CAUSE systems — Privacy Policy
Effective date: 01.01.2026
1. Introduction — scope & governing law
CAUSE systems (hereinafter “CAUSE”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) operates a matchmaking tool (the “Service”) designed to connect individuals and organisations based on skills, interests and project needs. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect when you use the Service, why we process it, with whom we share it, how long we keep it, and which rights you have under Swiss law. The Service is operated from Switzerland and the processing described here is governed by the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP).
2. Data controller & contact information
The data controller for the Service is:
CAUSE systems GmbH
hello@endeavor.zone
For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your privacy rights, please contact the address/email above. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC).
3. Personal data we collect
We collect only the personal data that is necessary for providing and improving the matchmaking Service. Typical categories of data we process include:
a) Identity and profile data — name, title, photograph (optional), organisation, position, biography, skills, interests, languages, tags and preferences that you enter into your profile.
b) Contact data — email address, telephone number (if provided), organisation address.
c) Matching & preference data — match settings, search filters, project preferences, recommendations and ratings.
d) Usage & technical data — log data (timestamps, IP address, browser and device information), cookies and interaction data from the Service.
e) Communications — messages you send through the platform, support requests, and transactional emails.
f) Optional/derived data — anonymised usage statistics and aggregated insights created from multiple users (not personally identifiable).
We do not request or intentionally collect special categories of sensitive personal data (e.g. health or racial origin) through the Service unless you explicitly and voluntarily provide such information and we have a lawful basis to process it.
4. How we collect data
We collect data that you provide directly (registration, profile creation, messages), data automatically collected while you use the Service (logs, cookies), and data we obtain from integrated third-party services or partners where you have authorised such imports (e.g. LinkedIn import, calendar integration).
5. Purposes of processing and legal bases (Swiss FADP)
We process personal data for the following main purposes:
• To provide, operate and maintain the matchmaking Service (contractual/necessary processing).
• To build and present matches and recommendations, including automated matching logic and profiling for the purposes of matching users to relevant projects, partners and events (legitimate interest and/or contract performance).
• To communicate with you about your account, support requests and Service updates (contractual/legitimate interest).
• To comply with legal obligations (e.g. record-keeping, export control checks, audit requirements).
• To improve the Service, perform analytics, and produce aggregated, anonymised insights (legitimate interest).
• For marketing and newsletters, where you have given consent (consent).
Under Swiss law, the legal basis for processing may include contract performance, the legitimate interests of CAUSE (balanced with your rights), consent where required, and compliance with legal obligations. You can withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent — withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of earlier processing.
6. Automated decisions & profiling (matching)
The Service uses automated algorithms to score and suggest matches based on the information in profiles, preferences and activity. These automated processes are used to improve relevance and reduce manual work. You can request human review of any automated decision affecting you and may update or remove the profile data used for matching. We aim to keep profiling transparent and to allow you to limit automated profiling via your settings.
7. Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Service, to remember preferences, to measure performance and to provide analytics. Where required by law or best practice, we obtain your consent for non-essential cookies and provide a cookie management option. For guidance on cookie design and consent under Swiss practice, we follow recommendations from the FDPIC and industry guidance.
8. Sharing, processors & third parties
To operate the Service, we may share personal data with:
• Service providers and subprocessors: hosting providers, analytics providers, email delivery services, CRM and payment processors (where applicable). These providers act on our instructions and are contractually required to protect personal data.
• Partners and matched parties: when you agree to be matched, limited profile information (name, organisation, selected skills, contact method) may be shared with the matched counterpart. You can control what information is visible in your profile.
• Legal and compliance recipients: where required by law, regulation, or to protect rights and safety (e.g. export control checks, legal claims).
We carefully select subprocessors and require contractual guarantees. When personal data is transferred outside Switzerland, we rely on appropriate safeguards (adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses or other measures recognised under Swiss law) to protect your personal data. Note: Switzerland has an adequacy relationship recognised by the EU, which facilitates transfers between the EU and Switzerland; nevertheless, we evaluate transfers and apply appropriate safeguards when data leaves Switzerland.
9. International transfers & hosting
The Service is hosted on infrastructure that may store or be accessible from countries outside Switzerland. If we transfer personal data to a country that does not provide an adequate level of protection under Swiss law, we implement and document appropriate safeguards (e.g. FDPIC-approved contractual clauses, technical measures). We will notify you where special transfer safeguards apply and provide a copy of the relevant safeguards upon request.
10. Data retention
We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described (operational needs, contract duration, legal obligations, or legitimate business purposes). For example: profile and matching data are retained while your account is active; after account deletion we retain backup copies and minimal transactional records for a limited period to meet legal obligations or to prevent abuse. Retention periods are defined in our internal data retention schedule; you can request more precise retention information for specific data categories.
11. Security measures
We apply technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction (access controls, encryption in transit and at rest where feasible, secure development practices, regular security assessments). Access to personal data is restricted to authorised personnel with a business need to know.
12. Minors
The Service is not intended for minors under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected personal data of a child under 16 without appropriate parental consent, we will take reasonable steps to delete such data.
13. Your rights (under Swiss law)
Under the FADP you have, subject to legal exceptions:
• the right to information about the processing of your personal data;
• the right to access personal data we hold about you;
• the right to request correction of inaccurate personal data;
• the right to deletion or restriction of processing in certain circumstances;
• the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• the right to lodge a complaint with the FDPIC (Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner).
To exercise your rights, contact hello@endeavor.zone or write to the data controller address above. We may need to verify your identity before responding to requests.
14. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make material changes we will publish the updated policy with a new effective date and, where appropriate, notify users via the Service or email.
15. Contact & complaints
If you have questions, requests, or a complaint about our privacy practices, please hello@endeavor.zone.