Terms, plainly set.

A binding agreement between HICONIUM AG and Member — authored in Zürich, applicable from launch.

ArticlesI — XVIII
DefinitionsA — V · 22 entries
Pages01 — 18
Reading≈ 22 min
The agreement

A document held between two parties.

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern the relationship between HICONIUM AG, a Swiss stock corporation registered with the Commercial Register of the Canton of Zürich under no. CHE-253.791.128, with its place of business at Badenerstrasse 567, 8048 Zürich, Switzerland — and the business entity or business individual using the Hiconium platform.

The Hiconium platform is a curated intelligence service for collectible motor vehicles, providing digital garage management, valuation intelligence, and curated market access for collectors, dealers, and selected partners. These Terms constitute a binding agreement between you and Hiconium.

By creating an account, accessing, or using any part of the Hiconium platform (the "Platform"), you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.

These Terms are concluded between commercial parties only. By accepting these Terms, you confirm that you are using the Platform exclusively in your commercial, professional, or business capacity.

Definitions

A vocabulary, set in advance.

In these Terms, the following capitalized terms carry the meanings defined below. References to laws, regulations or codes follow the law as amended from time to time. Headings are convenience only.

A binding contract is, before anything else, a shared dictionary. The terms below are the dictionary. Where this document capitalises a word — Account, Member, Platform — read it through the definitions on the facing leaf.

A · 01Account

The registered user account through which a Member accesses the Platform.

B · 02Affiliate

Any legal entity controlled by or under common control with Hiconium — including 1986 AG (Zürich) and HOF Manufaktur GmbH (Sindelfingen).

C · 03Bid

An indication of interest, including a monetary amount, submitted through the Silent Bidding feature.

D · 04Collector

A Member registered as a private or institutional vehicle owner using the Platform to manage and document a collection.

E · 05Content

Any data, document, image, photograph, text, valuation, communication, or material uploaded, submitted, or transmitted to the Platform.

F · 06Dealer

A Member registered as a commercial dealer in collectible motor vehicles.

G · 07Founding Garage

A Member admitted to the Founding Cohort under separate Founding Garage Terms.

H · 08HICON Score

The proprietary scoring metric provided by Hiconium as part of the Valuation Intelligence Module.

I · 09Listing

A vehicle entry within a Member’s Digital Garage made visible to other Members for Curated Market Access.

J · 10Member

Any natural person or legal entity that has created an Account and accepted these Terms.

K · 11Member Key

The passphrase, chosen and held client-side by Member, that encrypts Sensitive Documents (Section 4.2).

L · 12Module

Any service component of the Platform — Digital Garage, Valuation Intelligence, Curated Market Access.

M · 13Partner

A Member registered as a partner organisation granted specific access rights by Hiconium.

N · 14Platform

The websites, applications, programming interfaces, and services operated by Hiconium under the brand "Hiconium".

O · 15Privacy Policy

The privacy policy published by Hiconium, as amended from time to time.

P · 16Sensitive Documents

Title documents, identity documents, contracts, ownership and provenance records — encrypted with the Member Key (Section 4.2).

Q · 17Silent Bidding

The matching and notification feature described in Section 5.3.

R · 18User-Controlled Encryption

The encryption architecture protecting Sensitive Documents on Member-held keys.

S · 19Valuation

An estimate of value or related metric — including HICON Scores — produced by the Valuation Intelligence Module.

T · 20Visitor

A person who accesses the public-facing Platform without creating an Account.

Acceptance & scope

How these Terms take hold.

Acceptance, the document hierarchy that resolves conflict, the binding language, and the present beta status of the Platform.

These Terms become binding upon (a) Member’s acceptance during Account creation, (b) Member’s continued use of the Platform after notice of changes, or (c) execution of a separate written agreement that incorporates these Terms by reference.

Where contracts disagree, the higher takes precedence. The hierarchy, descending:

  1. Any individual written agreement that expressly modifies these Terms.
  2. The Dealer Annex (for Dealers) or Partner Annex (for Partners).
  3. The Founding Garage Terms (for Founding Garages).
  4. Module Terms applicable to specific Platform features.
  5. These Terms.
  6. The Acceptable Use Policy and Privacy Policy.

The English version of these Terms is the binding version. Translations into other languages, if provided, are for convenience only and have no legal effect.

The English version is the binding version. All other languages are courtesy.

The Platform is currently in a pre-launch and early-access phase. Until Hiconium declares the Platform generally available, all features are provided on a beta basis and subject to the additional limitations set out in Article XI.

Eligibility

Who may join, and on what premise.

The Platform is offered exclusively to commercial users acting in their business, professional or trade capacity — never to consumers.

By creating an Account, Member represents and warrants that Member is acting on behalf of a legal entity or as a self-employed professional in connection with that activity, is at least eighteen (18) years of age, has full legal capacity, and where Member acts on behalf of a legal entity, is duly authorized to bind that entity to these Terms.

Member is not a consumer within the meaning of Article 14 of EU Directive 2011/83/EU, § 13 of the German Civil Code (BGB), § 1 of the Austrian Consumer Protection Act (KSchG), or analogous provisions in any other jurisdiction.

Account creation requires:

  1. The legal name of the business entity or sole proprietorship.
  2. The country of registration and, where applicable, commercial register number.
  3. The value-added tax identification number, where applicable.
  4. The name and contact details of an authorized representative.
  5. Any further information reasonably required for sanctions screening and identity verification.

Member represents and warrants that Member, its beneficial owners, and its directors are not listed on any sanctions list maintained by SECO, the European Union, the United Kingdom, OFAC, or the United Nations, nor located, organized, or resident in any jurisdiction subject to comprehensive trade sanctions.

Membership is granted at Hiconium’s sole and absolute discretion. There is no right to admission. The Platform recognises three classes of Members: Collectors, Dealers, and Partners — each potentially subject to additional terms in the relevant Annex.

Security & encryption

A key only you hold.

Sensitive documents — titles, identity papers, contracts, provenance — are encrypted on Member’s device with a passphrase Hiconium cannot read. The architecture, in plain language.

Member is responsible for the confidentiality of all credentials associated with the Account, including passwords, second-factor devices, and the Member Key. Member must promptly notify Hiconium of any suspected unauthorized access by writing to security@hiconium.com.

If you lose the key, the document is gone. Not even we can recover it.
User-controlled encryption · 4.2Four steps the Member Key passes through.
Step 01On your device

You choose the Member Key. It is generated and held client-side. We never see it in unencrypted form.

Step 02Before transmission

Sensitive Documents — titles, identity, contracts, provenance — are encrypted on your device with the Member Key before being sent to our servers.

Step 03At rest

On Hiconium’s servers, Sensitive Documents stay encrypted. We cannot decrypt them without you entering the Member Key.

Step 04In use

OCR, redaction, parsing or Valuation inputs require temporary decryption — only when you enter the Member Key, only for that operation, never persisted afterwards.

Platform services

Three modules, one document.

The Hiconium platform is delivered as separable modules. Each carries its own scope, its own warranties, its own limits.

Hiconium may add, modify, restrict, or discontinue Modules and individual features at any time, subject to reasonable notice for material changes affecting paid features. No specific Module or feature constitutes an essential element of the contractual relationship unless expressly designated as such.

Valuations are estimates — never appraisals, never advice, never courtroom evidence.
M·IDigital GarageRecord, organise, hold.

Specifications, photographs, provenance, ownership, condition, service. Member-controlled, Member-owned. Hiconium does not verify or guarantee accuracy.

§ 5.1 — non-exclusive licence for the duration of the Account.
M·IIValuation IntelligenceEstimates, never appraisals.

Valuations and HICON Scores are informational. Not certified appraisals, not financial advice, not suitable for insurance, inheritance, court, or any third-party reliance.

§ 5.2 — methodology proprietary, modifiable without notice.
M·IIICurated Market AccessA facilitator, not a broker.

Silent Bidding brings parties into contact. Hiconium does not hold funds, does not escrow, does not certify, does not collect commission. Binding agreements arise only between buyer and seller directly.

§ 5.3 — no fees on transactions; subscription only.
Member content

You retain ownership.

Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of Member Content to Hiconium. The licence we receive is the minimum necessary to operate the Platform.

Member retains all intellectual property rights, ownership rights, and any other rights in Member Content. The licence Member grants Hiconium is non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide and sublicensable to Hiconium’s processors, sub-processors and Affiliates — for the purposes of operating the Platform, producing Module outputs at Member’s direction, and producing aggregated, anonymized statistics.

Member warrants that Member Content:

  1. Is owned by Member or used under necessary rights and permissions.
  2. Does not infringe third-party intellectual property, privacy or image rights.
  3. Is not false, misleading, or fraudulent regarding ownership, provenance, condition, or authenticity.
  4. Does not relate to vehicles known or reasonably suspected to be stolen, of fraudulent provenance, or sanctions-listed.
  5. Is not subject to confidentiality undertakings or pending litigation that would prevent inclusion.

The presence of Member Content on the Platform does not constitute an endorsement, verification, or warranty by Hiconium. We may remove, restrict, hide, or modify Content that we reasonably believe violates these Terms, infringes third-party rights, or poses a security, legal or reputational risk.

Hiconium may produce, retain indefinitely, and use aggregated and anonymized data derived from Member Content that does not identify Member or any specific vehicle — for Platform improvement, valuation models and editorial publication.

Acceptable use

What may not happen here.

A short list of conduct that is incompatible with the Platform. Violations may end Membership without notice and may be referred to authorities.

Member must not:

  1. Upload Content relating to vehicles known or reasonably suspected to be stolen, of fraudulent provenance, or subject to sanctions.
  2. Upload forged, altered, or otherwise inauthentic documents.
  3. Submit sham Bids, manipulate Bids, or coordinate with other Members to artificially influence Valuations or matching outcomes.
  4. Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any portion of the Platform, except as permitted by mandatory law.
  5. Scrape, systematically extract, copy, or reproduce data from the Platform by automated or manual means without prior written consent.
  6. Use Platform data, Valuations, HICON Scores or other Platform output to train, fine-tune, evaluate, benchmark, or develop any AI model, machine-learning system, or competing analytical product.
  7. Circumvent or attempt to circumvent access controls, encryption, rate limiting, or authentication mechanisms.
  8. Interfere with the operation of the Platform or with other Members’ use of the Platform.
  9. Impersonate another Member, entity, or person.
  10. Use the Platform for unsolicited communications, marketing, or spam.
  11. Use the Platform to violate any applicable law, regulation, or third-party right.
Platform output may not be used to train any model, anywhere.

In response to a violation, Hiconium may issue a warning, remove Content, suspend or terminate the Account, prohibit re-registration, refer the matter to authorities where appropriate, and pursue all remedies available at law.

Our intellectual property

The marks and the methodology.

Hiconium and its licensors own the Platform — its software, design, databases, the HICON Score system, and all editorial work.

The trademark Hiconium (Swiss trademark registration no. 799587) and related marks, logos and trade names are owned by 1986 AG, Badenerstrasse 567, 8048 Zürich — an Affiliate of HICONIUM AG under common ownership — and are used by HICONIUM AG under licence. Other marks of Hiconium, including without limitation MONUMENTA and HICON Score, are owned by HICONIUM AG, by an Affiliate, or by Hiconium’s licensors. Member is granted no right to use any Mark except as expressly permitted in writing.

Subject to compliance with these Terms, Hiconium grants Member a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable licence — for the duration of the Account — to access and use the Platform for Member’s own internal business purposes. No other rights are granted by implication, estoppel, or otherwise.

Any suggestions, feedback, ideas, or proposals submitted by Member regarding the Platform may be used by Hiconium without restriction or compensation. To the extent permitted by law, Member assigns to Hiconium all rights, title, and interest in such feedback.

Fees & payment

Free during pre-launch. Paid thereafter.

Until Hiconium declares the Platform generally available, use is free. After that, a subscription model takes effect, communicated with at least thirty (30) days’ prior notice.

Pricing, billing cycles (typically monthly), payment methods, currencies (typically Swiss Francs and Euros), and applicable taxes will be communicated to Member with no less than thirty (30) days’ prior notice. Continued use of paid features following activation constitutes acceptance of the applicable fees.

All fees are exclusive of value-added tax, sales tax, customs duties, withholdings, and other governmental charges. For business-to-business transactions within the European Union, the reverse-charge procedure may apply where Member provides a valid VAT identification number.

Subscription fees are paid in advance and are not refundable for partial periods, except where mandatory law provides otherwise. Overdue amounts bear default interest at the rate of five percent (5%) per annum, in accordance with Article 104 of the Swiss Code of Obligations. Hiconium may change prices for ongoing subscriptions with no less than sixty (60) days’ prior notice — Member may terminate the affected subscription before the price change takes effect.

Affiliates

A group, disclosed.

HICONIUM AG is part of a group of companies under common ownership. Where it matters to a transaction, the affiliation is disclosed.

Member acknowledges that HICONIUM AG is part of a group of companies under common ownership, including 1986 AG (Zürich, Switzerland) and HOF Manufaktur GmbH (Sindelfingen, Germany). 1986 AG operates as a dealer and distributor of collectible motor vehicles. HOF Manufaktur GmbH operates as a Mercedes-Benz vehicle refinement specialist.

HICONIUM AG
RolePlatform operatorPlaceZürich · SwitzerlandRegisterCHE-253.791.128

Operator of the Platform. Licensee of the Hiconium marks.

1986 AG
RoleDealer · holder of marksPlaceZürich · SwitzerlandRegisterAffiliate

Owner of the Hiconium trademark. Operates as a dealer and distributor of collectible motor vehicles.

HOF Manufaktur GmbH
RoleMercedes-Benz refinementPlaceSindelfingen · GermanyRegisterAffiliate

Mercedes-Benz vehicle refinement specialist under common ownership.

Availability & beta

As is, as available.

During pre-launch the Platform is provided without service-level commitments. Beta features may move or disappear.

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available". Hiconium does not commit to specific uptime, response times, or availability targets unless expressly agreed in a separate written service-level agreement. We may suspend access for scheduled or unscheduled maintenance, security incidents, or technical or commercial reasons.

Features designated as "beta", "preview", "early access" or similar are provided for evaluation purposes, may be unstable, and may be modified, withdrawn, or made subject to additional terms at any time. Hiconium’s liability with respect to beta features is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Hiconium may discontinue any Module or the entire Platform with no less than ninety (90) days’ notice, in which case Members will be provided with a reasonable opportunity to export Member Content prior to discontinuation.

Warranties

What is — and is not — warranted.

Each party warrants its capacity and authority to enter into these Terms. Beyond that, Hiconium disclaims warranties to the maximum extent permitted by law.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Hiconium does not warrant:

  1. Merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, completeness, security, non-infringement, or uninterrupted operation of the Platform.
  2. That any Valuation, HICON Score, market intelligence, editorial content or other Platform output is accurate, current, complete or fit for any particular purpose.
  3. The identity, trustworthiness, financial standing or legal capacity of any Member, Bidder, Dealer, Partner or other person interacting through the Platform.
  4. The authenticity, ownership, condition, provenance, legal status or marketability of any vehicle referenced on the Platform.

Member acknowledges that decisions of significant economic, legal or fiscal consequence — purchase, sale, insurance, valuation for inheritance or tax, or any litigation — must not be based solely on Platform output. Member is responsible for obtaining independent professional advice as appropriate.

Liability cap

The ceiling, written down.

Hiconium’s aggregate liability is capped, indirect damages excluded, and a twelve-month limitation period applies. Mandatory carve-outs remain.

The cap, set out:

  1. Paying Members — total fees paid in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to liability.
  2. Non-paying Members and during pre-launch — CHF 1 000 per event, CHF 3 000 in aggregate.

Hiconium is not liable for indirect, consequential, incidental, special, exemplary, or punitive damages — including lost profits, lost revenue, lost business opportunities, lost or corrupted data, loss of goodwill, loss of anticipated savings, or substitute service costs.

Specific exclusions, without limiting the above:

  1. Decisions made by Member in reliance on a Valuation or other Platform output.
  2. Transactions concluded between Member and another Member, Dealer, Partner or third party — including failure of performance, fraud, misrepresentation or non-payment.
  3. Loss of Sensitive Documents resulting from loss or forgetting of the Member Key.
  4. Acts or omissions of third-party processors, hosting providers or payment providers, except as required by mandatory law.

These limitations do not apply to liability for personal injury or death caused by Hiconium’s gross negligence or willful misconduct, liability under mandatory product-liability law, or any other liability that cannot be lawfully excluded. Any claim must be asserted in writing within twelve (12) months of the event, except where mandatory law provides for a longer period.

Twelve months. After that, the claim is excluded — unless the law decides otherwise.
Indemnification

Holding the house harmless.

Member agrees to defend Hiconium against claims arising from Member’s breach, Member Content, or transactions Member concludes with third parties.

Member will defend, indemnify and hold harmless Hiconium, its Affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents from and against any claim, demand, proceeding, loss, liability, damage, fine, penalty or expense — including reasonable legal fees — arising out of Member’s breach of these Terms, Member Content, transactions concluded between Member and any other party, or Member’s violation of any law, regulation or third-party right.

Hiconium will notify Member promptly of any indemnifiable claim, cooperate reasonably in the defence, and not settle without Member’s prior consent — such consent not to be unreasonably withheld. Hiconium may participate in the defence with counsel of its choice at its own expense.

Term & termination

Beginning, ending, surviving.

These Terms are concluded for an indefinite period. Either side may terminate; certain clauses survive termination.

Member may terminate the Account at any time by following the in-Platform termination procedure or by written notice to support@hiconium.com. Termination takes effect at the end of the current paid billing period, where applicable.

Hiconium may terminate immediately for cause:

  1. Material breach not cured within fifteen (15) days of written notice — or, for breaches incapable of cure, immediately.
  2. Breach of the Acceptable Use Policy.
  3. Sanctions hit, suspected fraud, or suspected money laundering.
  4. Insolvency or material adverse change in Member’s financial standing.
  5. Actual or threatened harm to the Platform, other Members, or Hiconium’s reputation.
  6. Failure to provide accurate Account information or to update such information when material changes occur.

On termination, Member’s right to use the Platform ceases immediately. Member may export Member Content during a thirty (30)-day window following termination, after which Member Content will be deleted, subject to applicable retention obligations. Encrypted Sensitive Documents are deleted with the corresponding storage records — Hiconium does not retain any decryption capability.

Sections on Definitions, the licence to Hiconium with respect to Content used prior to termination, Aggregated Data, Intellectual Property, Warranties, Limitation of Liability, Indemnification, the Effects of Termination and Governing Law survive termination.

Modifications

How these Terms change.

Hiconium may modify these Terms with notice. Non-material changes — thirty (30) days. Material changes — sixty (60).

Notice is provided by email to the address registered with the Account or by prominent in-Platform notice. The notice period is thirty (30) days for non-material modifications and sixty (60) days for material modifications — including changes to fees, scope of liability, scope of services, or governing law and jurisdiction.

Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of a modification constitutes acceptance. If Member does not accept a modification, Member must terminate the Account before the effective date. Material modifications during a paid subscription period give Member the right to terminate that subscription effective on the date of the modification, with refund of pre-paid fees for the unused portion.

Modifications required by applicable law or by an order of a competent authority may take effect with shorter notice or immediately, as required.

Law & jurisdiction

Swiss law. Zürich jurisdiction.

These Terms are governed by Swiss law. The courts of the city of Zürich have exclusive jurisdiction. Mandatory consumer protections, where applicable, remain.

The substantive laws of Switzerland apply, excluding the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and Swiss conflict-of-laws rules. The courts of the city of Zürich have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms. Hiconium may, at its option, alternatively bring proceedings against Member at Member’s place of business.

To the extent that, contrary to the representation in Article III, a Member is determined by a competent authority to be a consumer under the mandatory law of its country of habitual residence, the mandatory consumer-protection provisions of that country remain unaffected.

Before initiating litigation, the parties will attempt in good faith to resolve disputes through written negotiation between authorized representatives for a period of at least thirty (30) days, except where urgent injunctive relief is required.

Miscellaneous

The remainder, in order.

Notices, assignment, severability, force majeure, the standard apparatus that closes a contract.

  1. Notices to Hiconium — in writing to HICONIUM AG, Badenerstrasse 567, 8048 Zürich, Switzerland, or by email to legal@hiconium.com. Notices to Member — to the email registered with the Account or by in-Platform notification.
  2. Assignment — Member may not assign without prior written consent. Hiconium may assign to an Affiliate or to a successor in connection with a corporate transaction.
  3. Subcontracting — Hiconium may engage subcontractors and processors and remains responsible for their acts and omissions to the same extent as for its own.
  4. Severability — invalid provisions are replaced by valid provisions closest to the economic intent. The remainder remains in force.
  5. No waiver — failure or delay to enforce any provision is not a waiver of that or any other provision.
  6. Entire agreement — these Terms together with the documents in Article II.2 supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications.
  7. Force majeure — neither party is liable for failure or delay caused by events beyond reasonable control, except for fees already accrued.
  8. No partnership — nothing creates a partnership, joint venture, agency, employment, or fiduciary relationship.
  9. No third-party beneficiaries, except where expressly stated.
  10. Electronic communications — Member consents to conclusion, modification and notice by electronic means.
  11. Counterparts — physical or electronic counterparts together constitute one and the same instrument.
Colophon

These are the Terms of Service of HICONIUM AG. Drafted in Zürich, applicable to every Member of the platform. Edition 2026, Version 1.0.

PublisherHICONIUM AGBadenerstrasse 5678048 Zürich · Switzerland
RegisterHandelsregister ZürichUID / VAT · CHE-253.791.128
TrademarkHiconium · Swiss reg. 799587Held by 1986 AGLicensed to HICONIUM AG
CorrespondenceGeneral · hello@hiconium.comLegal · legal@hiconium.comPrivacy · privacy@hiconium.comSecurity · security@hiconium.comPress · press@hiconium.com
Document Version 1.0 · Effective 2026-05-05 · Last updated 2026-05-05HICONIUM AG · Zürich