1. Seller and Contracting Party
Foundernotes (the "Service") is operated by Caroline Schmidt, Brabanter Straße 25, 50672 Köln, Germany ("we", "us", "Seller"). By using the Service you enter into a contract with the Seller.
2. Acceptance of Terms
By creating an account, accessing or using the Service in any way, you agree to these Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree, you must not use the Service. You confirm that you are of legal age and, if acting on behalf of an organisation, that you have authority to bind it.
3. The Service
Foundernotes is an interactive web application that helps founders structure their business idea into a validated business plan through guided chapters, AI-assisted analysis, and feedback tools.
4. Payments, Billing and Merchant of Record
Our order process is conducted by our online reseller Paddle.com. Paddle.com is the Merchant of Record for all our orders. Paddle provides all customer service inquiries and handles returns. Payment, billing, applicable taxes and invoicing are processed by Paddle in accordance with Paddle's Buyer Terms, which apply to your purchase in addition to these Terms.
Foundernotes is offered as a one-time purchase. Prices are shown at checkout in your local currency where supported. You authorise Paddle to charge the payment method you provide for the total amount displayed at checkout.
5. Refunds
Refund requests are handled in accordance with our Refund Policy and Paddle's refund processes. To request a refund, please visit paddle.net or contact us at caroline.schmidt.28@gmail.com.
6. Acceptable Use
You agree not to misuse the Service. In particular, you must not:
- use the Service for any unlawful, fraudulent or deceptive purpose;
- send spam, malware or other harmful content;
- infringe the intellectual property or privacy rights of any third party;
- probe, scan, scrape or attempt to interfere with the security or integrity of the Service or its underlying systems;
- reverse engineer, resell or redistribute the Service or its content;
- share your account credentials with third parties.
7. Intellectual Property
The Service, including its software, design, content, branding and documentation, is owned by the Seller and protected by intellectual property laws. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Service for your personal or internal business purposes. Content you enter into your journal remains yours; you grant us a limited licence to host and process it solely to provide the Service.
8. AI-Generated Output
The Service uses third-party AI models (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic) to generate strategic analyses and suggestions. AI output may be inaccurate or incomplete and does not constitute legal, financial, investment, tax or other professional advice. You are responsible for verifying any output before relying on it and for ensuring you have the rights to any content you submit as input.
9. Service Availability
We make reasonable efforts to keep the Service available but do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. To the fullest extent permitted by law, all implied warranties (including merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose) are disclaimed.
10. Suspension and Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service, with or without notice, if:
- you materially breach these Terms;
- payment is not received or is reversed;
- we reasonably suspect fraud, abuse or a security risk; or
- we are required to do so by law.
On termination your right to use the Service ends. Where reasonably possible, you will be able to export your data for a limited period before deletion.
11. Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Seller's aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Service is limited to the fees you paid for the Service in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. We are not liable for indirect, consequential or special damages, including loss of profits, data or goodwill. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability for fraud, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
12. Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold the Seller harmless from any claim arising from your content, your use of the Service, or your breach of these Terms.
13. Changes to the Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via the Service or by email. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, excluding its conflict-of-law rules and the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Mandatory consumer protection rights of your country of residence remain unaffected. The courts of Köln, Germany have non-exclusive jurisdiction.
15. Contact
Caroline Schmidt, Brabanter Straße 25, 50672 Köln, Germany. E-Mail: caroline.schmidt.28@gmail.com.