Disclaimer

Seed (the "Platform") is a startup discovery and ecosystem platform owned and operated by Africa Geek Circle Network, a company incorporated under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

This Disclaimer applies to information, profiles, startup listings, founder information, investor-facing features, verification features, directories, articles, interviews, newsletters, events, communications, documents and other content or services made available through Seed.

References to "Seed", "we", "us" or "our" refer to Africa Geek Circle Network and the Seed platform as applicable.

This Disclaimer should be read together with our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and any specific terms applicable to a particular Platform feature or service.

Seed acts primarily as an intermediary that facilitates startup discovery, visibility, information exchange and connections between founders, investors, strategic partners, mentors and other participants in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Unless expressly stated otherwise in a separate written agreement and where lawfully authorised, Seed does not:

• Negotiate or conclude investments or other transactions on behalf of users.
• Receive or hold investment funds on behalf of users.
• Act as an investment manager, portfolio manager, broker or dealer.
• Act as a securities exchange or crowdfunding intermediary.
• Guarantee that a founder or startup will receive funding.
• Guarantee that an investor will identify or complete a suitable investment.
• Become a party to an investment, partnership, employment, financing or other agreement entered into between users.

Users enter communications, negotiations and transactions with one another independently and at their own discretion.

Nothing on Seed constitutes investment, financial, securities, legal, tax, accounting or other professional advice.

Unless expressly stated otherwise in relation to a separately regulated and lawfully authorised service, Seed does not act as an investment adviser, portfolio manager, broker, dealer, issuing house, crowdfunding intermediary, securities exchange, fund manager or financial institution.

Content, rankings, startup profiles, badges, recommendations, search results, investor-interest indicators, featured placements, articles and other Platform information are provided for discovery and informational purposes and should not be treated as personalised investment advice.

You should obtain independent advice from appropriately qualified and, where required, regulated professionals before making an investment, financial, legal, tax or other material decision.

Unless expressly stated otherwise in connection with a service that is lawfully authorised to do so, nothing published, displayed or communicated through Seed constitutes:

• An offer or invitation to purchase, subscribe for or sell shares, securities or financial instruments.
• A solicitation of funds or an invitation to participate in an investment scheme.
• A recommendation that a particular person should invest in a startup or transaction.
• A representation that an investment or opportunity is suitable for a particular user.
• A guarantee or assurance of investment returns, liquidity, capital preservation, fundraising success or future performance.

A startup profile, pitch deck, fundraising status or other information identifying a startup as seeking investment does not mean that Seed is itself offering securities, soliciting funds or recommending that users invest.

Much of the information available through Seed is supplied by founders, startups, investors, authorised representatives and other third parties.

Although Seed may review information, request clarification, moderate content or conduct limited verification, we do not independently guarantee that user-submitted information is complete, accurate, current, lawful or free from error.

Startup information may include, among other things, company descriptions, team information, market information, traction, customer information, funding history, revenue information, fundraising targets, pitch decks, financial models, financial projections, cap tables, company documents and statements about future plans.

Financial information, projections, forecasts, valuations, targets and forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and may depend on assumptions that later prove to be incorrect. Actual results may differ materially from information presented by a startup or other user.

Information may also become inaccurate or outdated after it has been submitted. Users should verify information that is material to their decisions directly with the relevant founder, startup, investor or appropriate independent source.

Seed may provide verification features, badges, profile status indicators, rankings, featured placements or other Platform labels.

Any verification performed by Seed is limited to the specific checks expressly communicated by Seed for the relevant feature. A verification badge or status does not constitute a comprehensive audit or investigation.

Verification, approval, publication, ranking, featuring or continued presence on Seed does not constitute a guarantee, certification or representation by Seed concerning:

• The identity or intentions of every individual involved.
• Ownership of a startup or its assets.
• Financial standing or solvency.
• Accuracy of financial statements or projections.
• Regulatory or legal compliance.
• Investment suitability or investment worthiness.
• Commercial viability or likelihood of success.
• Future performance or returns.

Unless Seed expressly states otherwise, users should not treat a badge, ranking, placement or profile status as an endorsement of a founder, startup, investor, transaction or investment opportunity.

You are solely responsible for conducting appropriate independent due diligence before relying on Platform information or entering into a transaction, investment, partnership, employment relationship or other commercial arrangement with another user.

Depending on the nature of a proposed transaction, appropriate due diligence may include independently reviewing:

• Corporate registration and ownership records.
• Founder and management identities and authority.
• Financial statements, bank records and financial models.
• Revenue, customer and traction claims.
• Capitalisation tables and existing investor rights.
• Intellectual property ownership.
• Contracts and material commercial obligations.
• Licences, permits and regulatory compliance.
• Tax, employment and litigation matters.
• Any other information material to your particular decision.

You should engage qualified legal, financial, tax, accounting, technical or investment professionals where appropriate.

Investing in startups and early-stage businesses can involve substantial risk.

Risks may include business failure, loss of some or all invested capital, dilution, lack of liquidity, inability to sell an investment, changes in valuation, regulatory risk, market risk, execution risk, reliance on key personnel and the absence of a secondary market.

Historical performance, customer growth, revenue, previous funding, awards, press coverage, rankings, verification status or other past achievements do not guarantee future performance.

Forecasts, financial projections and statements concerning future growth, fundraising, profitability, market size, partnerships or expansion are forward-looking and inherently uncertain.

You should never invest money you cannot afford to lose and should evaluate whether a proposed investment is appropriate for your own circumstances with the assistance of qualified professionals where necessary.

Seed may facilitate discovery, introductions, expressions of interest, document requests and communications between users.

Unless Seed expressly agrees otherwise in a separate written agreement, Seed is not a party to communications, negotiations, term sheets, investment agreements, employment agreements, partnerships, payments or other transactions entered into between users.

Users are responsible for evaluating the identity, authority, intentions, representations and conduct of people and organisations with whom they interact.

Seed does not guarantee that another user will respond to an enquiry, proceed with a transaction, honour a representation, perform a contractual obligation, provide funding or produce any particular commercial outcome.

Any investment, funding, partnership, hiring or other commercial decision made by a user is made at that user's own risk, subject always to rights and liabilities that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Seed may publish founder interviews, startup profiles, articles, newsletters, reports, videos, podcasts, event content, educational resources and other editorial or promotional materials.

Such content is provided primarily for information, education, storytelling, discovery or promotional purposes. Unless expressly stated otherwise, it should not be interpreted as professional advice, investment research or a recommendation to enter into a transaction.

Featuring, interviewing, profiling, publishing or promoting a founder, startup, investor, organisation or ecosystem participant does not by itself constitute an endorsement, guarantee or recommendation by Seed.

Views, opinions and statements attributed to founders, investors, interviewees, contributors or other third parties are their own unless expressly stated to represent an official position of Seed.

Seed may contain links to or integrations with third-party websites, startup websites, social networks, payment providers, professional advisers, accelerators, investors, software providers and other external services.

Third-party services are operated independently from Seed and may be subject to their own terms, privacy policies, fees and regulatory requirements.

The presence of a link, integration, reference, logo or other third-party content on Seed does not necessarily constitute an endorsement or guarantee of that third party.

Seed is not responsible for the content, accuracy, availability, security, representations, products, services, privacy practices or conduct of third parties.

You should independently assess a third-party service and review its applicable legal terms before engaging with it.

Seed is provided through internet-based systems and services. We do not guarantee uninterrupted, secure or error-free availability.

The Platform or particular features may occasionally be unavailable, delayed, restricted or changed because of maintenance, upgrades, security incidents, technical failures, internet or hosting problems, third-party service failures, changes in law or circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

Information displayed through search, rankings, analytics, profile statistics or other automated systems may also be delayed, incomplete or affected by technical limitations.

We may correct errors, update information, change Platform features or temporarily restrict access where reasonably necessary to maintain or protect Seed.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Seed and its content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis.

Without limiting any right or protection that cannot lawfully be excluded, Seed does not guarantee that:

• The Platform will always be available or error-free.
• Every user, founder, startup, investor or organisation is genuine, compliant or suitable to transact with.
• User-submitted information will always be complete, accurate or current.
• A founder or startup will receive views, introductions, partnerships or funding.
• An investor will identify or complete a suitable or profitable investment.
• A communication or introduction will lead to a meeting, agreement, transaction or other successful outcome.
• A verification, ranking, badge, recommendation or featured placement will predict future success.

Nothing in this Disclaimer excludes or limits any mandatory warranty, remedy, consumer right or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

This Disclaimer forms part of Seed's broader legal and informational framework and should be read together with our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and any additional terms applicable to a particular service.

Our Terms of Use contain additional provisions concerning user responsibilities, confidentiality, intellectual property, termination, warranties, limitation of liability, indemnity and governing law.

This Disclaimer does not replace or override those Terms. If there is an inconsistency between this Disclaimer and a specific provision of the Terms of Use dealing with the same subject, the Terms of Use will govern to the extent of that inconsistency, subject to applicable law.

No statement in this Disclaimer excludes any liability or legal right that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

We may update this Disclaimer from time to time to reflect changes to Seed, Platform features, applicable law, regulatory requirements or our operating practices.

The effective date displayed at the top of this page indicates the version currently published.

Where an update materially affects how a Platform service is described or materially changes information relevant to users, we may provide additional notice through the Platform or another appropriate communication channel.

Seed is owned and operated by Africa Geek Circle Network, a company incorporated under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

For questions, complaints or notices concerning this Disclaimer, contact support@seed54.com or legal@africageekcirclenetwork.com.

Please include your full name, account email address, startup or organisation name where applicable, and sufficient information for us to understand and respond to your enquiry.