BINDING AGREEMENT

Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully prior to entry, to ensure that You understand and agree with the Terms and Conditions. You agree that submission of an Entry to the event constitutes your acceptance of these Terms and Conditions and that there is a binding agreement between You and the event Organizers on the terms set out herein with respect to the Event (“Agreement”).

DEFINITIONS
“Events” refers to the Race to Unplugged By Fintech Tuesdays
“Event Period” refers to the duration of the event as specified on the event
Website
“Organizers” refers to Fintech Tuesdays and Fintech Surge
“Event Task” refers to the task as specified on the Event Website
“Event Website” refers to https://app.apixplatform.com/h1/unplugged
“Entry” or “Entries” refers to a Participant’s submission(s) to the Event
“Participant(s)” or “You” refers to every Fintech that submits an Entry to the Event
 “Requirements” refers to the submission requirements as specified on the Event Website

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Eligibility to Participate:

• To enter the event, you must register on the event Website and follow the instructions for submitting your Entry through the event Website. Your Entry must be made in the manner and format set forth on the event Website.
• Entries must be received prior to the Entry deadlines set forth on the event Website. Entries must be submitted only in English.
• Entries are void if any part thereof is illegible, incomplete, damaged, altered, counterfeit, obtained through fraud, or late.
• Participants must provide accurate information during registration and when submitting responses to the proposal questions.
• The organizers reserve the right to select participants based on the relevance and alignment of their insights with the event’s objectives.
• To be eligible to enter the Challenge, you must:
  I. be a registered account holder on the Challenge Website; and
  II. be: A. at least 18 years old; B. You are not from countries that are identified as high-risk or other monitored jurisdictions by the Financial Action Task Force and not part of any list of embargoed countries.
• Please note that:
  a. The organizers reserve the right to verify eligibility and to adjudicate on any dispute at any time. If the Organizers determine, in their absolute discretion and opinion, that You have provided any false or incorrect information to the Organizers, You shall be immediately disqualified from the event.
  b. Unless otherwise set forth in the event Rules, employees, interns, apprentices, contractors, officers and directors of the Organizers and their parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, advertising and promotion agencies, representatives, and agents may enter and participate in the event but are not eligible to win any prizes.

Event Participation:

• You may submit your Entry(ies) only through the registered account on the event Website. You will be disqualified if You submit your Entry(ies) through more than one account, or attempt to falsify an account to act as your proxy.
• Participants are required to submit responses to a set of proposal questions, which will focus on their journey, value proposition, future vision, product-market fit (PMF), and business models.
• The information provided should be original, accurate, and reflective of the participant’s genuine experiences.
• Submissions must be made before the specified deadline, and late entries will not be accepted.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
Please see the following sub-clauses.

• a. Background IPR: All rights, title and interests in and to any intellectual property rights (IPR) created prior to or independently of the event which a Participant has the right, through ownership or an appropriate license, to submit as an Entry to the event and which is used or disclosed by the Participant for the purposes of the event (Background IPR) shall remain unaffected. Except as expressly licensed under these event Terms and Conditions, no party is granted any right or interest in and to the other party’s Background IPR.
• b. Foreground IRP: IPR to all models, or any other assets created in the course of the participation in the event and forming part of the Entry, shall remain the property of such Participant (as applicable).
• c. Submission of Entries: By the submission of Entries, all Participants shall automatically grant to the Organizers a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, and
  non-exclusive licence to use, store and make copies of any of the Entries for the following purposes:
  I. to use, reproduce, publicly perform, publicly display and create a derivative work from, any Entry that Participant submits, solely for allowing the Organizers to evaluate the Entry for the purposes of the event.
  II. to advertise, display, demonstrate, or otherwise promote the Event. Participant specifically agrees that the Organizers, shall have the right to use, reproduce, publicly perform, and publicly display the Entries in connection with the advertising and promotion of the Event via communication to the public or other groups, including, but not limited to the right to make screenshots, animations and video clips available for promotional purposes.
  III. For academic research, education, and non-commercial use.
• d. You represent and warrant that You have the unrestricted rights to grant the  license set out in Clause c.

Code of Conduct

• Participants are expected to engage respectfully and professionally, contributing to a positive and collaborative environment. Discriminatory, offensive, or inappropriate behavior is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate exclusion from the event.
• Participants must comply with the guidelines and instructions of the event organizers at all times.

Media and Publicity

• Participants agree that their participation in the event, including any photos, videos, or other media content, may be used for promotional purposes by the organizers.
• While no proprietary business insights will be shared, participants may be featured in post-event recaps or promotional material related to the fintech community and industry discussions.

Disqualifying Behaviour.

• Organizers reserve the right to disqualify any Participant from the event if, at the sole discretion of Organizers, there is a reason to believe that the Participant has attempted to undermine the legitimate operation of the Event by cheating, deception, or other unfair playing practices or for any abuse, threats or harassments of any other Participants or Organizers.
• Organizers further reserve the right to disqualify any Participant who tampers with the submission process or any other part of the Event or Event Website. Any attempt by a Participant to deliberately damage any website, including the Event Website, or undermine the legitimate operation of the event is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Organizers reserve the right to seek damages from any such Participant to the fullest extent of the applicable law.

Privacy

• You acknowledge and agree that Organizers may collect, store, share and otherwise use personally identifiable information provided during the registration process and the  event, including, but not limited to, name, mailing address, phone number, and email address.
• Organizers will use this information in accordance with their Privacy Policy, including for administering the event. Your information may also be transferred to countries  outside the country of your residence. Such other countries may not have privacy laws and regulations similar to those of the country of your residence.
•  The Organizers are committed to safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of your personal data. By participating in this event, you acknowledge that the Organizers may use your name, trademark, address, comments, likenesses, photos, and descriptions of your ideas in publicity or advertising campaigns or materials concerning the Event or otherwise in any medium now known or hereafter devised (including the Internet or other interactive networks) at any place or time without further compensation or right of  review, and You agree to waive your rights with respect to any such publicity and advertising.

Warranty

• You warrant that your Entry is your own original work and, as such, You are the sole and exclusive owner and rights holder of the Entry, and You have the right to make the Entry and grant all required licences.
• You agree not to submit any Entry that:
  (i) infringes any third party proprietary rights, intellectual property rights, industrial property rights, personal or moral rights or any other rights, including without limitation, copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, privacy, publicity or confidentiality obligations; or
  (ii) otherwise violates any applicable state or federal law.

Indemnity

• To the maximum extent permitted by law, You indemnify and agree to keep indemnified Organizers at all times from and against any liability, claims, demands, losses,  damages, costs and expenses resulting from any act, default or omission by You and/or a breach of any warranty set forth herein.
• To the maximum extent permitted by law, You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Organizers from and against any and all claims, actions, suits or  proceedings, as well as any and all losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) arising out of or accruing from:
  (a) your Entry or other material uploaded or otherwise provided by You that infringes any copyright, trademark, trade secret, trade dress, patent or other intellectual property right of any person or entity, or defames any person or violates their rights of publicity or privacy;
  (b) any misrepresentation made by You in connection with the Event;
  (c) any non-compliance by You with these Event Terms and Conditions;
  (d) claims brought by persons or entities other than the parties to these Event Terms and Conditions arising from or related to your involvement with the Event;
  (e) your acceptance, possession, misuse or use of any prize, or your participation in the Event and any event-related activity and
  (f) your use of any external dataset.

Release
You hereby release Organizers from any liability associated with:
(a) any malfunction or other problem with the event Website;
(b) any error in the collection, processing, or retention of any Entry; or
(c) any typographical or other error in the printing, offering or announcement of finalists or winners.

Internet
Organizers are not responsible for any malfunction of the event Website or any late, lost, damaged, misdirected, incomplete, illegible,  undeliverable, or destroyed Entries or entry materials due to system errors, failed, incomplete or garbled computer or other telecommunication transmission malfunctions, hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, typographical or system/human errors and failures, technical malfunction(s) of any telephone network or lines, cable connections, satellite transmissions, servers or providers, or computer equipment, traffic congestion on the Internet or at the event Website, or any combination thereof, which may limit a Participant’s ability to participate.

Right to cancel, modify
If for any reason the event is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer viruses, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the event, Organizers reserve the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the event.

Not an offer or contract of employment

• Unless otherwise specifically provided under the event Website, under no circumstances shall the submission of an Entry, the shortlisting or anything in these Event Terms and Conditions be construed as an offer or contract of employment with the Organizers.
• You acknowledge that You have submitted your Entry voluntarily and not in confidence or in trust.
• You acknowledge that no confidential, fiduciary, agency or other relationship or implied-in-fact contract now exists between You and the Organizers, and that no such relationship is established by your submission of the Entry.

Governing Law

• Unless otherwise provided in the Event Rules above, this Agreement will be governed by UAE law.
• You agree that to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the UAE for any claims or disputes arising in relation with the Event.
• A person who is not a party to the Agreement has not right to enforce any of these terms and conditions.

Dispute Resolution

• Any dispute arising from or in connection with this Agreement, including any question regarding its existence, validity or termination, shall first be referred to the authorized representatives of the Parties for amicable settlement through good faith negotiations.
• Any dispute which cannot be resolved by amicable discussions within thirty (30) days of referral shall be submitted to the Presidents (or equivalent) of the respective Parties or their nominees for resolution.
• If the Parties fail to resolve such dispute through good faith negotiations, such dispute shall be referred to and finally resolved according to the laws in UAE which rules are deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Clause.
• The seat of the arbitration shall be UAE. The tribunal shall consist of one (1) arbitrator. The language of the arbitration shall be English.

Severability
If any provision of these Challenge Rules is held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions of the Challenge Rules will remain in full force and effect.

Acceptance of Terms

• By registering for and participating in the event, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these terms and conditions.
• Failure to adhere to these terms may result in exclusion from the event and disqualification from any future events organized by the event organizers.