FAQ
Questions, answered.
What Daphne Labs is, how local-first actually works, and what happens to your data. If your question isn't here, write to us.
About Daphne Labs
- What is Daphne Labs?
- Daphne Labs Inc. is an independent research and product lab in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. We build local-first, privacy-respecting software and hardware across three arms: commercial products, security and data-communication research, and non-profit assistive technology for the public good.
- What does “local-first” mean?
- It means your data is processed and stored on your own device by default, not in someone else's data centre. The software works offline, and information leaves your machine only when you explicitly choose to send it. No silent syncing, no cloud you didn't ask for.
- Are you a registered company?
- Yes. Daphne Labs Inc. is incorporated in Ontario, Canada. You can verify us on the Ontario Business Registry — the link is in our footer.
- How is the lab funded?
- Revenue from our commercial products funds the lab — the hardware, the tests, the prototypes. We also pursue grants and institutional partnerships. This keeps the research and the non-profit work independent, rather than dependent on harvesting user data.
- Who is behind Daphne Labs?
- A small, senior team based in Ontario. We keep individual details off the public site by choice; for partnership or press enquiries, reach out and we'll introduce ourselves properly.
Products
- What products do you make?
- ChartVault — a fully-local professional astrology suite for Windows and macOS — is available today. Invoice & Tax Automation and PDF Tools are in active development. Every product processes your data on your own machine.
- Is ChartVault really fully offline?
- Yes. ChartVault runs its chart engine, client CRM and practice-management tools entirely on your computer, in an encrypted local database. It does not phone home and does not require an internet connection to work.
- Do your apps send my data anywhere?
- No. Our applications are built so that your data stays on your device. There is no background upload of your documents, clients or files. If a feature ever needs the network, it is explicit and under your control.
- How much do your products cost — is it a subscription?
- We favour one-time pricing over subscriptions. ChartVault, for example, is a single payment of CA$189 and it's yours for life. We don't believe in renting your own data back to you.
- What platforms do you support?
- ChartVault supports Windows and macOS. Platform support for products in development will be announced on each product's page as they ship.
Privacy & data
- What data do you collect through this website?
- As little as technically possible. This site is a static, local-first-minded marketing site. We don't run advertising trackers or third-party profiling on it.
- Do you use cookies or trackers?
- This website sets no advertising or tracking cookies and runs no cross-site trackers. The only thing stored in your browser is your chosen language preference, kept locally so the site remembers it on your next visit.
- Where is my product data stored?
- On your device, in local (and, where applicable, encrypted) storage. Because we don't hold a copy in the cloud, there is no central database of your data for anyone — including us — to breach, sell, or lose.
- Can you access or recover my data?
- Generally no — that's the point. Since your data lives on your machine and not on our servers, we can't read it and can't recover it for you. Please keep your own backups. This is the trade-off that makes true privacy possible.
- Are you PIPEDA compliant?
- We design around Canada's PIPEDA principles, and our email outreach follows CASL. Our Privacy and Terms pages set out the details.
Security
- How do you keep data secure?
- The strongest protection is architectural: keeping data on your device means there is no cloud honeypot to attack. On top of that we use encrypted local storage where appropriate, validate inputs at boundaries, and keep dependencies minimal. See our Security page for the full posture.
- How do I report a security vulnerability?
- Email [email protected], or see our machine-readable policy at /.well-known/security.txt. Please give us reasonable time to remediate before any public disclosure — we genuinely appreciate responsible reports.
- Do you run a bug-bounty program?
- Not a paid one at this time. We still welcome and credit responsible disclosure.
Public Good & accessibility
- What is the Public Good arm?
- A non-profit effort building simple, effective assistive technology for people too often asked to trade privacy for help — starting with offline, voice-first tools for the visually impaired. Closed, on-device AI: no cloud, no account, no internet required.
- Is the site accessible?
- Accessibility is core to who we are — we build assistive technology. We aim for WCAG 2.2 Level AA and publish a full Accessibility statement describing our conformance, known limitations, and how to give feedback.
- How do I get involved or access the assistive tools?
- The public-good tools are in development. If you are a user, carer, institution or researcher who wants early access or to help test, contact us — we'd love to hear from you.
Working together
- How can I collaborate with or support the lab?
- We work with institutions, researchers and supporters — through grants and funding, lab access, hardware, testing, mentorship and institutional partnerships. If any of those fit, see our Collaborate page and get in touch.
- How do I contact you?
- Email [email protected], or use the addresses on our Contact page. For security matters, use [email protected]; for accessibility feedback, [email protected].
Still have a question?
We're happy to help — reach out and we'll get back to you.
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