Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

This Privacy Policy explains how Oku Markets Limited ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use the Oku Financial website and our business finance brokerage services.

Oku Financial is a brand name of Oku Markets Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (registration number 13659636). We are your data controller, which means we are responsible for how your personal information is handled.

We act as the data controller for personal data we collect and use in connection with our services. We also engage certain third-party service providers who act as our data processors and process personal data on our behalf and under our instructions. In some cases, those third parties may act as independent data controllers where they determine the purposes and means of processing for their own obligations (for example, some lenders, banks, or regulators).

Our contact details:
Email: compliance@okumarkets.com
Address: The Light Bulb, 1 Filament Walk, London, England, SW18 4GQ

If you have concerns about how we handle your data, you can contact the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk. However, we'd appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly first.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

We collect personal information to provide our business finance brokerage and arranging services. The types of information we may collect include:

• Identity Information: Name, date of birth, nationality; passport or ID document details; business role and company information
• Contact Information: Email address, phone number; business and residential addresses
• Financial Information: Bank account details; business financial statements; turnover and revenue figures; credit references and financial standing
• Business Information: Company details and trading history; funding requirements and purpose; expected facility size and structure
• Application Information: Details submitted in funding applications; documents provided during our assessment process
• Technical Information: IP address, browser type, device information; website usage data and preferences
• Communications: Records of calls, emails, and other communications; marketing preferences

We do not collect sensitive personal data such as information about your health, race, religion, or political opinions.

We may also create, use, and share anonymous or aggregated data (for example, statistics about platform usage or funding volumes) for statistical, research, or business purposes. This information does not identify any individual and cannot be used to re-identify you.

3. How We Collect Your Information

We collect information when you:

• Register on our portal or submit an enquiry through our website
• Submit a funding application or request
• Contact our team directly by phone or email
• Provide it during our onboarding and compliance checks
• Use our online platform or website

We may also receive information from credit reference agencies, lenders, and other financial institutions to verify your identity and assess your application.

4. Why We Use Your Information

To Provide Our Services

• Assess your funding requirements and identify suitable finance structures
• Introduce your application to appropriate lenders on our panel
• Manage your application through to offer and drawdown
• Provide customer service and ongoing support

Legal and Compliance Obligations

• Verify your identity and prevent fraud
• Meet anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism requirements
• Comply with financial services regulations
• Maintain records as required by law

Business Operations

• Assess and manage credit and application risks
• Improve our services and platform
• Conduct market research and analysis

Marketing (with your consent)

• Send market updates, product information, and relevant content
• Provide tailored insights relevant to your business

Automated decision-making and profiling

We do not make decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you. We may use limited profiling to support fraud prevention, anti-money laundering screening, and to tailor marketing communications. Such processing is carried out based on our legal obligations and/or our legitimate interests and is subject to human oversight.

5. Legal Basis for Using Your Information

We only use your personal information where we have a legal right to do so:

• Contract: To provide our brokerage services and fulfil our agreements with you
• Legal obligation: To comply with financial regulations, anti-money laundering laws, and other legal requirements
• Legitimate interests: To operate our business, manage risks, prevent fraud, and improve our services
• Consent: For marketing communications and optional services (you can withdraw consent at any time)

6. Who We Share Your Information With

Service Providers: Lenders and finance providers on our panel; technology providers who support our platform; professional advisers (lawyers, accountants, auditors); credit reference agencies and fraud prevention services

Regulatory and Legal Requirements: Financial regulators and law enforcement agencies; tax authorities and government bodies; courts and legal proceedings

Business Transfers: If we sell or transfer our business, your information may be transferred to the new owners.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes. All third parties must protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

7. International Transfers

We may transfer your information outside the UK and EU where lenders, technology providers, or regulatory authorities operate in other jurisdictions. Where required, we implement appropriate safeguards for international transfers, including reliance on UK adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), or the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs). You can contact us for more information about the safeguards we use.

8. How We Protect Your Information

We use appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information, including encryption of sensitive data, secure access controls and authentication, regular security monitoring and testing, and staff training on data protection.

No internet transmission is completely secure. While we work hard to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO and, where required, affected individuals without undue delay.

9. How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep your personal information only as long as necessary for providing our services, meeting legal and regulatory requirements, and resolving disputes. Typical retention periods:

• Application and funding records: 7 years from the date of completion or closure
• AML/KYC onboarding records: 5 years after the end of the business relationship
• General account and contact details: duration of the relationship, then 6 years
• Communications (calls, emails): 5 years, up to 7 years in certain regulated circumstances
• Marketing data and preferences: 3 years from your last interaction or until you opt out
• Technical/log data: 12–24 months

10. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or port your personal information, object to certain uses of it, and withdraw consent for consent-based processing. To exercise these rights, contact us at compliance@okumarkets.com. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

You can also complain to the ICO at www.ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

11. Marketing Communications

We may send you information about our services and relevant finance insights if you have requested this, or if you are an existing client and the communications relate to our services. You can opt out at any time by clicking unsubscribe in any email or contacting us at hello@okufinancial.com.

12. Website and Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience. We may include links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these sites, so please check their privacy policies.

13. Age Restrictions

Our services are only available to businesses and individuals aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes and post the latest version on our website with the updated date.

15. Contact Us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information:

Email: compliance@okumarkets.com
Post: Data Protection, Oku Markets Limited, The Light Bulb, 1 Filament Walk, London, England, SW18 4GQ