Terms of Service

Effective Date: April 21, 2026

By utilizing the services of Africa Rating Hub (ARH), you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to the specific terms governing our two core service offerings.

1. Description of Services

A. ARH Pre-Fundraising Diagnostic 

Purpose: An internal advisory tool designed to identify gaps in a startup’s documentation, governance, and financials before approaching investors.

Nature: This is a private roadmap. It is intended for the startup’s internal improvement and does not constitute an official public rating.

Limitation: The Diagnostic Report does not grant the right to use the "ARH Certified" badge for marketing purposes.

B. ARH Official Rating 

Purpose: A formal independent assessment of a startup’s performance and risk profile.

Nature: This is a third-party validation tool intended for external stakeholders (investors, banks, partners).

Certification: Upon successful completion and verification of all evidence, ARH issues an official Rating Score and a certificate valid for six (06) months.

2. Evidence-Based Integrity

Data Submission: Users agree to provide authentic and verifiable data for all 7 Pillars.

Verification Rights: ARH reserves the right to request additional evidence or conduct interviews with the management team to validate the Data Trust Score (DTS).

Rating Revision: ARH reserves the right to downgrade or revoke an Official Rating if subsequent information reveals material inaccuracies in the original submission.

3. Permitted Use & Branding

Official Rating: Startups with a valid Official Rating may display the ARH Score and Badge on their website, pitch decks, and social media, provided the link leads back to the ARH verification portal.

Diagnostic Report: The Diagnostic Report is confidential and may not be publicly advertised as an "Official Rating."

No Alterations: Users are strictly prohibited from modifying, editing, or misrepresenting any part of an ARH Report or Certificate.

4. Confidentiality & non-disclosure

Reciprocal NDA: The submission of data to ARH automatically activates a reciprocal Non-Disclosure Agreement. ARH will not share raw data, and the user will not share internal diagnostic methodologies.

Data Security: ARH employs enterprise-grade encryption to protect all financial and strategic documents submitted during the process.

5. Claims Policy

To be considered, any claim regarding the ARH reports must be submitted to audit@africaratinghub.com within 3 business days. Please ensure your request is accompanied by detailed arguments and evidentiary documentation. No claims will be processed after this deadline or without valid justification.

6. Disclaimer & Liability

Independent Opinion: An ARH Rating is an expert opinion, not a guarantee of financial success or an endorsement to invest.

Investment Decisions: ARH shall not be liable for any investment decisions, losses, or damages resulting from the use of our reports. Investors are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.

7. Fees and Refunds

Service fees are non-refundable once the analysis process has commenced, as the fee covers the professional labor and analytical audit performed by ARH experts.