Terms and Conditions

1. Definitions

In these Terms, the following terminology applies:

• "Client," "User," "You," and "Your" refers to you — the individual, freelancer, agency, startup, or any legal entity accessing or using our Service.
• "Company," "Ourselves," "We," "Our," and "Us" refers to ThriveMates Private Limited, the operator of GrowUp Buddy.
• "Service" refers to all features of GrowUp Buddy, including communities ("Clubs"), direct messaging, events, service showcase, lead management, and networking functionalities.
• "Party," "Parties," or "Us" refers to both the User and the Company.

All terms refer to the offer, acceptance, and consideration necessary to undertake the provision of our Services, subject to applicable laws, for the purpose of meeting the User's networking, collaboration, and service exchange needs.

2. Acceptance of Terms

1. By creating an account, accessing, or using GrowUp Buddy, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms.
2. If you are using our Service on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.
3. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use our Service.

3. Eligibility

1. To use GrowUp Buddy, you must:
   • Be at least 13 years old (or higher in jurisdictions where local law requires).
   • Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement.
   • Provide accurate and truthful registration details.
2. We may suspend or terminate access if we reasonably believe you are underage, providing false information, or misusing the platform.

4. Accounts and Registration

1. To access certain features, you may need to create an account with GrowUp Buddy.
2. You are responsible for:
   • Maintaining confidentiality of your login credentials.
   • All activities that occur under your account.
   • Promptly notifying us of any unauthorized access.
3. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if we suspect misuse, fraud, or violation of these Terms.

5. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance user experience, maintain login sessions, and analyze engagement. By accessing GrowUp Buddy, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

6. License

Unless otherwise stated, ThriveMates Private Limited and/or its licensors own the intellectual property rights for all material on GrowUp Buddy. All rights are reserved.

You may access GrowUp Buddy for your own personal and professional use, subject to the restrictions set out in these Terms.

You must not:

• Republish material from GrowUp Buddy without permission.
• Sell, rent, or sub-license material from GrowUp Buddy.
• Reproduce, duplicate, or copy material from GrowUp Buddy.
• Redistribute content from GrowUp Buddy unless expressly allowed.

7. User Conduct

By using GrowUp Buddy, you agree to:

1. Lawful Use – You will not use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable laws.
2. Respectful Behavior – You will not harass, abuse, or harm other users.
3. No Misrepresentation – You will not impersonate any person, organization, or misrepresent your affiliation.
4. No Malicious Activity – You will not upload viruses, malware, or engage in hacking, phishing, or other harmful activities.
5. Fair Use of Messaging (DMs) – Direct messaging must be used responsibly, only for professional collaboration, queries, or service exchange. Spam, repeated unsolicited messages, or harassment is strictly prohibited.
6. Child Safety – You will not post, request, promote, or distribute content involving child sexual abuse or exploitation, and you will not engage in grooming, abuse, or any harmful conduct involving minors.

Violation of these rules may lead to temporary suspension or permanent termination of your account.

8. User Content

1. Ownership of Content – You retain ownership of the content you create and share on GrowUp Buddy, including posts, comments, event participation, and service showcases.
2. License to Company – By posting on GrowUp Buddy, you grant ThriveMates Pvt. Ltd. a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your content solely for operating and improving the Service.
3. Responsibility for Content – You are solely responsible for the content you post. Content must not be defamatory, obscene, hateful, infringing, fraudulent, or otherwise unlawful.
4. Community Moderation – We reserve the right to review, remove, or moderate content that violates these Terms, community guidelines, or applicable law.

9. Child Safety Standards

GrowUp Buddy is committed to maintaining a safe platform for all users. We have zero tolerance for any form of child sexual abuse, exploitation, or endangerment.

1. Prohibited Conduct
   • Users may not use GrowUp Buddy to create, upload, share, request, promote, or distribute any content involving child sexual abuse or exploitation.
   • Users may not engage in grooming, sextortion, trafficking, or any inappropriate interaction involving minors.
   • Any sexualization, harassment, abuse, or exploitation of minors is strictly prohibited.
2. Reporting

   If you encounter any content, account, message, or behavior that may endanger a child or violate these standards, you must report it immediately through the platform's reporting tools or by contacting us at support@growupbuddy.com.

3. Enforcement

   GrowUp Buddy reserves the right to investigate reports, remove violating content, restrict account access, suspend or permanently terminate offending accounts, and take any other action necessary to protect users and enforce these standards.

4. Moderation

   GrowUp Buddy may use manual review, automated detection signals, and user reports to identify, review, and address harmful or abusive content and behavior.

5. Cooperation With Authorities

   Where required by law or where necessary to help protect children, GrowUp Buddy may preserve relevant information and cooperate with law enforcement, regulators, or child protection authorities.

6. Scope

   These Child Safety Standards apply across all parts of the platform, including profiles, direct messages, clubs, comments, event participation, service listings, uploaded content, and any other user-generated interactions.

10. Clubs & Community Rules

GrowUp Buddy offers pre-defined communities ("Clubs") such as Marketing Club, Finance Club, Tech/AI Club, Web3 Club, Meme Club, and others. By joining or contributing to a Club, you agree to:

1. Respect fellow members and engage in professional, constructive discussions.
2. Share accurate, non-misleading information when showcasing services.
3. Avoid spam, irrelevant promotions, or scams.
4. Not engage in hate speech, discrimination, or any form of harassment.
5. Comply with moderator instructions and community guidelines.

Failure to follow community rules may result in warnings, removal from a Club, or suspension from the platform.

11. Events and Webinars

1. GrowUp Buddy hosts events, workshops, and webinars where experts and users engage in discussions.
2. By registering for or attending events, you agree to:
   • Provide accurate registration details.
   • Not record, reproduce, or redistribute event content without permission.
   • Follow event conduct rules (no spam, no disruption, professional participation).
3. We reserve the right to deny or revoke event participation for violations.
4. Event-related content may be recorded and shared by GrowUp Buddy for educational and promotional purposes.

12. Hyperlinking to Our Content

1. The following organizations may link to GrowUp Buddy's website without prior written approval:
   • Government agencies
   • Search engines
   • News organizations
   • Online directory distributors linking in the same manner as other listed businesses
   • Accredited businesses (except those soliciting non-profits, fundraising, or commercial spam groups)
2. Other organizations may link to our website only if approved by ThriveMates Pvt. Ltd. Approval depends on whether:
   • The link is not deceptive or misleading.
   • The linking party has no negative history with us.
   • The link does not imply sponsorship or false endorsement.
   • The link fits within the context of general resource information.
3. Approved organizations may hyperlink to GrowUp Buddy using:
   • Our corporate name ("GrowUp Buddy"),
   • The URL being linked to, or
   • Descriptions that make sense within the linking context.
4. No use of ThriveMates Pvt. Ltd.'s logo or artwork is permitted for linking without a trademark license agreement.

13. iFrames

Without prior written approval, you may not create frames around our web pages or mobile screens that alter the visual presentation or appearance of GrowUp Buddy.

14. Content Liability

1. We are not responsible for any content that appears on external websites linking to GrowUp Buddy.
2. You agree to protect and defend us against all claims arising from content hosted on your site if you link to ours.
3. No link(s) should appear on your website that:
   • May be interpreted as libelous, obscene, or criminal,
   • Infringes, violates, or advocates the violation of third-party rights.

15. Your Privacy

Please refer to our Privacy Policy for details on how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. By using GrowUp Buddy, you consent to such collection and use.

16. Reservation of Rights

1. We reserve the right to request removal of any or all links to our website at any time.
2. By continuously linking to our website, you agree to comply with these Terms.
3. We also reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions and our linking policy at any time without prior notice.
4. Continued use of our platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

17. Removal of Links from Our Website

1. If you find any link on our website that is offensive for any reason, you are free to contact us and inform us at any time.
2. We will consider requests to remove links but are not obligated to respond directly.
3. While we strive to keep information correct and up to date, we do not warrant:
   • Completeness or accuracy of information,
   • Availability of the website, or
   • That all materials remain current.

18. Disclaimer

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we exclude all representations, warranties, and conditions relating to our website and the use of GrowUp Buddy. Nothing in this disclaimer will:

• Limit or exclude our or your liability for death or personal injury;
• Limit or exclude our or your liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
• Limit any of our or your liabilities in any way not permitted under applicable law; or
• Exclude any of our or your liabilities that may not be excluded under law.

Limitations and prohibitions of liability set in this Section (and elsewhere in these Terms) govern all liabilities arising under the disclaimer, including liabilities in contract, tort, or breach of statutory duty.

As long as the website and services are provided free of charge, GrowUp Buddy will not be liable for any loss or damage of any nature.

19. Refund & Payment Policy

Currently, GrowUp Buddy offers networking services, communities, and events, most of which are free.

• If in future we introduce premium subscriptions, event tickets, or service exchange fees, payments will be non-refundable unless otherwise specified.
• Users are responsible for reviewing offerings before subscribing or participating in paid services.
• For queries regarding payments, users may contact us at support@growupbuddy.com.

20. Termination of Service

1. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account without notice if you:
   • Violate these Terms,
   • Engage in fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful activity,
   • Harm the reputation or functionality of the platform,
   • Violate our Child Safety Standards or engage in conduct that threatens the safety of minors.
2. Upon termination:
   • Your right to use the platform ceases immediately,
   • Certain obligations (e.g., outstanding payments, intellectual property rights) survive termination.

21. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

1. These Terms are governed by the laws of India.
2. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

22. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us: