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

3. Information Sharing

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers: We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Platform (such as email delivery services, hosting providers, and analytics tools). These providers are contractually required to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Legal Requirements: We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Aedes, our users, or the public.

Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.

With Your Consent: We may share information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so.

We will not share builder application data or customer inquiry data with other builders or customers without your prior consent.

4. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Builder application data: Retained for up to 3 years from the date of application or the date of last network participation, whichever is later.

Customer inquiry data: Retained for up to 3 years from the date of inquiry or the conclusion of any resulting business relationship.

You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 7 below). We will honor such requests subject to any legal obligations requiring retention.

5. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (HTTPS), access controls, and security monitoring.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information. In the event of a data breach that affects your rights, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

6. Cookies and Tracking

The Platform uses only essential cookies necessary for basic site functionality (such as session management). We do not use advertising cookies, cross-site tracking pixels, or third-party analytics that collect personally identifiable information.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect certain Platform functionality.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights with respect to your personal information:

Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information. Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements. Restriction: Request that we limit our processing of your information. Portability: Request your information in a structured, machine-readable format. Objection: Object to our processing of your information in certain circumstances.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us through the inquiry form at aedesmfg.com. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request. We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

8. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a minor without parental consent, we will delete that information promptly. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately.

9. Third-Party Links

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. We will post the updated Policy on the Platform with a revised effective date. For material changes, we will provide additional notice where feasible. Your continued use of the Platform after any change constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

11. Contact

For questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us through the inquiry form at aedesmfg.com. We are committed to resolving privacy concerns promptly and in good faith.