Terms and Conditions
Supplier Connect
Effective Date: 15 July 2026
Operator: Start-Vietnam Company Ltd. (Vietnamese: Công ty Trách nhiệm Hữu hạn Start-Vietnam; “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), a single-member limited liability company incorporated in Vietnam under Enterprise Code 0110996016, operating the Supplier Connect platform at www.supplier-connect.io (the “Platform”).
1. Acceptance of these Terms
These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) form a binding agreement between the Company and the person or entity registering for or using the Platform (“User,” “Customer,” “you,” or “your”). By creating an account, clicking “I Agree,” or otherwise accessing or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you accept on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization, and “you” refers to that organization.
The Platform is intended for business (B2B) use. It is not directed at, and may not be used by, individual consumers acting outside a trade, business, or profession.
2. Definitions
“Account” means a registered user profile on the Platform.
“Authorized User” means an employee, contractor, or agent that a Customer permits to access the Platform on its behalf.
“Buyer” means a Customer that uses the Platform to search for, discover, or evaluate Suppliers.
“Supplier” means a Customer that registers on the Platform to be discovered, validated, or evaluated by Buyers.
“Supplier Data” means the business, financial, compliance, certification, and related data submitted by or about a Supplier for validation and display on the Platform.
“Verified” or “Verified Supplier” means a Supplier whose profile displays a Verified badge or indicator on the Platform, denoting that specified elements of that Supplier’s data have been reviewed, cross-checked, or entered directly by the Company, as further described in Section 6.
“Services” means the Platform’s supplier data validation, verification, and discovery/matching services, and related features, as made available from time to time.
“Subscription” means a paid or free plan granting access to the Services for a defined term.
“Content” means all data, documents, and materials uploaded to or generated on the Platform, including Supplier Data.
3. What the Platform Does — and Does Not Do
Supplier Connect provides (a) a searchable, (validated) database of Supplier business, compliance, and qualification data, which Buyers access under a paid license, and (b) related discovery and matching features. The Company markets and promotes the Services online through the Platform and related channels.
The Subscription/license itself is currently sold and contracted through the Company’s direct sales process, off-Platform, and not through an online checkout. The Platform does not process orders, payments, or transactions between Buyers and Suppliers. Any purchase, contract, or payment arrangement a Buyer and Supplier enter into as a result of using the Platform is agreed and performed entirely between those parties, off-Platform. The Company is not a party to, and accepts no responsibility for, such arrangements.
If the Company introduces online ordering, online contracting, or on-Platform payment functionality in the future, these Terms will be updated accordingly and additional obligations may apply from that point (see Section 11).
4. Eligibility and Accounts
You must be an entity or individual acting in a business capacity, and have authority to enter into these Terms.
You must provide accurate, current, and complete registration information, including business registration details reasonably required to validate a Supplier’s identity, and keep that information up to date.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your Account credentials and for all activity under your Account, including that of your Authorized Users.
The Company may suspend or refuse an Account where information provided is inaccurate, unverifiable, or where registration requirements under applicable law (including business licensing) are not met.
5. Subscriptions and Fees
Certain Services require a paid Subscription, as described on the Platform or in an order confirmation. Fees may be billed via international payment processors or Vietnam-based payment channels, depending on your location and the payment method you select.
Fees are quoted and payable in the currency shown at checkout and are exclusive of applicable taxes, which you are responsible for unless stated otherwise.
Subscriptions renew automatically for successive terms of equal length unless cancelled before the renewal date, in accordance with the cancellation process described on the Platform.
Fees are non-refundable except as required by applicable law or expressly stated at the time of purchase.
The Company may suspend access to paid Services if fees remain unpaid after reasonable notice.
6. Supplier Data and Content
6.1 Ownership and License
You retain ownership of Content you submit. You grant the Company a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, process, validate, display, and analyze that Content solely to provide and improve the Services.
6.2 Supplier Representations — Honest and Accurate Data
Each Supplier represents, warrants, and undertakes that all Supplier Data and other Content it submits is true, accurate, complete, current, and not false, misleading, or incorrect, and that it will promptly correct or update that data if it changes or ceases to be accurate. As between the Company and the Supplier, the Supplier bears sole and final responsibility for the honesty and accuracy of the data it submits, regardless of whether that data has been reviewed by the Company or displays a Verified indicator.
6.3 No General Verification of Supplier Data
Except to the extent a Supplier’s profile displays a Verified indicator as described in Section 6.4, the Company does not review, check, or verify Supplier Data, and takes no responsibility for its accuracy, completeness, or honesty. Unverified Supplier Data is self-reported by the relevant Supplier, and Buyers rely on it entirely at their own risk.
6.4 Verified Suppliers
Where a Supplier’s profile displays a “Verified” badge, this means that certain specified elements of that Supplier’s data have been reviewed, cross-checked, or entered directly by the Company as part of its validation process. A Verified indicator:
- relates only to the specific data elements reviewed by the Company at the time of review, as indicated on the Supplier’s profile — it does not extend to other data on that profile that is not marked as reviewed;
- is not a guarantee, certification, or warranty that the reviewed information, or any other information on the Supplier’s profile, is or remains accurate, complete, current, or valid over time; and
- is not an endorsement of, or guarantee regarding, the Supplier’s overall quality, reliability, financial standing, or suitability for any particular purpose.
The Company applies reasonable validation procedures when determining Verified status but disclaims all liability for the ongoing accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any Supplier Data, whether Verified or not, including data supplied by third parties or drawn from public or partner registries. Buyers remain solely responsible for conducting their own due diligence and making their own procurement decisions, regardless of a Supplier’s Verified status.
6.5 Content Obligations
You are solely responsible for the legality of Content you submit, and for obtaining any consents or rights needed to submit it (including personal data of contact persons).
6.6 Export and Retention
Upon request during an active Subscription, the Company will make Content available for export in a standard format. Following termination, Content will be retained for [30] days and then deleted, subject to the retention obligations described in Section 11 and the Privacy Policy.
7. Acceptable Use
You will not, and will not permit others to:
- Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent business, compliance, or certification information;
- Use the Platform to violate any applicable law, including anti-corruption, export control, and consumer protection law;
- Scrape, harvest, or extract data from the Platform other than through features provided for that purpose;
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive the source code of the Platform;
- Use the Platform to build or support a competing product or service;
- Resell, sublicense, or provide access to the Platform to any third party except Authorized Users;
- Upload malicious code or interfere with the security or integrity of the Platform;
- Impersonate another business or misrepresent an affiliation with any entity.
The Company may investigate suspected violations and suspend or terminate access, with notice where practicable.
8. Intellectual Property
The Company and its licensors retain all right, title, and interest in the Platform, its software, design, trademarks, validation methodology, and all related intellectual property (“Company IP”). Subject to these Terms, the Company grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Platform for your internal business purposes during your Subscription term. No other rights are granted. Feedback you provide may be used by the Company without restriction or compensation.
9. Confidentiality
Each party will protect the other’s non-public business, technical, and financial information disclosed in connection with these Terms with at least the same care it uses for its own confidential information, and will not disclose it except to personnel, advisors, or subcontractors bound by confidentiality obligations, or as required by law. This obligation survives for three (3) years after termination, and indefinitely for information that constitutes a trade secret under applicable law.
10. Privacy and Data Protection
The Company processes personal data in accordance with its Privacy Policy at www.supplier-connect.io/privacy-policy, which forms part of these Terms.
Where the Company processes personal data on a Customer’s behalf as a data processor (for example, contact data a Buyer manages within the Platform), the parties will be bound by the Data Processing Agreement at Annex 1.
You represent that you have a lawful basis for, and all necessary consents to, any personal data you submit to the Platform, including contact details of individuals at Supplier or Buyer organizations.
You will comply with applicable data protection law, including Vietnam’s Law on Personal Data Protection (Law No. 91/2025/QH15) and its implementing decree, the EU/UK GDPR, and other applicable regimes, in respect of data you submit or access via the Platform.
11. Compliance with Applicable Law
Each party will comply with applicable law in connection with its use of, or the operation of, the Platform, including applicable electronic transaction, consumer protection, business licensing, and data protection law. In particular:
- The Company will publish clear policies on Subscription pricing, data handling, service termination, and refunds.
- The Company will retain business and account records for a reasonable period to meet applicable legal, accounting, and reporting obligations.
- The Company will cooperate with competent authorities, including providing information or restricting access to content, where lawfully required.
You agree to provide accurate business registration and identity information reasonably requested by the Company to support these obligations, and acknowledge that the Company may be required to disclose such information to competent authorities upon lawful request.
12. Warranties and Disclaimers
Except as expressly stated in these Terms, the Platform and Services are provided “as is” and “as available.” To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Company disclaims all implied warranties, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. The Company does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted or error-free.
As set out in Section 6, the Company does not warrant that Supplier Data — including data displayed on a Verified Supplier’s profile — is or remains complete, accurate, or up to date. Responsibility for the honesty and accuracy of Supplier Data rests with the Supplier that submitted it. Nothing in this Section limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
13. Indemnification
You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Company against third-party claims, damages, and reasonable costs arising from: (a) Content you submit; (b) your breach of these Terms; or (c) your violation of applicable law. The Company will indemnify you against third-party claims that the Platform, as provided and used in accordance with these Terms, infringes a third party’s intellectual property rights, subject to prompt notice and the Company’s control of the defense.
14. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither party will be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, including lost profits or lost business, arising from these Terms. Each party’s total aggregate liability under these Terms will not exceed the fees paid by the Customer to the Company in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim. These limitations do not apply to indemnification obligations, breach of confidentiality, or liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
15. Term and Termination
These Terms remain in effect while you hold an Account or active Subscription.
Either party may terminate for material breach not cured within fourteen (14) days of written notice.
The Company may suspend or terminate an Account immediately for violations of Section 7 (Acceptable Use), non-payment, or where required by law.
Upon termination, your right to access the Platform ends; Sections 6.2 through 6.6 (Supplier Data), 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, and 17 survive.
16. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
These Terms are governed by the laws of Singapore, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms that cannot be resolved amicably within thirty (30) days will be finally resolved by arbitration administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) in accordance with its rules then in effect. The arbitration will be seated in Singapore, conducted in English, by [one / three] arbitrator(s). Either party may seek interim or injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property or confidential information pending the outcome of arbitration.
17. General Provisions
Force Majeure: Neither party is liable for delays caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, internet or infrastructure failures, and government action.
Assignment: You may not assign these Terms without the Company’s prior written consent. The Company may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
Severability: If any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force.
Entire Agreement: These Terms, the Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and any order confirmation constitute the entire agreement between the parties regarding the Platform.
Notices: Notices must be sent in writing to the contact details specified on the Platform or to info@supplier-connect.io.
Changes: The Company may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified via the Platform or email at least [14] days before taking effect.
Language: These Terms are made available in English [and Vietnamese]. [Specify which version prevails in case of conflict.]
Contact
Start-Vietnam Company Ltd.
Operating Supplier Connect — www.supplier-connect.io
General inquiries: info@supplier-connect.io
Privacy and legal inquiries: privacy@supplier-connect.io
Registered office: 12B, Ha Tri 1 Street, Ha Dong Ward, Hanoi City, Vietnam
Enterprise registration number: 0110996016 (issued by the Hanoi Department of Finance, Business Registration and Enterprise Finance Division)
Annex 1 — Data Processing Agreement
This Annex forms part of the Terms and applies where the Company processes personal data on behalf of a Customer (as “Controller”) in connection with the Services (the Company acting as “Processor”).
1. Instructions
The Company will process personal data only on the Customer’s documented instructions, including regarding international transfers, unless required otherwise by applicable law, in which case the Company will inform the Customer before processing (unless prohibited from doing so).
2. Confidentiality
The Company ensures personnel authorized to process personal data are bound by confidentiality obligations.
3. Security
The Company implements appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against unauthorized or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction, or damage, proportionate to the risk.
4. Sub-processors
The Company may engage sub-processors to support the Services and will impose data protection obligations on them equivalent to those in this Annex. The Company remains liable for sub-processors’ performance. A current list of sub-processors is available on request to privacy@supplier-connect.io.
5. Assistance
The Company will reasonably assist the Customer in responding to data subject requests and in meeting its obligations relating to data protection impact assessments and consultations with supervisory or competent authorities (including under the EU/UK GDPR and Vietnam’s PDPL and its implementing decree).
6. Cross-Border Transfers
The Company will not transfer personal data outside Vietnam, or process it using systems located outside Vietnam, other than in accordance with the Customer’s instructions and applicable safeguards, including any Vietnamese cross-border data transfer impact assessment requirements and, for EU/UK personal data, Standard Contractual Clauses or another recognized transfer mechanism.
7. Breach Notification
The Company will notify the Customer without undue delay after becoming aware of a personal data breach affecting the Customer’s data, and will reasonably assist in mitigating and, where required, reporting the breach.
8. Retention and Deletion
The Company will not retain personal data longer than necessary for the Services, and will delete or return it (at the Customer’s choice) after termination, unless retention is required by law.
9. Audit
The Company will make available information reasonably necessary to demonstrate compliance with this Annex and will allow for audits by the Customer or its mandated auditor, subject to reasonable notice and confidentiality.