Privacy policy

Last updated: 30 September 2026

PeerNest is a student-focused platform that helps users explore colleges, connect with mentors, participate in events and communities, manage their profiles, and access other student-focused features and services.

PeerNest is currently operated by Nitanth Mouli MM and Srujana Gandla, pending formal incorporation.

This Privacy Policy explains how PeerNest (“PeerNest”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when you visit our website, create an account, use our platform, communicate with us, book or purchase services, or otherwise interact with PeerNest.

PeerNest uses third-party technology providers, including Shopify and Supabase, to operate different parts of the platform.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully so that you understand how your information is handled.

1. Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with PeerNest and which features you use.

We may collect the following categories of personal information.

Account Information

When you create or maintain a PeerNest account, we may process information such as:

  • your name;
  • email address;
  • phone number, where provided;
  • account identifier;
  • account role;
  • profile photo;
  • account preferences;
  • account status; and
  • authentication and account-security information.

Authentication services are currently provided using Supabase.

PeerNest does not need access to your plain-text password.

Profile Information

Users may choose to provide profile information such as:

  • biography;
  • institution or college;
  • course or program;
  • graduation year;
  • skills;
  • LinkedIn profile;
  • GitHub profile;
  • portfolio links;
  • profile photograph; and
  • other profile information voluntarily provided by the user.

Resume and Project Information

Where supported by PeerNest, users may upload or provide:

  • resumes or CVs;
  • project names;
  • project descriptions;
  • project links;
  • GitHub links;
  • technologies or skills associated with projects; and
  • related professional or academic information.

Resume files may be stored separately from publicly visible profile information and are not intended to be publicly accessible unless the user chooses to share them through an applicable feature.

Mentorship Information

When mentorship functionality is used, we may process information including:

  • mentor profiles;
  • mentor expertise;
  • availability;
  • booking information;
  • session details;
  • ratings;
  • reviews;
  • session status; and
  • related communications.

College Discovery Information

When you use PeerNest's college-discovery, comparison or recommendation functionality, we may process information you voluntarily provide, such as:

  • colleges you view or save;
  • academic interests;
  • preferred programs;
  • location preferences;
  • college preferences;
  • comparison selections; and
  • other information used to provide the requested feature.

Event and Community Information

When PeerNest events or community features are used, we may process information such as:

  • event registrations;
  • participation information;
  • community memberships;
  • posts;
  • comments;
  • interactions; and
  • content voluntarily submitted by users.

Payment and Transaction Information

Where PeerNest provides paid services, we may process transaction-related information such as:

  • amount paid;
  • transaction status;
  • booking or order reference;
  • payment method type;
  • payment confirmation;
  • refund status; and
  • transaction identifiers.

Payments may be processed through Shopify or other approved payment providers.

PeerNest does not necessarily receive or store complete card details or other sensitive payment credentials where those details are handled directly by the payment provider.

Communications

When you contact PeerNest, we may process information contained in:

  • customer-support requests;
  • emails;
  • contact forms;
  • refund requests;
  • feedback;
  • complaints; and
  • other communications.

Device and Usage Information

When you visit or use PeerNest, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

  • IP address;
  • browser type;
  • device information;
  • operating system;
  • pages visited;
  • interactions with the website;
  • referral information;
  • approximate technical location information where provided by applicable services; and
  • timestamps and related usage information.

The Shopify-generated policy already identifies device and usage information as categories that may be processed. Pasted markdown

2. How We Collect Information

We may collect personal information:

Directly from You

For example, when you:

  • create an account;
  • complete your profile;
  • upload a profile photo or resume;
  • add projects;
  • apply to become a mentor;
  • book a mentorship session;
  • register for an event;
  • participate in a community;
  • submit a review;
  • contact PeerNest; or
  • make a payment.

Automatically

Certain information may be collected automatically when you use the website through technologies such as:

  • cookies;
  • local browser storage;
  • session technologies;
  • analytics tools; and
  • Shopify storefront technologies.

From Service Providers

Information may also be processed through services that help us operate PeerNest, including Shopify, Supabase, payment providers and other infrastructure or technology providers.

From Other Sources

In limited circumstances, information may be obtained from users, partners or publicly available sources where necessary to provide a PeerNest feature and where permitted by applicable law.

This follows the same general source categories included in Shopify's original policy. Pasted markdown

3. How We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

Provide PeerNest Services

This includes using information to:

  • create and maintain accounts;
  • authenticate users;
  • display and maintain profiles;
  • provide college-discovery features;
  • provide college comparisons;
  • operate mentorship functionality;
  • manage mentor applications;
  • process bookings;
  • operate events;
  • support communities;
  • store user projects;
  • provide reviews and ratings;
  • process transactions;
  • provide requested platform functionality; and
  • maintain user preferences.

Personalize the Experience

We may use information to tailor relevant content or functionality based on a user's activity, preferences or selected information.

Communicate With Users

We may use contact information to send:

  • account-related communications;
  • authentication messages;
  • booking confirmations;
  • event information;
  • service notifications;
  • security notifications;
  • support responses; and
  • other operational communications.

Where marketing communications are used, users may be provided with an appropriate method to opt out.

Improve PeerNest

We may use information to understand how users interact with PeerNest, troubleshoot problems, improve functionality and develop new features.

Security and Fraud Prevention

Information may be processed to:

  • authenticate accounts;
  • prevent unauthorized access;
  • detect abuse;
  • investigate suspicious activity;
  • prevent fraudulent transactions;
  • protect users;
  • enforce PeerNest policies; and
  • maintain platform security.

Legal and Operational Requirements

We may process information where reasonably necessary to:

  • comply with applicable legal requirements;
  • respond to lawful requests;
  • resolve disputes;
  • investigate violations of our policies;
  • protect our rights; and
  • maintain appropriate business records.

4. Profile Visibility

Some information users provide to PeerNest may be intended to appear publicly or to other PeerNest users.

For example, an approved mentor profile may display information such as:

  • name;
  • profile photograph;
  • institution;
  • program;
  • biography;
  • skills;
  • expertise;
  • achievements;
  • ratings; and
  • other information chosen or approved for display.

Users should avoid including sensitive personal information in fields intended to be publicly visible.

Other information, such as authentication information and private files, is not intended to be displayed publicly.

5. Resumes and Private Files

PeerNest may allow users to upload resumes or similar documents.

These files may contain information selected by the user, potentially including educational, professional and contact information.

PeerNest aims to restrict access to private files according to the applicable account permissions and platform functionality.

Users should avoid including unnecessary sensitive information in uploaded documents.

6. User-Generated Content

PeerNest may allow users to submit:

  • reviews;
  • profile content;
  • projects;
  • community posts;
  • comments;
  • event-related content; and
  • other contributions.

Content intentionally submitted to public or shared areas of PeerNest may be visible to other users.

Users should therefore consider what information they choose to publish.

7. How We Share Personal Information

PeerNest does not disclose personal information arbitrarily.

Information may be shared where reasonably necessary with service providers that help us operate the platform.

These may include:

  • Shopify;
  • Supabase;
  • payment providers;
  • email or communications providers;
  • analytics providers;
  • cloud or infrastructure providers;
  • security providers; and
  • other technology vendors used to provide PeerNest services.

Such providers may process information according to their own contractual and privacy obligations.

When You Request or Authorize Sharing

We may disclose information where you specifically request or authorize us to do so.

For example, certain information may be shared as part of:

  • mentor bookings;
  • event participation;
  • community participation;
  • integrations; or
  • other platform functionality.

Legal Requirements

Information may also be disclosed where reasonably necessary to:

  • comply with applicable law;
  • respond to lawful government or court requests;
  • investigate fraud;
  • enforce PeerNest policies;
  • protect PeerNest or its users; or
  • establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

Business Changes

If PeerNest is incorporated, reorganized, financed, acquired, merged or otherwise transferred in the future, information may be transferred as part of that transaction where permitted by applicable law.

8. Shopify

PeerNest uses Shopify to operate its storefront and certain website and transaction functionality.

Shopify may process information relating to your access to and interaction with the storefront in order to provide its services.

Information processed through Shopify may be subject to Shopify's own privacy practices.

Shopify may also process certain information independently in connection with its platform and services.

The original Shopify-generated Privacy Policy already explains that information submitted through Shopify-supported services can be processed by Shopify and potentially across different jurisdictions. Pasted markdown

Users may review Shopify's own consumer privacy information for further details about Shopify's processing activities.

9. Supabase

PeerNest currently uses Supabase to provide parts of its technical infrastructure.

Depending on the feature, Supabase may be used for:

  • authentication;
  • user accounts;
  • database storage;
  • profile information;
  • project information;
  • profile images;
  • resume storage;
  • role and permission information; and
  • other PeerNest application data.

Information stored through Supabase is processed as necessary to provide PeerNest's platform functionality.

Access controls and database security policies are used to restrict access to information according to applicable account permissions.

10. Payment Providers

PeerNest may use Shopify and/or other authorized payment providers to process payments.

Payment providers may independently collect payment information required to complete transactions.

Their processing is governed by their own privacy and security practices.

PeerNest generally receives information necessary to identify and manage the transaction rather than every piece of financial information provided directly to the payment processor.

11. Cookies and Similar Technologies

PeerNest and its technology providers may use cookies, browser storage and similar technologies.

Some technologies are necessary for the website and platform to operate.

Others may be used for purposes such as:

  • remembering preferences;
  • analytics;
  • performance measurement; and
  • marketing where applicable.

Where required, optional categories can be managed through PeerNest's Cookie Preferences controls.

More information is available in our separate Cookie Policy.

12. Authentication and Browser Storage

PeerNest may use browser storage to maintain authentication sessions and provide account functionality.

Session information stored in the browser allows a user to remain signed in while navigating PeerNest.

Users should sign out when using a shared or public device.

13. Third-Party Websites and Services

PeerNest may contain links to third-party websites or services.

PeerNest does not control the independent privacy practices of those third parties.

If you visit another service through a PeerNest link, you should review that service's privacy policy before providing personal information.

Shopify's original policy similarly explains that PeerNest cannot control the privacy or security practices of independent third-party platforms. Pasted markdown

14. Data Security

PeerNest uses technical and organizational measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorized access, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These measures may include:

  • authentication controls;
  • database access policies;
  • role-based access;
  • restricted storage;
  • secure communications;
  • account-status controls; and
  • other technical safeguards.

However, no internet-based service or security system can guarantee absolute security.

Users should keep their account credentials confidential and contact PeerNest if they suspect unauthorized access to their account.

15. Data Retention

PeerNest retains personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to:

  • maintain an active account;
  • provide platform services;
  • maintain transaction records;
  • resolve disputes;
  • prevent abuse;
  • comply with legal obligations; and
  • enforce applicable agreements.

Retention periods may differ depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it is processed.

The existing Shopify policy uses the same general principle that retention depends on account, service, legal and dispute-resolution requirements. Pasted markdown

16. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on applicable law and your circumstances, you may have rights relating to your personal information.

These may include the right to request:

  • access to personal information held about you;
  • correction of inaccurate information;
  • deletion of certain personal information;
  • a copy of certain information;
  • withdrawal of consent where processing is based on consent; and
  • information about how your data is processed.

Certain requests may be subject to legal, security or operational limitations.

PeerNest may need to verify your identity before completing certain requests.

The Shopify-generated policy similarly recognizes access, deletion, correction and portability rights where applicable. Pasted markdown

17. Communication Preferences

Where PeerNest sends optional promotional communications, you may unsubscribe using the method provided in that communication.

Even if you opt out of marketing communications, PeerNest may continue to send necessary non-promotional communications, including:

  • account messages;
  • security notices;
  • booking information;
  • payment information; and
  • service-related notifications.

18. International Processing

PeerNest's service providers may operate infrastructure or process information in countries other than the country in which a user is located.

As a result, personal information may be processed or stored internationally depending on the infrastructure used by Shopify, Supabase and other service providers.

Where required, such transfers will be handled according to applicable legal requirements.

The current Shopify-generated policy already discloses that information may be stored and processed outside a user's country. Pasted markdown

19. Complaints and Privacy Requests

If you have a question, concern or complaint about how PeerNest handles personal information, you may contact us using the information below.

We may request information necessary to verify your identity and understand the request.

We will review legitimate privacy requests and respond as appropriate under applicable law.

20. Changes to This Privacy Policy

PeerNest may update this Privacy Policy when:

  • platform functionality changes;
  • new services are introduced;
  • technology providers change;
  • our data practices change; or
  • legal or regulatory requirements change.

The latest version will be published on PeerNest with an updated Last updated date.

21. Contact

For privacy questions, requests or complaints, contact:

PeerNest
Operated by: Nitanth Mouli MM and Srujana Gandla
Email: info@peernest.in
Support: PeerNest Contact page

22 .Minors and Parental Responsibility

PeerNest is a student-focused platform and some of its publicly available content may be accessed by younger users.

PeerNest does not currently independently verify the age of every visitor or user unless such verification is required for a particular feature or by applicable law.

Parents and lawful guardians are responsible for supervising a minor’s use of online services, including PeerNest, and for determining whether particular features, interactions, mentorship sessions, events or communities are appropriate for the minor.

Users are responsible for providing accurate information when using PeerNest and should not misrepresent their age or identity.

Where parental or guardian consent, age verification or other protections are required by applicable law, PeerNest may introduce additional requirements, restrict access to certain features, or take other appropriate steps.

If a parent or guardian believes that a minor has provided personal information to PeerNest inappropriately or wishes to raise a privacy concern relating to a minor, they may contact PeerNest using the contact information provided in this Privacy Policy.

Nothing in this section limits any responsibility or obligation that PeerNest may have under applicable law.

PeerNest is currently operating prior to formal incorporation. Operator and business information in this Privacy Policy may be updated following incorporation.