Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 16, 2025

1. Introduction

Hephaistos ("we", "our", or "us"), currently operating as an unincorporated venture based in Switzerland, is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services related to de novo enzyme design.

2. Information We Collect

We collect and process limited information:

  • Personal identification information (name, email address, phone number) when you contact us through our contact form
  • Technical data collected through Vercel Web Analytics, which may include browser information, operating system, and device information
  • Performance data collected through Vercel Speed Insights, which may include Web Vitals metrics, browser information, device type, and network conditions
  • Usage data on how you interact with our website, including page views, top pages visited, and referrer information

We do not use cookies or other tracking technologies on our website. Vercel Web Analytics uses privacy-friendly methods that don't rely on cookies - instead, visitors are identified by a hash created from the incoming request which is valid for a single day and automatically reset afterward. Similarly, Vercel Speed Insights anonymously collects performance data to help us improve website speed and user experience without relying on cookies or personal identifiers.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information only for:

  • Responding to your inquiries and requests submitted via our contact form
  • Understanding basic website usage patterns through anonymized analytics
  • Measuring and improving website performance and user experience
  • Improving our website and services
  • Compliance with legal obligations

4. Data Retention

Contact information submitted through our forms is stored in our email inbox and retained only as long as necessary to address your inquiry and maintain basic business records, typically not exceeding 3 years after our last interaction.

5. Data Protection

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Third-Party Services

We use Vercel for website hosting and their analytics services. Vercel Web Analytics provides information on visitors, page views, bounce rates, demographics (including country, operating system, and browser information), top pages, and top referrers. Vercel Speed Insights collects performance metrics such as Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and other Web Vitals to help us optimize website performance. For more information about Vercel's data practices, please refer to their Privacy Policy. We do not share your contact information with third parties except where required by law.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under Swiss data protection law (Federal Act on Data Protection) and GDPR, you have certain rights regarding your personal data, including:

  • The right to access your data
  • The right to rectify inaccurate data
  • The right to erasure of your data ("right to be forgotten")
  • The right to restrict processing
  • The right to data portability
  • The right to object to processing
  • The right to withdraw consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under 16 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Hephaistos

Email: hello@hephaistos.bio

[Address]

Switzerland

[Once incorporated, we will update this policy with our full business registration details.]