Privacy policy

Privacy policy

With this Data Protection Statement we, AKENZA AG (hereinafter we or us), describe how we collect and further process personal data. This Data Protection Statement is not necessarily a comprehensive description of our data processing. It is possible that other data protection statements or agreed contractual terms or similar documents are applicable to specific circumstances.


The term "personal data" in this Data Protection Statement to shall mean any information that identifies, or could reasonably be used to identify any person.


If you provide us with personal data of other persons (such as family members, work colleagues), please make sure the respective persons are aware of this Data Protection Statement and only provide us with their data if you are allowed to do so and such personal data is correct.


This Data Protection Statement is in line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Although the GDPR is a regulation of the European Union (EU), it may be relevant for us.

Controller, Data Protection Officer and Representative

The "controller" of data processing as described in this data protection statement (i.e. the responsible person) is:

AKENZA AG
Binzmühlestrasse 170A
8050 Zurich
Switzerland
Email: ask@akenza.io

You can notify us of any data protection-related concerns using the contact details specified above.

You can also contact our data protection officer pursuant to art. 37 GDPR using the following contact details, who additionally is our representative in the EEA according to art. 27 GDPR:

VGS Datenschutzpartner UG
Am Kaiserkai 69
20457 Hamburg
Germany
Email: info@datenschutzpartner.ch

Collection and Processing of Personal Data

We primarily process personal data that we obtain from our clients and other business partners as well as other individuals in the context of our business relationships with them or that we collect from users when operating our websites and applications.


Insofar as it is permitted to us, we obtain certain personal data from publicly accessible sources (e.g., debt registers, land registries, commercial registers, press, internet) or we may receive such information from affiliated companies of AKENZA AG, from authorities or other third parties. Apart from data you provided to us directly, the categories of data we receive about you from third parties include, but are not limited to, information from public registers, information in connection with your professional role and activities (e.g., in order to conclude and carry out contracts with your employer), information about you in correspondence and discussions with third parties, information about you given to us by individuals associated with you (consultants, legal representatives, etc.) in order to conclude or process contracts with you or with your involvement (e.g. references, your delivery-address, powers of attorney), information regarding legal regulations such as anti-money laundering and export restrictions, bank details, our distributors and other business partners for the purpose of ordering or delivering services to you, information about you found in the media or internet (insofar as indicated in the specific case, e.g. in connection with job applications, media reviews, marketing/sales, etc.), your address and any interests and other socio-demographic data (for marketing purposes), data in connection with your use of our websites (e.g., IP address, MAC address of your smartphone or computers, information regarding your device and settings, cookies, date and time of your visit, sites and content retrieved, applications used, referring website, localization data).


As a SaaS platform, we build our cold email outreach list very carefully. We identify prospects who may require our platform to build Internet of Things applications. We use LinkedIn and different AI-based tools that help us find the email addresses of the prospects. We engage in the best practice of removing the people from our mailing list if people do not engage with our emails after 30 days of sending an email.

Purpose of Data Processing and Legal Grounds

We primarily use collected data in order to conclude and process contracts with our clients and business partners, in particular in connection with the operation of our Internet of Things (IoT) platform for our clients and the procurement of products and services from our suppliers and subcontractors, as well as in order to comply with our domestic and foreign legal obligations. You may be affected by our data processing in your capacity as an employee of such a client or business partner.

In addition, in line with applicable law and where appropriate, we may process your personal data and personal data of third parties for the following purposes, which are in our (or, as the case may be, any third parties') legitimate interest, such as:

  • providing and developing our services and websites, applications and other platforms, on which we are active;

  • communication with third parties and processing of their requests (e.g., job applications, media inquiries);

  • review and optimization of procedures regarding needs assessment for the purpose of direct customer approach as well as obtaining personal data from publicly accessible sources for customer acquisition;

  • advertisement and marketing (including organizing events), provided that you have not objected to the use of your data for this purpose (if you are part of our customer base and you receive our advertisement, you may object at any time and we will place you on a blacklist against further advertising mailings);

  • market and opinion research, media surveillance;

  • asserting legal claims and defense in legal disputes and official proceedings;

  • prevention and investigation of criminal offences and other misconduct (e.g. conducting internal investigations, data analysis to combat fraud);

  • ensuring our operation, including our IT, our websites, applications and other appliances;

  • surveillance of use and condition of products, services and data in fulfilment of our services;

  • acquisition and sale of business divisions, companies or parts of companies and other corporate transactions and the transfer of personal data related thereto as well as measures for business management and compliance with legal and regulatory obligations.

If you have given us your consent to process your personal data for certain purposes (for example when registering to receive newsletters or carrying out a background check), we will process your personal data within the scope of and based on this consent, unless we have another legal basis, provided that we require one. Consent given can be withdrawn at any time, but this does not affect data processed prior to withdrawal.

Cookies / Tracking and Other Techniques Regarding the Use of our Website

We typically use "cookies" and similar techniques on our websites and applications, which allow for an identification of your browser or device. A cookie is a small text file that is sent to your computer and automatically saved by the web browser on your computer or mobile device, when you visit our website or use our applications. If you revisit our website or applications, we may recognize you, even if we do not know your identity. Besides cookies that are only used during a session and deleted after your visit of the website ("session cookies"), we may use cookies in order to save user configurations and other information for a certain time period (e.g., two years) ("permanent cookies"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may configure your browser settings in a way that it rejects cookies, only saves them for one session or deletes them prematurely. Most browsers are preset to accept cookies. We use permanent cookies for the purpose of saving user configuration (e.g., language, automated log in), in order to understand how you use our services and content, and to enable to show you customized offers and advertisement (which may also happen on websites of other companies; should your identity be known to us, such companies will not learn your identity from us; they will only know that the same user is visiting their website has previously visited a certain website). If you block cookies, it is possible that certain functions (such as, e.g., ordering processes) are no longer available to you.

By using our websites and applications and consenting to the receipt of newsletters and other marketing e-mails you agree to our use of such techniques. If you object, you must configure your browser or e-mail program accordingly.

We may use Google Analytics or similar services on our website. These are services provided by third parties, which may be located in any country worldwide (in the case of Google Analytics Google LLC is in the U.S., www.google.com) and which allow us to measure and evaluate the use of our website (on an anonymized basis). For this purpose, permanent cookies are used, which are set by the service provider. The service provider does not receive (and does not retain) any personal data from us, but the service provider may track your use of the website, combine this information with data from other websites you have visited and which are also tracked by the respective service provider and may use this information for its own purposes (e.g. to controlling of advertisements). If you have registered with the service provider, the service provider will also know your identity. In this case, the processing of your personal data by the service provider will be conducted in accordance with its data protection regulations. The service provider only provides us with data on the use of the respective website (but not any personal information of you).

We use Hotjar in order to better understand our users’ needs and to optimize this service and experience. Hotjar is a technology service that helps us better understand our users’ experience and this enables us to build and maintain our service with user feedback. Hotjar uses cookies and other technologies to collect data on our users’ behavior and their devices. This includes a device's IP address (processed during your session and stored in a de-identified form), device screen size, device type (unique device identifiers), browser information, geographic location (country only), and the preferred language used to display our website. Hotjar stores this information on our behalf in a pseudonymized user profile. Hotjar is contractually forbidden to sell any of the data collected on our behalf.

Datatransfer and Transfer of Data Abroad

In the context of our business activities and in line with the purposes of the data processing set out in Section 3, we may transfer data to third parties, insofar as such a transfer is permitted and we deem it appropriate, in order for them to process data for us or, as the case may be, their own purposes. In particular, the following categories of recipients may be concerned:

  • our service providers (such as e.g. banks, insurances), including processors (such as e.g. IT providers);

  • suppliers, subcontractors and other business partners;

  • clients;

  • domestic and foreign authorities or courts;

  • the public, including users of our websites and social media;

  • acquirers or parties interested in the acquisition of business divisions;

  • other parties in possible or pending legal proceedings;

together Recipients.

Certain Recipients may be within Switzerland but they may be located in any country worldwide. In particular, you must anticipate your data to be transmitted to any country where our service providers and business partners are located (such as Google, Mixpanel, Intercom, Hubspot). If we transfer data to a country without adequate legal data protection, we ensure an appropriate level of protection as legally required by way of using appropriate contracts (in particular on the basis of the standard contract clauses of the European Commission) or we rely on the statutory exceptions of consent, performance of contracts, the establishment, exercise or enforcement of legal claims, overriding public interests, published personal data or because it is necessary to protect the integrity of the persons concerned. You can obtain a copy of the mentioned contractual guarantees at any time from the contact person named under Section 1. However, we reserve the right to redact copies for data protection reasons or reasons of secrecy or to produces excerpts only.

In the context of our business activities and in line with the purposes of the data processing set out in Section 3, we may transfer data to third parties, insofar as such a transfer is permitted and we deem it appropriate, in order for them to process data for us or, as the case may be, their own purposes. In particular, the following categories of recipients may be concerned:

  • our service providers (such as e.g. banks, insurances), including processors (such as e.g. IT providers);

  • suppliers, subcontractors and other business partners;

  • clients;

  • domestic and foreign authorities or courts;

  • the public, including users of our websites and social media;

  • acquirers or parties interested in the acquisition of business divisions;

  • other parties in possible or pending legal proceedings;

together Recipients.

Certain Recipients may be within Switzerland but they may be located in any country worldwide. In particular, you must anticipate your data to be transmitted to any country where our service providers and business partners are located (such as Google, Mixpanel, Intercom, Hubspot). If we transfer data to a country without adequate legal data protection, we ensure an appropriate level of protection as legally required by way of using appropriate contracts (in particular on the basis of the standard contract clauses of the European Commission) or we rely on the statutory exceptions of consent, performance of contracts, the establishment, exercise or enforcement of legal claims, overriding public interests, published personal data or because it is necessary to protect the integrity of the persons concerned. You can obtain a copy of the mentioned contractual guarantees at any time from the contact person named under Section 1. However, we reserve the right to redact copies for data protection reasons or reasons of secrecy or to produces excerpts only.

Retention Periods for your Personal Data

We process and retain your personal data as long as required for the performance of our contractual obligation and compliance with legal obligations or other purposes pursued with the processing, i.e. for the duration of the entire business relationship (from the initiation, during the performance of the contract until it is terminated) as well as beyond this duration in accordance with legal retention and documentation obligations. Personal data may be retained for the period during which claims can be asserted against our company or insofar as we are otherwise legally obliged to do so or if legitimate business interests require further retention (e.g., for evidence and documentation purposes). As soon as your personal data are no longer required for the above-mentioned purposes, they will be deleted or anonymized, to the extent possible. In general, shorter retention periods of no more than twelve months apply for operational data (e.g., system logs).

We process and retain your personal data as long as required for the performance of our contractual obligation and compliance with legal obligations or other purposes pursued with the processing, i.e. for the duration of the entire business relationship (from the initiation, during the performance of the contract until it is terminated) as well as beyond this duration in accordance with legal retention and documentation obligations. Personal data may be retained for the period during which claims can be asserted against our company or insofar as we are otherwise legally obliged to do so or if legitimate business interests require further retention (e.g., for evidence and documentation purposes). As soon as your personal data are no longer required for the above-mentioned purposes, they will be deleted or anonymized, to the extent possible. In general, shorter retention periods of no more than twelve months apply for operational data (e.g., system logs).

Data Security

We have taken appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data from unauthorized access and misuse such as, IT and network security solutions, access controls and restrictions, inspections.

We have taken appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data from unauthorized access and misuse such as, IT and network security solutions, access controls and restrictions, inspections.

Obligation to Provide Personal Data To Us

In the context of our business relationship you must provide us with any personal data that is necessary for the conclusion and performance of a business relationship and the performance of our contractual obligations (as a rule, there is no statutory requirement to provide us with data). Without this information, we will usually not be able to enter into or carry out a contract with you (or the entity or person you represent). In addition, the website cannot be used unless certain information is disclosed to enable data traffic (e.g. IP address).

In the context of our business relationship you must provide us with any personal data that is necessary for the conclusion and performance of a business relationship and the performance of our contractual obligations (as a rule, there is no statutory requirement to provide us with data). Without this information, we will usually not be able to enter into or carry out a contract with you (or the entity or person you represent). In addition, the website cannot be used unless certain information is disclosed to enable data traffic (e.g. IP address).

Profiling

We may partially process your personal data automatically with the aim of evaluating certain personal aspects (profiling). In particular, profiling allows us to inform and advise you about products possibly relevant for you more accurately. For this purpose, we may use evaluation tools such as Intercom that enable us to communicate with you and advertise you as required, including market and opinion research.

We may partially process your personal data automatically with the aim of evaluating certain personal aspects (profiling). In particular, profiling allows us to inform and advise you about products possibly relevant for you more accurately. For this purpose, we may use evaluation tools such as Intercom that enable us to communicate with you and advertise you as required, including market and opinion research.

Your Rights

In accordance with and as far as provided by applicable law (as is the case where the GDPR is applicable), you have the right to access, rectification and erasure of your personal data, the right to restriction of processing or to object to our data processing in addition to right to receive certain personal data for transfer to another controller (data portability). Please note, however, that we reserve the right to enforce statutory restrictions on our part, for example if we are obliged to retain or process certain data, have an overriding interest (insofar as we may invoke such interests) or need the data for asserting claims. If exercising certain rights will incur costs on you, we will notify you thereof in advance. We have already informed you of the possibility to withdraw consent in Section 3 above. Please further note that the exercise of these rights may be in conflict with your contractual obligations and this may result in consequences such as premature contract termination or involve costs. If this is the case, we will inform you in advance unless it has already been contractually agreed upon.

In general, exercising these rights requires that you are able to prove your identity (e.g., by a copy of identification documents where your identity is not evident otherwise or can be verified in another way). In order to assert these rights, please contact us at the addresses provided in Section 1 above.

In addition, every data subject has the right to enforce his/her rights in court or to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority. The competent data protection authority of Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (http://www.edoeb.admin.ch).

In accordance with and as far as provided by applicable law (as is the case where the GDPR is applicable), you have the right to access, rectification and erasure of your personal data, the right to restriction of processing or to object to our data processing in addition to right to receive certain personal data for transfer to another controller (data portability). Please note, however, that we reserve the right to enforce statutory restrictions on our part, for example if we are obliged to retain or process certain data, have an overriding interest (insofar as we may invoke such interests) or need the data for asserting claims. If exercising certain rights will incur costs on you, we will notify you thereof in advance. We have already informed you of the possibility to withdraw consent in Section 3 above. Please further note that the exercise of these rights may be in conflict with your contractual obligations and this may result in consequences such as premature contract termination or involve costs. If this is the case, we will inform you in advance unless it has already been contractually agreed upon.

In general, exercising these rights requires that you are able to prove your identity (e.g., by a copy of identification documents where your identity is not evident otherwise or can be verified in another way). In order to assert these rights, please contact us at the addresses provided in Section 1 above.

In addition, every data subject has the right to enforce his/her rights in court or to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority. The competent data protection authority of Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (http://www.edoeb.admin.ch).

Amendments of this Data Protection Statement

We may amend this Data Protection Statement at any time without prior notice. The current version published on our website shall apply. If the Data Protection Statement is part of an agreement with you, we will notify you by e-mail or other appropriate means in case of an amendment.

We may amend this Data Protection Statement at any time without prior notice. The current version published on our website shall apply. If the Data Protection Statement is part of an agreement with you, we will notify you by e-mail or other appropriate means in case of an amendment.

Zürich, May 16th, 2023

Privacy policy

Privacy policy