Privacy Policy of VERBUND X Accelerator.

VERBUND X Accelerator. (the “Program”), was developed and is organised by VERBUND AG, Am Hof 6a, 1010 Vienna (“VERBUND”, “we”). Start-ups, SMEs and other companies (“applicants”, “you”) can apply to the Program and “pitch” innovative ideas. Applicants can then profit from the Program’s numerous benefits and the broad VERBUND network. The applicant’s personal data will be collected during this process. Therefore, in what follows, we inform you how to contact the controller, where we obtain your personal data and how we handle it.

1. Name and Contact Information for the Controller and the Data Protection Officer
The controller for processing your data for the Program’s purposes is VERBUND AG, Am Hof 6a, 1010 Vienna. The following contact information can be used to reach us: team-innovation@verbund.com.

You can contact our Data Protection Officer at: datenschutz@verbund.com.

2. The Program – Processing Activities, Purpose of Processing, Legal Basis and Recipients

2.1 Applying for and implementing the Program

(a) Data source

When applying for the Program at the Program-website of VERBUND (www.verbundx.com), you will be redirected to the application form at the website of WhatAVenture (www.whataventure.com). WhatAVenture ist a partner of VERBUND and processes the data as an independent controller. You can find the relevant information in its Privacy Policy.

(b) Data categories 

We process the data you provide on the application form (e-mail address, telephone number, first and last name, position in the company, website URL, Facebook URL, LinkedIn URL, Skype), and any additional information you voluntarily provide. 

(c) Purpose of processing 

We process this personal data for the purpose of evaluating and selecting your application and organising and executing the Program. We distinguish among the following program modules or use cases: 

•Carbon Capture Technology
•Carbon Utilization Technology
•Advanced biomass to aviation fuels & chemicals
•Heat Pumps: Retrofit technologies & services and innovative hardware (B2C)
•New Storage
•Advanced Data Analytics for Wind farms & PV plants
•Innovative solutions for PV surplus and E-Fleet energy optimization

(d) Legal basis

The legal basis for processing your data within the context of applying for and implementing the Program is Art. 6(1) lit. b GDPR (Taking steps prior to entering into a contract or performing a contract).

(e) Data recipients

Service providers hired for processing activities (“processors”), such as service providers involved in the execution of the Program and IT service providers may have access to your data on our behalf and on our instructions.

Moreover, other third parties, who are selectively involved with the Program, may have an interest in observing your pitch, implementing project work, and entering into a separate contract with you after the completion of the Program. Therefore, the application data that we have collected from you may be sent to third parties to the extent stated below on the legal basis stated below: 

• VERBUND Group companies: 

We send your personal data to VERBUND Energy4Customers GmbH (Am Hof 6a, 1010 Vienna) for the purposes of the use case “Heat Pumps: Retrofit technologies & services and innovative hardware (B2C)” and to VERBUND Green Power GmbH (Am Hof 6a, 1010 Vienna) for the purposes of the use case “Advanced Data Analytics for Wind farms & PV plants”. The data are processed for the aforementioned purposes on the basis of the Group companies’ overriding legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6(1) lit. f GDPR in the evaluation and selection of your application for possible contact and a potential contractual relationship after the completion of the Program. These interests override your interest in data secrecy because you have already stated your willingness to participate in a program open to the public, for which you have applied. 

• VERBUND’s cooperation partners: 

In addition, various cooperation partners of VERBUND receive your data in connection with the Program in regard to different use cases (Use Case Partners). These Use Case Partners are identified on the Program-website www.verbundx.com. They process your data in the selection process and the team-building processes as well as for preparatory meetings, project work and scouting, so that they can better evaluate potential subsequent cooperation with you in their own interests and contact you. They therefore act in a forward-looking manner within the context of implementing the Program, taking their own interests into account. The basis for this is their overriding legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6(1) lit. f GDPR. These interests override your interest in data secrecy because you have already stated your willingness to participate in a program open to the public, for which you have applied.


2.2. Recorded images/videos 

(a) Data source and data categories

In the course of implementing the Program, we may record images/videos of you and publish them in print or electronic form on our websites, other relevant websites in regard to start–up programs and on social-media channels, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc.

(b) Purposes of processing

The data is processed for the purpose of documenting and presenting the Program as well as your innovative ideas, pitches and other contributions to the Program. This is to make the Program – and your company – known. 

(c) Legal basis

The data processing activities are primarily based on our legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6(1) lit. f GDPR in continuing a sustainable business. This interest overrides any interest you may have in data secrecy. Processing activities are not only expected but rather desirable and common in start-up programs. If, in an individual case, data processing cannot be justified by our legitimate interests, we will obtain your consent within the meaning of Art. 6(1) lit. a GDPR. 

(d) Recipients

In the course of recording images/videos of you, processors and other third parties may receive access to your data and process the data for their own purposes. We also send your images/videos to the third parties identified in Subsection 2.1 e), which may also publish your data on their websites and social-media channels. They do this to support and advertise your company and strengthen the potential future cooperative relationship with you. Therefore, these data processing activities are also based on legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6(1) lit. f GDPR. If, in an individual case, data processing cannot be justified by their legitimate interests, these third parties will obtain your consent within the meaning of Art. 6(1) lit. a GDPR.

3. Storage period

Your data will be processed for the purposes of executing and implementing the Program and then for a period of seven years based on corporate law and tax law retention periods. If specific claims are threatened, we will process your personal data for an additional 3 to 30 years in individual cases. We process recorded images/videos as long as we have a legitimate interest in doing so. That is generally for the duration of the Program and as long thereafter as the images/videos are connected with the Program or profit from the benefits of VERBUND, and we have an interest in advertising with older contributions to animate future applications. We take the principles of data minimisation and purpose limitation into account in all such cases. 

Our Group companies and cooperation partners, which receive your personal data for their own purposes, may also process this data for the aforementioned periods. 

4. Your rights

With respect to your processed data, you generally have the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, data portability, withdrawal of consent and objection. To assert these rights, you may contact VERBUND directly at datenschutz@verbund.com. 

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your rights under data protection law have been otherwise violated, you can file a complaint with the national data protection authority where you reside. In Austria, the Austrian Data Protection Authority has jurisdiction (www.dsb.gv.at).

You can also assert these rights against third parties (Group companies and cooperation partners) if they process your data for their own purposes. In this case, please utilise the third party’s contact information, which is provided on www.verbundx.com.



As of 30 June 2022