Privacy Policy
This page explains what personal information AlpAI Lab currently handles and why, which companies handle it and in which countries, how long it is kept, and how to use cookies settings, delete your member information, or request disclosure.
In brief: this page explains what personal information AlpAI Lab collects and why, which companies handle it and where, how long it is kept, and how to request correction, deletion, or disclosure. The most recent revision, effective 2026-10-18, added the Stripe script and its cookies and clarified how long execution records (logs) are kept; see "Revision history" at the end. Ghost, mentioned throughout, is the service that operates the Site and manages members.
GRID Start, Ltd. (the "Company") handles the personal information it processes in connection with AlpAI Lab (the "Service") and its website, AlpAI Lab (https://alpai-lab.ghost.io; the "Site"), in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information, other laws and regulations, and this Privacy Policy.
The Service is currently free. There is no charge to register as a member, and we do not collect payment information such as credit card details. New member registration requires an email address and answers to a 4-question survey (see "Registration survey" below).
Information we collect and how we use it
| Information | When it is collected or used | Purpose of use |
|---|---|---|
| Email address (and, if the registration form has fields such as a name, what you enter in them) | Member registration, login, inquiries | Registering and managing members, sending confirmation emails and login links, sending important notices such as changes to the terms, and responding to inquiries |
| Member registration information | Member registration, login, reading articles | Information recorded by Ghost, such as that you are a free member, the date and time of registration, the date and time of last access, and the page or referrer that led to registration. We use it to display articles to logged-in members, to count registrations and returning visitors (see "Member count and other statistics" below), and to improve the Service |
| Answers to the registration survey | New member registration (registration page) | To improve the Site and to improve how we guide readers to the content they want to read. See "Registration survey" below for details |
| Optional preference for future notices and article announcement emails | New member registration (registration page), only if you select it | Recorded as a provisional preference in case we start sending notices or article announcement emails in the future. It is not currently used to send email. See "About email" below for details |
| Record of your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | New member registration (registration page) | A record that you agreed, and the version (revision date) of the terms and other documents you agreed to |
| Information that keeps you logged in | Use of the Site after logging in | Keeping you logged in and displaying member-only articles. See "Cookies" below for details |
| Usage of the Site (analytics) | Viewing pages on the Site | Understanding and improving usage, such as the number of views per page. See "Site analytics" below for details |
| Access logs | Access to the Site | Secure operation, preventing misuse, and investigating and responding to failures |
| Content of inquiries | Inquiries by email | Answering and handling inquiries |
In addition, we may use personal information to comply with legal requirements.
Registration survey
When you register as a new member, we ask you to answer the following 4 questions in addition to providing your email address. You cannot register if any question is left unanswered.
1. Q1: How often you would like to check investment articles (choose 1)
2. Q2: What you would like to learn about at AlpAI Lab (choose 1 or 2)
3. Q3: Your main current investment style (choose 1)
4. Q4: How you first learned about AlpAI Lab (choose 1)
All questions are multiple choice, and there are no free-text fields. For cases where a question is hard to answer, we provide options such as "Not decided yet," "Other," and "Don't remember." We do not ask for your name, gender, age group, occupation, annual income, or investable funds.
- Purpose of use: To improve the Site and to improve how we guide readers to the content they want to read. If we change this purpose, we will notify you in advance.
- Linking to your member record: Your answers are linked to the member record for the email address you registered and saved in Ghost's member information as labels (classification tags). A label is a fixed code corresponding to an answer choice; the text of your answers is not saved.
- Where it is processed: Registration is received by a service the Company operates in the Google Cloud Tokyo region (asia-northeast1) ("alpai-signup" on Cloud Run). The registration page sends your email address and answers from your browser to this service. The service validates the content and creates the member and labels through Ghost's administrative functions (API). Then, from your browser, a request is sent to Ghost to send a login link.
- Records (logs): This service does not write your email address, name, or answers to its execution records (logs) or to any database. What remains in the execution records is the access path, the response status, whether registration succeeded, and similar information. Google Cloud's standard logs may include the date and time of access and the source IP address. For where and how long execution records are kept, see "Retention periods" below.
- Answers before your email address is confirmed: The registration service creates the member before the login link is opened and the email address is confirmed. Answers and preferences from members who have not yet been confirmed are not used for guidance, statistics, or notice emails.
- If you are already a member: If an application is made with an email address that is already registered, we do not save the new answers and do not change the existing member information. We do not ask members who registered before this registration method began to answer the survey.
- Correction and deletion: You can request correction or deletion of your answers alone, without canceling your membership, by contacting the inquiry desk below. When you cancel your membership and your account is deleted, the labels for your answers are also deleted (see "Deleting member information" below).
About email
For member registration and login, we send a confirmation email and a login link. These are not article deliveries.
We do not currently deliver articles by email. Registering as a member does not start email delivery of articles. Even if we start delivering articles by email in the future, stopping delivery and canceling membership (deleting your account) will be separate procedures.
The registration page has an optional field for choosing whether you would like future notices and article announcement emails. The default is no selection. Even if you select it, it is only recorded as a provisional preference, and we are not currently sending these emails. Because this choice is made before your email address is confirmed, if we start sending these emails in the future, we will first ask the logged-in member again for their consent. We will not send them to anyone who has not given consent. Agreeing to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy is separate from consenting to receive these emails.
Companies that handle personal information
| Company | Role | Information handled | Country where the company is located | Where information is processed and stored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost Foundation | Operating the Site and managing members (Ghost(Pro)), and sending login-link emails | Members' email addresses and registration information, labels representing survey answers and records of agreement, the Site's access logs, cookies that keep you logged in, and statistics such as page views | Singapore | Ghost has stated publicly that the main servers for Ghost(Pro) are in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Processing may take place in other countries, and we will tell you the actual locations of processing and storage for the services we use as soon as we can confirm them |
| Google Cloud (Google) | Receiving new member registrations (the "alpai-signup" service on Cloud Run) and compiling member counts and other statistics (a periodic automated process) | Receiving registrations: email address, survey answers, record of agreement, and optional preference. These are used only while being validated and passed to Ghost, and are not stored in the Company's service. Statistics: member information obtained from Ghost (an ID that distinguishes members, the fact that the member is a free member, the registration date and time, the last access date and time, what led to registration, and a marker used to exclude test accounts). None of this is included in the results | We will notify you once confirmed | Receiving registrations and compiling member counts and other statistics are run in the Tokyo region (asia-northeast1). In Google Cloud's settings, the storage location for execution records (logs) is "global," so the country cannot be identified |
The Site uses Google Fonts to display text. When fonts are fetched, your browser communicates with Google's delivery servers.
In addition, to display the member registration screen and the search function, the Site loads scripts provided by Ghost from a content delivery network (jsDelivr). In this case as well, your browser communicates with the delivery servers.
In addition, because Ghost's payment function (integration with Stripe) is enabled, the Site loads a Stripe script (js.stripe.com). We confirmed that it loads on the pages we checked (the home page, articles, /signup/, and /plans/). In this case as well, your browser communicates with Stripe's delivery servers. The Site does not currently accept payments and has no fields for entering credit card information or the like.
On the registration page (/signup/), when you press the registration button, your browser sends your email address and answers to the Company's registration service (Google Cloud).
Member count and other statistics
To compile registration counts and returning-visitor figures, the Company retrieves member information through Ghost's administrative functions (API) from an automated process on Google Cloud. What is used for the statistics is an ID that distinguishes members, the fact that the member is a free member, the registration date and time, the last access date and time, and what led to registration (such as the page where the member registered). To exclude test accounts, it also reads the marker (label) attached to members. The results are only counts and percentages and do not include names, email addresses, or member IDs.
Even though the results are only aggregate figures, the original member information is still retrieved and processed to produce them. Because what led to registration is looked up by querying Ghost for each member, the information returned from Ghost may include names and email addresses. These are not used for the statistics and are neither stored nor logged.
This processing is run in the Tokyo region (asia-northeast1). For where and how long execution records (logs) are kept, see "Retention periods" below.
Handling by companies in other countries
In the Service, the following companies in other countries handle personal information.
- Ghost Foundation (the company is located in Singapore): members' email addresses and registration information, labels representing survey answers, the Site's access logs, and similar information
- Google Cloud (Google): receiving new member registrations and compiling member counts and other statistics (both run in the Tokyo region). We will tell you the company's location once we can confirm it
A company's location and the place where information is actually processed and stored are not necessarily the same. Ghost has stated publicly that the main servers for Ghost(Pro) are in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, but processing is not necessarily carried out in this one country alone. We will confirm how information is handled by the services we use, including subcontractors involved in sending confirmation emails and similar tasks, and will tell you the necessary information. The storage location for Google Cloud execution records (logs) is set to "global," which does not specify a country, so the country where they are stored cannot be identified.
These companies take security management measures to protect personal information. If you would like information about the personal information protection systems of each country and the measures these companies take, please request it from the inquiry desk below. We will provide it in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Cookies
The cookies used in the Service are as follows.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Cookie that keeps you logged in | Ghost | To keep members logged in and to display member-only articles |
| Cookies set by the Stripe script (__stripe_mid, __stripe_sid) | Stripe (a script loaded by Ghost's payment function) | These are set by a script loaded for Ghost's payment function. We do not currently accept payments or the entry of card information. We will tell you details such as the validity period once we can confirm them |
We confirmed that these Stripe cookies are set on the pages we checked (the home page, articles, /signup/, and /plans/). We have not confirmed whether they are set on other pages.
If you disable cookies in your browser settings, you may not be able to stay logged in or read member-only articles.
Site analytics
The Site uses the site analytics function built into Ghost. This function sends the address of the page viewed, the referrer, and information such as your browser and language to the analytics mechanism within the Site as a record of the visit. If you are logged in, information indicating that you are a member may be added. Your browser's storage area (local storage) may be used for analytics.
What the Company checks in the admin screen are aggregated figures such as page views and the number of member registrations.
Retention periods
| Information | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Members' email addresses and registration information | While the account exists |
| Survey answers and records of agreement (labels) | While the account exists. They are deleted together when you cancel your membership and your account is deleted |
| Execution records of the registration service | They do not include email addresses or answers. Application execution records (Cloud Logging) are kept for 30 days, and audit logs that record the Company's administrative operations are kept for 400 days. In Google Cloud's settings the storage location is "global," so the country cannot be identified. |
| Access logs | Follows Ghost Foundation's retention period |
| Member counts and other statistics on Google Cloud | Member information retrieved for the statistics is used only during processing and is not stored. The results (counts and percentages) remain in the execution records. Application execution records (Cloud Logging) are kept for 30 days, and audit logs that record the Company's administrative operations are kept for 400 days. In Google Cloud's settings the storage location is "global," so the country cannot be identified. |
| Content of inquiries | 3 years after the matter is resolved |
Deleting member information
If you would like to cancel your membership and have your account deleted, please contact the inquiry desk below from the email address you registered. After confirming your identity, we will delete the member information registered in Ghost (your email address, registration information, and the labels representing your survey answers and records of agreement). Because there are currently no paid services, there is no procedure for canceling a subscription or for refunds.
Even after deletion, the following information may remain.
- The contents of inquiry emails (until the retention period above ends)
- Figures that have already been aggregated, such as page views
- Ghost Foundation's access logs (until Ghost Foundation's retention period ends)
- Execution records of the registration service (these do not include email addresses or answers; until the retention period ends)
- Records that must be kept under laws and regulations
We will tell you, at the email address you contacted us from, when deletion is complete and what information remains and why.
Provision to third parties
Except where permitted by law, the Company does not provide personal information to third parties without the individual's consent. The companies in the table above are providers of services the Company uses to operate the Service, and they handle personal information to the extent necessary for their respective roles.
Security management
The Company takes necessary and appropriate measures to prevent leakage, loss, or damage of the personal information it handles.
If you request it, we will describe the security management measures we have taken, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Requests for disclosure and similar actions
If an individual requests disclosure, correction, deletion, suspension of use, or similar action regarding the personal information the Company holds about them, we will confirm the person's identity and respond in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Please contact us through the inquiry desk below.
Changes to this policy
The Company may change this policy to reflect changes to the Service or to laws and regulations. If there are important changes, we will announce them on the Site. If we begin offering paid services, we will announce changes to the information we collect and how we handle it before doing so.
Inquiry desk
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Company | GRID Start, Ltd. (グリッドスタート株式会社) |
| Address | 2F Nishi-Shinjuku Mizuma Building, 3-3-13 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo |
| Representative | Hideo Takahashi, President and Representative Director |
| Contact | Email: alpai@gridstart.co.jp |
Please also review the Terms of Service.
Established: 2026-10
Revision history
- 2026-10-10 Revised (effective the same day): Added the compilation of member counts and other statistics on Google Cloud, and listed separately each company's country and the place where information is processed and stored.
- 2026-10-10 Revised (effective the same day): For new member registration, we now ask you to answer a 4-question survey in addition to providing your email address. Added the answers we collect, the purpose of use, the linking to Ghost members, the service on Google Cloud that receives registrations and where it processes information, the handling of records (logs), and correction and deletion. Stated that the optional "preference for future notices and article announcement emails" is only a record of a provisional preference and that we have not started sending email.
- 2026-10-18 Revised (effective the same day): Added the loading of the Stripe script (js.stripe.com) and the cookies (__stripe_mid, __stripe_sid). Also, regarding retention of execution records (logs), stated that application records are kept for 30 days and audit logs for 400 days, that the storage location is "global" in Google Cloud's settings so the country cannot be identified, and that the compilation of member counts and other statistics is run in the Tokyo region.
Japanese original. This English edition preserves the original publication date, performance snapshot and correction history.