Code of Conduct

Purpose

At Alliance Venture we are committed to partnering with entrepreneurs to build great companies. We truly believe that diverse teams are more likely to succeed, and we see an inclusive and positive work environment as critical from both a fundamental perspective and as an enabler. We will be responsible for encouraging a professional environment, free from Discrimination and Harassment – a work environment where everyone can feel safe, respected and included. Our responsibility will be guided by the principles in this document. The document outlines what we consider to be Unacceptable Behavior along with a process for anyone to raise concerns about such behavior.

Scope

We expect everyone associated with Alliance Venture, including staff, investors, founders, partners, etc., to abide by this code of conduct in any setting related to Alliance Venture and when representing Alliance Venture in the startup/VC community at large. We expect everyone to adhere to the values of inclusivity, equality and openness.

Definitions

We will adhere to the laws, legislations and regulations of the countries in which we operate or visit, and we expect the same from all parties associated with us. Any unlawful behavior is unacceptable by our standards. The definitions below are clarifications on our stance on Discrimination and Harassment beyond and in addition to laws, legislations and regulations. We classify both Discrimination and Harassment as Unacceptable Behavior.

Discrimination

Discrimination is when someone is treated less favorably because of characteristics like the following (non-exhaustive):
• Gender, gender identity or expression
• Age
• Sexual orientation
• Ethnicity or national origin
• Color
• Religion or beliefs
• Physical or mental disability
• Medical condition
• Marital status

Harassment

Harassment is unwanted and unwelcome conduct that makes someone feel uncomfortable, intimidated, degraded, humiliated and/or offended. The following is a non-exhaustive list of examples of harassment:
• Bullying, insult or ridicule
• Slurs, jokes, statements, remarks, questions or gestures that are derogatory or demeaning to an individual’s or group’s characteristics or that promote negative stereotypes
• Threats or blackmailing of any kind
• Isolation or non-cooperation at work, including deliberate exclusion
• Unwanted physical contact
• Unwelcome flirtations or propositions
• Unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature

Reporting and Enforcement

We strongly encourage everyone to report any violations of this Code of Conduct in writing to any or all of the members of the Code of Conduct Committee or anonymously using this form.

The Alliance Venture Code of Conduct Committee currently consists of:
• Bente Loe (bente@allianceventure.com)
• Arne Tonning (arne@allianceventure.com)

We will acknowledge any receipt of a complaint within two working days. We pledge to seriously investigate any reported incident and communicate our decision to the person who reported the incident as soon as possible.

Actions we may take in response to a report include:
• No action
• Verbal warning
• Temporary ban from certain spaces or forums
• Permanent ban from certain spaces or forums
• Removal of responsibilities
• Termination of employment
• Report to legal authorities