Terms of use
This is an English translation for convenience. The German version is legally binding.
1. Scope
These terms apply to the use of the website civinco.de including its subpages. The provider is Tim Maurice Steiner; for address and contact, see the Legal notice. By accessing the website you accept these terms. Use is free of charge and requires no registration.
2. Purpose of the website
The website presents CIVINCO, a research and policy concept for citizen participation in early-stage innovation finance. It serves information and professional exchange with research, policy, administration, chambers of commerce and the press.
CIVINCO is a proposal. The model is not currently implemented, and none of the public bodies, programmes or institutions named on the website has committed to a role in the model unless expressly stated.
3. No offer, no advice
No capital is raised through this website. No investments, securities, shares in investment funds or other financial instruments are offered, arranged or advertised. There is no way to invest in companies or ventures through the website.
The content is not investment, legal, tax or other advice and does not replace it. Decisions you make on the basis of the content are your own responsibility.
4. Independence
CIVINCO is an independent project of the provider. It is neither a project nor a publication or statement of Duke Kunshan University or Duke University. Naming institutions, programmes, companies or associations, for example in graphics, tables and source references, implies no partnership, support or endorsement, either by them or for them.
5. Content, figures and sources
Figures and statements by third parties are referenced and checked at every revision. Graphics marked as schematic show relationships, not measured values. The model itself is untested; its effects are presented as hypotheses with named conditions. Despite careful review, no guarantee can be given for accuracy, completeness or timeliness. The provider welcomes notice of errors.
6. Images generated with artificial intelligence
Two images on this website were generated with an AI system: the image of the crowd at the top of the home page and the image of the innovation hall between the sections “Behaviour and trust” and “The proposal”. Both were subsequently colour-graded.
The images are illustrations. They do not show real people, places or events, document nothing and substantiate no statement on the website. Any resemblance to real people or places would be coincidental. They are labelled here and in the legal notice so that nobody mistakes them for photographs. All other graphics on the website are drawn by hand; the portrait on the “Author” page is a photograph of the provider.
7. Copyright and reuse
Texts, graphics and design are protected by copyright. Texts and hand-drawn graphics may be reused for non-commercial purposes, in particular in research, teaching, administration and the press, with the attribution “CIVINCO, Tim Maurice Steiner, civinco.de”. They may not be altered in a way that creates a false impression of the model or of the sources cited.
Excluded from this are the name CIVINCO and the C mark, the portrait, the AI-generated images and the typeface used, which is under its own licence. These may only be used with the provider’s prior consent. The rights to cited works and data remain with their respective authors.
8. Links to other websites
The website links to sources and offerings of third parties. Their operators are solely responsible for their content. No legal violations were apparent at the time of linking; links will be removed promptly once legal violations become known.
9. Liability
The provider is liable without limitation for intent and gross negligence and for damage from injury to life, body or health. Otherwise, liability for the content provided free of charge is excluded to the extent permitted by law.
10. Availability and changes
There is no entitlement to constant availability of the website. Content and these terms may be changed at any time; the version published here applies.
11. Applicable law
The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies. Mandatory consumer protection provisions of the country in which you are habitually resident remain unaffected.
Last updated: September 2026