Terms of Service & Engagement
Last updated: October 2026 • Effective for all Stratum enterprise engagements and Deal Room sessions
1. Acceptance of Master Terms
These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between Stratum Platform Ltd. ("STRATUM", "we", "us") and the organization, corporation, or entity accessing our platform, intelligence feeds, or Deal Room ("Client", "you").
By commissioning research, accessing the Stratum Intelligence Graph, or entering a Deal Room session, you irrevocably agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms.
2. Scope of Intelligence & Intermediation Services
STRATUM delivers three core service tiers:
- Custom Market Research & Panels: Qualitative focus groups, in-depth interviews (IDIs), ethnographic intercepts, concept testing, and digital panel surveys across 54 African countries.
- Proprietary Telemetry & Datasets: Aggregated informal kiosk trade audits, FMCG retail velocity data, and price elasticity feeds delivered via our Intelligence Graph.
- The Deal Room & B2B Intermediation: Strategic matchmaking, verified local distributor introductions, logistics partner vetting, and transaction structuring.
3. The Deal Room: Non-Circumvention & Mutual NDA Protocols
To safeguard proprietary commercial relationships established by STRATUM across African trade corridors:
- Non-Circumvention Covenant: Client agrees that for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date of introduction to any vetted African distributor, logistics operator, co-packer, or local partner introduced by STRATUM, Client shall not directly or indirectly negotiate, contract, or execute commercial transactions with such party without the written participation and agreement of STRATUM.
- Success Fees & Intermediation Commissions: Specific transaction fees, retainers, and success fee schedules for commercial contracts completed via the Deal Room are defined in each bilateral Statement of Work (SOW).
- Strict Anti-Corruption (FCPA / UKBA / AU Convention): Both parties warrant zero tolerance for commercial bribery, facilitation payments, or corrupt practices in connection with any government agency or commercial counterparty in any African market.
4. Proprietary Intellectual Property
All rights, title, and interest in and to the Stratum Intelligence Graph, telemetry pipelines, biometric voice-parsing algorithms, synthetic panelist models, and proprietary category schemas remain exclusively owned by Stratum Platform Ltd.
Upon full payment of applicable fees, Client receives a perpetual, non-exclusive, internal-use license to the specific deliverables and customized research reports generated for their project brief. Client shall not publicly redistribute, sub-license, resell, or commercialize raw panel telemetry to third parties.
5. Commercial Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability
STRATUM reports, telemetry feeds, and Deal Room briefings represent commercial market intelligence and empirical consumer research. They do not constitute financial underwriting, formal investment advisory, securities solicitation, tax advice, or legal opinions. Clients must conduct independent technical, accounting, and legal due diligence before deploying capital into any market.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, STRATUM's aggregate liability arising out of or related to any research or intermediation engagement shall not exceed the total fees paid by Client under the applicable Statement of Work in the twelve (12) months preceding the incident.
6. Governing Law & Bilateral Dispute Resolution
These Terms and any non-contractual obligations arising out of them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English Law, without prejudice to mandatory public policy provisions in regional African jurisdictions where local fieldwork takes place.
Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be resolved by binding arbitration conducted under the Arbitration Rules of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) or, at the election of STRATUM, the Kigali International Arbitration Centre (KIAC). The seat of arbitration shall be Kigali or London, and proceedings shall be conducted in the English language.
Legal & Contract Administration
For commercial inquiries, bespoke Statements of Work, or executed NDA copies: