Helios

Helios Privacy Policy

At Helios, your trust is our priority. We want you to feel safe using our platform. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, retain, and protect your personal information when you use Helios.

Whether you are a student, expert, vendor, supplier, company, partner, or other user, we are committed to handling your information responsibly.

We do not sell your personal information. We use your information to operate the Platform, connect users with relevant opportunities, support transactions, improve user experience, protect the community, and comply with legal obligations.

You may be able to access, update, or delete certain information through your account or by contacting us, subject to applicable law and our legal retention obligations.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using Helios, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Helios is registered in Dallas, Texas, United States. We serve users in the United States and internationally and, where applicable, aim to comply comply with applicable requirements under with the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act (“CCPA/CPRA”), and Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”)), to the extent each applies to our processing activities..

This Privacy Policy governs how Helios collects, uses, and protects your personal data. For standards governing how users must handle information they obtain about other users through the Platform, see the Privacy & Data Use Standards for Users.

Who We Are:

Helios is a human-led, AI-powered opportunity platform that connects manufacturing companies, experts, students, vendors, suppliers, associations, and other participants across end-to-end manufacturing and related industries.

Users may create profiles, upload resumes and business information, publish content, list services or offerings, communicate with other users, participate in gigs or quick tasks, subscribe to services, make purchases, receive payouts, and engage with marketplace, learning, and community features.

What Information We Collect: Information You Provide Directly

We may collect information you provide to us directly, including:

name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and account credentials
profile information, such as education, work experience, certifications, resumes, business details, service descriptions, and areas of expertise
content you upload or submit, including text, images, videos, files, manuals, guides, CAD files, technical documents, comments, reviews, and messages
communications with us or with other users through the Platform
information relating to services, listings, offerings, gigs, quick tasks, events, or content you post or purchase
customer support inquiries, feedback, surveys, and reports
marketing preferences and communication preferences.

Payment, Payout, and Verification Information

If you use paid features of the Platform, make purchases, receive payouts, activate provider or seller functionality, or otherwise engage in marketplace transactions, we may collect additional information such as:

billing details and payment method information
payout account and bank account information
transaction history, payment status, refund status, and chargeback-related information
legal name, business name, business registration information, and contact details
government-issued identification information, date of birth, and address information
representative and beneficial ownership information
tax identification numbers, taxpayer certifications, VAT/GST details, withholding forms, and related tax documentation
fraud, risk, compliance, dispute, and verification-related information

This may include information collected or generated in connection with Stripe Connect onboarding, connected account setup, beneficial ownership review, tax reporting, dispute handling, reserve management, and fraud or compliance screening.

Information We Collect Automatically

When you use Helios, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

device and browser information
IP address and approximate location
log data and access timestamp
usage data, such as pages viewed, clicks, features used, searches performed, time spent, and interactions with content
cookie identifiers and similar tracking information
referral URLs and technical diagnostic information

If you are located in the European Economic Area or another jurisdiction with similar requirements, we process personal data under one or more of the following legal bases:

Consent: for optional information you provide, certain cookies and similar technologies, and marketing communications where consent is required.
Contractual necessity: to create and maintain your account, provide the Platform, facilitate transactions, process payouts, respond to support requests, and perform our obligations to you.
Legitimate interests: to improve and secure the Platform, detect fraud, recommend relevant content, support marketplace integrity, enforce our policies, and communicate with users about the Platform. We have assessed that these interests are proportionate and do not override the fundamental rights of affected individuals. You may object to processing based on legitimate interests at any time by contacting privacy@helios.com
Legal obligation: to comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, tax obligations, financial compliance requirements, and lawful requests from authorities.

How We Use Your Information

We may use your personal information to:

provide, operate, personalize, maintain, and improve the Helios Platform
create and manage user accounts, profiles, listings, and marketplace functionality
match users with relevant services, people, opportunities, and content
facilitate communication, collaboration, and user interactions
process purchases, facilitate payouts, manage subscriptions, and support transaction-related services
verify identity and business information
prevent fraud, abuse, chargebacks, unauthorized activity, spam, and platform misuse
conduct sanctions screening, compliance checks, and risk reviews where appropriate
provide customer support and respond to questions, complaints, and requests
enforce our Terms of Service, community standards, payment rules, and other policies
analyze platform performance, usage patterns, and product effectiveness
send administrative messages, service updates, policy notices, and legal notices
send marketing communications where permitted by law and in accordance with your preferences
comply with legal, tax, audit, reporting, and regulatory obligations

We may also use your information to create or support connected account onboarding, verify identity and business information, facilitate Stripe Connect-related payment and payout services, manage refunds and chargebacks, support reserve and hold decisions, and comply with legal, tax, and financial compliance obligations.

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

Other Users

Information you make public on your profile, resume, business profile, services, offerings, posts, comments, reviews, or other public-facing areas of the Platform may be visible to other users.

Service Providers

We may share information with service providers that help us operate the Platform, including providers of hosting, analytics, communications, customer support, security, fraud prevention, identity verification, data storage, and operational tools. These providers are engaged under appropriate contractual protections where required by law.

Stripe Connect and Payment Processors

Helios uses third-party payment processors and financial service providers, including Stripe, Inc. and its affiliates, to process payments, facilitate payouts, onboard providers and sellers, verify identity and business information, support fraud prevention, manage chargebacks and refunds, conduct compliance checks, and provide related transaction services.

If you use payment or payout features on Helios, including as a provider, expert, vendor, seller, payout recipient, or other connected account, your information may also be processed in connection with Stripe Connect.

Where you use payment or payout features, your information may be shared with Stripe, Inc. and handled under Stripe’s Privacy Policy and other applicable Stripe terms. By using these features, you agree to the Stripe terms that apply to your account. You are responsible for reviewing Stripe’s current terms and policies at stripe.com and for providing any notices or consents required for personal data you submit.

In these cases, Helios may share payment, payout, transaction, identity, business, tax, device, fraud, verification, and compliance-related information with Stripe and its service providers as reasonably necessary to operate the Platform, facilitate transactions, support payouts, manage disputes and reserves, and comply with legal, tax, financial reporting, and regulatory obligations. Stripe’s Connected Account Agreement says Stripe Connect platforms may help create or enroll a user’s Stripe account, may conduct activity on the user’s behalf according to the platform provider agreement, and may share User Data with Stripe; that User Data includes personal data, transaction data, and outputs of Stripe’s fraud and risk models.

Where applicable, your use of Stripe Connect-related services may also be subject to Stripe’s Connected Account Agreement, Stripe Services Agreement, and Stripe Privacy Policy, each as updated from time to time. Stripe’s Connected Account Agreement incorporates the Stripe Services Agreement by reference, and Stripe requires connected accounts to provide accurate and complete information and to ensure necessary notices and consents are obtained for personal data provided to Stripe.

If you provide personal information relating to directors, officers, beneficial owners, representatives, employees, contractors, customers, or other individuals in connection with payout onboarding, account verification, or transaction support, you represent that you have all rights, notices, and consents required by applicable law to provide that information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and as required for Stripe Connect-related services. Stripe’s Connected Account Agreement expressly requires the user to provide notices and obtain all rights and consents necessary to enable Stripe to lawfully collect, use, retain, and disclose personal data.

Legal Authorities and Compliance

We may disclose information where we believe it is necessary to:

comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, subpoena, or court order
protect the rights, property, and safety of Helios, our users, service providers, or the public
investigate fraud, abuse, policy violations, illegal activity, or security incidents; or
enforce our agreements and policies

Business Transfers

We may share or transfer information in connection with an actual or proposed merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or similar corporate transaction, subject to appropriate confidentiality and notice requirements where applicable.

If you are located outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States and other countries where Helios or its service providers operate.

If you are in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with transfer restrictions, we aim to implement appropriate safeguards for international transfers where required by law, including contractual safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses or other recognized transfer mechanisms. The current Helios policy already states that EEA transfers may occur to the United States using Standard Contractual Clauses.

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights to:

access your personal information
correct inaccurate or incomplete information
request deletion of your information
restrict or object to certain processing
request portability of your information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
opt out of certain marketing communications
exercise additional rights provided under applicable privacy law

We will not discriminate against you for exercising rights granted under applicable law.

You may exercise your rights by contacting us at: [support.helios.supplies]. Please note that certain payment and payout-related data may also be processed by Stripe under its own legal terms and privacy documentation. Requests relating specifically to Stripe’s processing may need to be directed to Stripe where required by applicable law. Processing may need to be directed to Stripe where required by applicable law.

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

California residents have the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information. Helios does not sell personal information. We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. If you are a California resident and wish to exercise any of your rights under the CCPA/CPRA, contact privacy@helios.com.

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, analyze usage, remember preferences, and support certain platform features.

Depending on your location, we may request your consent for:

non-essential cookies and analytics tools
marketing emails, newsletters, or promotional notifications
certain optional tracking or personalization features

You may manage cookie preferences through your browser settings, cookie banner or consent tool, or other controls we make available.

You may withdraw consent where applicable at any time, though some features may not function properly without certain technologies. The current Helios Privacy Policy already states that cookies are used and that explicit consent is sought for marketing and non-essential cookies where required by law.

Automated Decisions and Profiling

We may use limited automated tools, algorithms, and AI-supported systems to:

suggest relevant experts, services, suppliers, or content
recommend connections or opportunities
detect spam, fraud, suspicious activity, or policy violations
improve search relevance, ranking, and personalization

We do not use solely automated decision-making to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals unless permitted by applicable law and supported by appropriate safeguards. The current Helios policy already states users will not be subject to decisions that significantly affect their rights based solely on automated processing unless consent, contract necessity, or law permits it.

Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to:

provide the Platform and maintain your account
support transactions, payouts, and customer support
enforce our Terms and policies
investigate disputes, fraud, abuse, or security incidents
comply with legal, accounting, tax, audit, reporting, and regulatory obligations; and
protect Helios, our users, and the integrity of the Platform

We may retain payment, payout, tax, dispute, fraud-prevention, and compliance-related records for longer periods where required or permitted by law.

You may request deletion of your account or information, but we may retain certain records where necessary for legal, security, contractual, tax, fraud prevention, or compliance reasons and where enforcement and compliance records are required.. The live page already states data is retained as long as necessary and that users may request deletion, but it does not yet include transaction-specific retention language. Your right to erasure does not extend to records necessary for legal compliance or fraud prevention.

Data Security

We use reasonable technical, administrative, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information, including access controls, encryption where appropriate, secure storage practices, monitoring, and vendor management.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security. The current Helios Privacy Policy already states that Helios uses technical and organizational security measures including encryption, access controls, and secure storage.

Data Breach Response

In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in risk to your rights and freedoms, Helios will notify affected users and applicable supervisory authorities in accordance with applicable law, including within 72 hours for GDPR-subject breaches where feasible. We will provide information about the nature of the breach, the data involved, and the steps we are taking to address it.

Children’s Privacy

Helios is not intended for children under 18, and we do not knowingly collect or process personal data from children under 18 without appropriate legal authorization.

If you believe a child has provided personal information to us in violation of this Privacy Policy, please contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action. The current Helios policy uses the same under-16 standard.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, platform functionality, service providers, payment processes, data practices, or other operational needs.

When we update this Privacy Policy, we will post the revised version on the Platform and update the “Last Updated” date above. Where required by law, we will provide additional notice or request additional consent. The current Helios policy already states that significant changes will be posted with an updated date and that users will be notified if changes significantly affect rights or obligations.

Contact Us

For questions, reports, or concerns about these Terms or any transaction-related issue, contact:

Helios, Inc.
Dallas, Texas, USA
Email: [Insert Legal/Support Email]
Support URL: [Insert Support URL]