Terms of Service

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use the Platform. By using the Platform on behalf of a company, accelerator, university, or other entity, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity, and references to "you" include both you and that entity.

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete registration information; maintain and promptly update it; safeguard your credentials; and notify us immediately of any suspected unauthorized access or security incident. You are responsible for all activity under your account.

The Platform supports multiple roles, including founder, mentor, advisor, investor, partner, sponsor, cohort participant, and administrator. We may suspend, restrict, or terminate accounts or features if we believe a user has violated these Terms, created a legal or security risk, abused other users, misrepresented credentials, failed to pay applicable fees, or otherwise acted inconsistently with the integrity of The GUILD community.

The GUILD provides software, education, community, and product development services. We are not a law firm, broker-dealer, investment adviser, tax adviser, accounting firm, employer of record, escrow agent, transfer agent, placement agent, recruiting firm, or fiduciary to any user.

Any templates, frameworks, "Wheel of Life" assessments, Owl conversations, pitch and sales deck outputs, investor introductions, compensation benchmarks, agreement generators, AI-generated suggestions, educational content, matching tools, scoring outputs, playbooks, or workflows are provided for informational and educational purposes only. They are not legal, tax, securities, investment, employment, accounting, medical, or professional advice.

You are solely responsible for obtaining advice from qualified professionals before relying on, signing, issuing equity under, paying compensation under, fundraising on, or otherwise acting on any content, recommendation, or output from the Platform.

The GUILD Studio embeds operators, engineers, and designers into your startup to ship products. Studio engagements are governed by a separate written agreement (statement of work, master services agreement, or similar) between you and The GUILD that controls over these Terms with respect to that engagement, including scope, deliverables, fees, IP ownership, confidentiality, and warranties.

These Terms continue to govern your use of the Studio website, marketing materials, and any self-service tools. Nothing in these Terms or in marketing content (including statements about "revenue-ready products," "AI-native speed," or "agency-beating velocity") is a guarantee of any specific business, fundraising, traction, or product outcome.

Bloom is a founder companion app. Features may include 2-minute audio impulses, weekly check-ins, the Startup Wheel of Life, the AI Owl conversational assistant, AI tools for pitch and sales decks, journal and reflection prompts, founder resources, and curated introductions to investors, mentors, or program partners.

Bloom is a wellbeing and productivity tool. It is not a medical device or a mental health treatment. It does not provide medical, psychological, psychiatric, therapeutic, or crisis services. If you are in crisis or need urgent help, contact local emergency services or a qualified professional.

Investor introductions are discretionary, are not a guarantee of funding, and do not create any broker-dealer, placement agent, finder, or investment adviser relationship between you, The GUILD, or any introduced party.

Academy programs are bespoke cohort-based experiences curated with locations, speakers, and experiences tailored to your cohort's interests. Specific program terms — including dates, fees, cancellation, refunds, attendance, deliverables, intellectual property, confidentiality, and travel — may be set out in a separate program agreement, partner agreement, application, or registration confirmation that controls over these Terms for that program.

Where a university, chamber of commerce, accelerator, sponsor, or corporate partner pays for or sponsors your access, that relationship may affect billing, seat management, cohort reporting, and the types of information shared with that organization, as further described in the Privacy Policy.

Certain Platform features use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large language models — including models routed through providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, ElevenLabs, or the Lovable AI Gateway — to power the Owl, generate pitch and sales deck drafts, summarize check-ins, produce reflections, draft Studio artifacts, and support workflows.

AI output may be inaccurate, incomplete, biased, misleading, outdated, or unsuitable for your circumstances. You must review AI-generated content before relying on it, publishing it, sending it, signing it, or using it for any legal, financial, hiring, investment, tax, securities, medical, employment, or business decision.

We may process prompts, responses, Platform context, usage metadata, and user interactions to provide AI functionality, maintain security, prevent abuse, improve product quality, and generate aggregate or de-identified insights. We do not authorize our AI providers to train their foundation models on your User Content, except as expressly described in our Privacy Policy or with your consent.

The GUILD may offer free, paid, sponsored, partner-funded, trial, beta, monthly, annual, or custom subscription tiers for Bloom, the Studio, and Academy programs. Current tiers and prices are described in-product, on the relevant website, or in an order form.

Unless otherwise stated, fees are billed in advance in U.S. dollars and are non-refundable except where required by law. Taxes, bank fees, and currency conversion fees are your responsibility unless stated otherwise.

If you purchase an automatically renewing subscription, it will continue until cancelled, and your payment method will be charged at the stated interval until you cancel. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the then-current billing period unless otherwise required by law.

Payment information is processed by third-party processors such as Stripe and Apple/Google in-app purchases. We do not store complete payment card numbers. Your use of payment features may be subject to those processors' terms and privacy policies.

We may send transactional communications related to your account, security, applications, program logistics, agreements, billing, and Platform activity by email, in-app notification, push notification, SMS, or other electronic means.

Where you provide a phone number and opt in to SMS or messaging, you consent to receive automated and one-to-one messages from The GUILD related to your account, Bloom check-ins, and Platform activity. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of marketing SMS by replying STOP, and reply HELP for assistance. Transactional, security, or legally required messages may continue as necessary.

"User Content" means content you submit, upload, post, transmit, display, store, create, or make available through the Platform, including Bloom journal entries, audio recordings, Wheel of Life answers, Owl prompts, Studio project materials, program applications, cohort artifacts, profiles, company information, messages, feedback, and AI prompts or outputs associated with your account.

You retain ownership of your User Content. You grant The GUILD a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable license to host, store, reproduce, process, display, transmit, adapt, create technical derivatives of, and otherwise use User Content solely to operate, secure, improve, support, analyze, and provide the Platform; deliver User Content to intended recipients; generate workflows and AI outputs you request; comply with law; enforce these Terms; and create aggregate or de-identified insights.

For content you intentionally submit for public or promotional use (testimonials, public profiles, public posts, cohort photos and group portraits you authorize, social media tags), you grant us the right to display, reproduce, distribute, and promote that content in connection with the Platform, subject to the Privacy Policy.

You represent that you have all rights necessary to submit User Content and that your User Content does not violate law, contract, confidentiality obligations, intellectual property rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, or fiduciary duties.

Information shared in private messages, Studio working sessions, cohort rooms, applications, mentor conversations, and engagement workflows is intended to be confidential between the participating parties unless clearly marked public or intentionally shared through a public feature. You agree to use confidential information received through the Platform only for the purpose for which it was shared.

The GUILD is not responsible for another user's unauthorized disclosure or misuse of information you choose to share. Use caution before uploading or sharing sensitive business, financial, legal, personal, or regulated information.

You agree not to use the Platform to harass, threaten, defame, stalk, dox, discriminate against, exploit, or abuse another person; transmit hate speech; impersonate others; misrepresent affiliations; fabricate credentials; or submit false company, founder, mentor, or investor information.

You may not scrape, crawl, harvest, reverse engineer, decompile, overload, interfere with, bypass access controls, test vulnerabilities without permission, introduce malware, use bots without authorization, or attempt unauthorized access to accounts, systems, data, or non-public features.

You may not use the Platform to offer, solicit, recommend, broker, or sell securities in violation of applicable law; conduct unlawful fundraising; evade broker-dealer or investment adviser rules; provide regulated advice without required authorization; or make misleading investment, compensation, or fundraising claims.

We may remove content, restrict features, investigate conduct, report suspected unlawful activity, preserve records, or suspend accounts to protect users, the Platform, and our legal obligations.

The Platform — including software, workflows, designs, layouts, brands, logos (including "The GUILD," "Bloom," "Studio," "Owl," and related marks), prompts, templates, taxonomies, curriculum, frameworks, documentation, and other content provided by The GUILD — is owned by The GUILD or its licensors and is protected by intellectual property laws.

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable right to access and use the Platform for its intended purposes. We reserve all rights not expressly granted.

You may not copy, modify, adapt, sell, resell, lease, distribute, publicly display, frame, mirror, build a competing service from, or create derivative works from the Platform except as expressly permitted in writing. Feedback you provide is voluntary and may be used by The GUILD without restriction or compensation.

The Platform may integrate with or link to third-party services, including authentication providers, payment processors (Stripe, Apple, Google), email providers, messaging providers, calendar tools, AI model providers, hosting services, analytics, customer support tools, e-signature tools, and websites operated by partners. We do not control third-party services and are not responsible for their content, availability, terms, privacy practices, or actions.

We may offer features labeled beta, preview, early access, pilot, or experimental. These features may be incomplete, unstable, inaccurate, modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time, and are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties. Use caution before relying on beta features for important decisions or records.

If you believe content on the Platform infringes your copyright, send a written notice to legal@letsguild.com with the subject line "DMCA Notice" including: an electronic or physical signature; identification of the copyrighted work; identification of the allegedly infringing material and its location; your contact information; a statement of good-faith belief that the use is not authorized; and a statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act. We may remove content and terminate repeat infringers as required or permitted by law.

The Platform, including AI outputs, Owl conversations, Bloom features, Studio deliverables, Academy program content, communication features, beta features, and third-party integrations, is provided "as is," "as available," and "with all faults."

To the maximum extent permitted by law, The GUILD disclaims all warranties, express, implied, or statutory, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, accuracy, availability, security, and freedom from viruses or harmful components.

We do not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, accurate, or complete, or that any match, mentor relationship, investor introduction, fundraising outcome, or business result will occur.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, The GUILD and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, and service providers will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, lost data, loss of goodwill, business interruption, diminution in value, or damages arising from user relationships or third-party services.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, The GUILD's total aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or relating to the Platform or these Terms will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid to The GUILD for the Platform in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim or (b) USD $100.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability, so some may not apply to you.

You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless The GUILD and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, and service providers from and against claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising from or relating to: your User Content; your use or misuse of the Platform; your agreements or disputes with other users; your messaging activity; your violation of these Terms; your violation of law; your violation of third-party rights; or your securities, tax, employment, equity, or professional compliance obligations.

You may close your account at any time through account settings where available or by contacting us. We may suspend, restrict, or terminate your access at any time if we believe continued access creates legal, security, business, payment, or community risk.

Termination does not automatically terminate Studio engagement agreements, Academy program agreements, payment obligations accrued before termination, or obligations that by their nature should survive, including confidentiality, intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution.

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to them or the Platform are governed by the laws of the State of California, USA, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except that the Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of the arbitration agreement.

For disputes not subject to arbitration, the state and federal courts located in San Francisco County, California will have exclusive jurisdiction, and you consent to personal jurisdiction and venue there, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

You and The GUILD agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by JAMS or the American Arbitration Association under its applicable rules, except for claims that may be brought in small claims court, requests for injunctive relief related to intellectual property or unauthorized access, or claims that cannot be arbitrated under applicable law.

Arbitration will be conducted in San Francisco County, California (or remotely where the rules allow) by a single neutral arbitrator who may award the same individual relief that a court could award, but may not preside over class, collective, representative, or consolidated claims unless both parties agree in writing.

You may opt out of this arbitration agreement within 30 days after first accepting these Terms by emailing legal@letsguild.com with your full legal name, account email, and a clear statement that you opt out of arbitration. Opting out does not affect any other part of these Terms. This arbitration agreement survives termination.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you and The GUILD each waive the right to a trial by jury and the right to bring, join, or participate in any class action, collective action, private attorney general action, or other representative proceeding. Claims must be brought only in an individual capacity.

If you are a California resident, you waive California Civil Code Section 1542, which provides that "a general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party," to the extent such waiver is permitted by law and applicable to any release under these Terms.

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the updated version with a new effective date and provide additional notice of material changes where required by law or where we determine appropriate. Continued use of the Platform after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

We may provide notices by email, in-product message, posting on the Platform, or other reasonable means. You agree that electronic notices satisfy legal requirements that communications be in writing. Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing these Terms may contact us, and we will make reasonable efforts to provide them in an alternative format.

Starling Design LLC dba The GUILD
San Francisco, California, USA
Questions about these Terms: legal@letsguild.com