Terms of Service.

01. Our practice

Aperta Research is an independent research and introductions practice. We provide scoped research, market and counterparty mapping, sourcing, qualification, written briefs and introductions across commercial relationships, capital, talent and dealflow. References to “Aperta”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean the practice operating under the Aperta Research brand.

The legal contracting party and its business details must be identified in your written engagement agreement before paid work begins. These website terms describe our services and the conditions of website use. They do not, by themselves, create a paid engagement.

02. Engagement agreements

An engagement starts only when both parties accept a written scope and commercial terms. The agreement identifies the parties, work, deliverables, qualification criteria, fees, currency, taxes, payment schedule, timing and any cancellation, replacement or continuation arrangements.

A proposal, enquiry, download or initial discussion is not acceptance of an engagement. These terms apply to paid services only where incorporated into the engagement agreement. If there is a conflict, the specific written engagement terms prevail, subject to rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Additional work, a wider search or an extended engagement requires agreement. We do not treat silence as approval of extra fees.

03. What the service provides

You purchase the research, sourcing, qualification, preparation and introduction work specified in your agreement. Research may result in a market map, profile, shortlist or brief. An introduction is a connection made with permission and relevant context; its precise qualification criteria are agreed for the engagement.

“Qualified” means assessed against those criteria using the stated information and checks. It does not mean audited, independently certified, credit-approved, legally cleared or guaranteed suitable for every purpose. Unresolved matters and material limitations should be identified in the handoff.

We perform the agreed work with reasonable care and skill and meet any applicable statutory service standards. The absence of a guaranteed commercial outcome does not excuse failure to deliver the agreed service.

04. No guaranteed commercial outcome

Unless expressly and lawfully agreed in writing, we do not promise or guarantee a sale, revenue, profit, funding, investment, employment, appointment, partnership, contract, transaction, response, meeting attendance or return on investment. Other parties control their own participation, decisions and performance.

Forecasts, targets, opportunities and timelines dependent on third parties are estimates, not assurances. Historical results relate to particular engagements and circumstances and are not a promise of similar results. Pipeline is the value of identified or pursued opportunities; it is not closed revenue, capital raised, completed transactions or assets under management.

Examples explain our work. An introduction, shortlist or mention of an organisation is not an endorsement, a warranty of solvency or capability, or a recommendation to enter a transaction.

05. Your decisions and due diligence

You remain responsible for deciding whether to meet, engage, employ, invest in or transact with a counterpart. Verify the matters relevant to your decision, including identity, authority, financial standing, legal and regulatory requirements, references, suitability and commercial terms.

Our general research and introductions are not personalised investment, legal, tax, accounting or other regulated professional advice. The website is not an offer of securities, a solicitation to invest or an undertaking to arrange a regulated transaction. Any proposed activity requiring authorisation must be separately assessed and lawfully structured before it is undertaken.

We do not have authority to bind a client or counterpart, negotiate on their behalf, receive investment funds or conclude a transaction unless a specific lawful written mandate expressly provides otherwise. You contract directly with third parties for their products or services.

06. Fees, cancellation and remedies

Fees compensate the work described in the engagement. Their basis, due dates and any performance-linked component must be stated in writing; no success fee is implied. A third party’s decision not to proceed does not itself establish that properly performed research or introduction work was defective.

Cancellation, termination, refunds and replacement work are governed by the agreed terms and applicable law. No universal “no refunds” rule applies. Rights and remedies for services that fail to meet mandatory guarantees remain available.

Any charge for work on termination must follow the agreement and applicable law. Material changes to scope, price or delivery arrangements require agreement; they are not imposed through a website update.

07. Separate mandates and conflicts

We may be independently retained by more than one party involved in a potential introduction. Where that occurs, we disclose the arrangement before proceeding and document each client’s scope and fees separately. We do not represent ourselves as an exclusive agent or fiduciary merely by making an introduction.

Material conflicts that could affect the engagement should be raised and addressed before the work proceeds. An introduction will not be made on the basis of undisclosed dual compensation.

08. Information and confidentiality

Provide accurate information to the best of your knowledge, make timely corrections and share only material you have authority to provide. Tell us about confidentiality, use and disclosure restrictions before sending sensitive material.

Each party must respect confidentiality obligations agreed for the engagement. Introduction materials should be shared only for the agreed purpose and with the intended recipients. Personal information is addressed in our Privacy Policy.

Research can rely on public information and third-party statements. Sources can be incomplete or become outdated. The research scope determines the checks undertaken; a report is not a continuing monitoring service unless that service is expressly agreed.

09. Content and permitted use

Aperta’s branding, website content and original materials are protected by intellectual property rights. You may browse the website, keep reasonable copies for your internal evaluation and use the enquiry outline to contact us. Commercial republication, resale or use of our branding requires permission.

Ownership and permitted use of paid deliverables are set out in the engagement agreement. Third-party materials remain subject to their owners’ rights. External websites are independently operated, and their terms and privacy practices apply when you visit them.

Do not misuse the website, impersonate another person, introduce malicious code, attempt unauthorised access or interfere with its operation.

10. Responsibility and mandatory rights

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability, guarantees, rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including applicable Australian Consumer Law protections. Nothing excludes liability for fraud or deliberate misconduct.

Subject to those protections, we give no additional warranty that general website information is complete, current or suitable for a particular transaction, or that the website will be uninterrupted. The specific duties, any lawful liability limits and available remedies for paid work belong in the engagement agreement.

A commercial outcome outside our control does not automatically make us liable for that outcome. Equally, this clause does not remove responsibility for our own breach, negligence or failure to meet an applicable legal obligation. There is no blanket indemnity or waiver of client rights in these website terms.

11. Questions, disputes and updates

Raise a concern through admin@apertaresearch.com, identifying the engagement, issue and remedy sought. We will consider the concern in good faith. Neither party is prevented from seeking urgent relief or exercising mandatory complaint or legal rights.

Applicable law and jurisdiction for paid services are specified in the engagement agreement, subject to overriding legal protections. These website terms do not impose an exclusive foreign forum.

Updates apply prospectively from the date shown. They do not retrospectively change an existing engagement, add fees or remove accrued rights. Contact us for a copy of the terms relevant to your engagement.