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IITian founder's startup Giga hit by allegations of overwork and toxic culture
Giga, an AI startup founded by two IIT Kharagpur alums in the United States, has raised $61 million in Series A funding. The startup, which builds voice-based AI agents for companies, was founded by Varun Vummadi and Esha Manideep in 2023. (Also read: Indian-American CEO's hilariously honest take on raising $61 million for startup)
While news of the funding propelled the co-founders to internet fame, a former employee also made a series of allegations against the company. Jared Steele, chief of staff at Opal Dex, took to X to “spill the beans” on Giga.
Steele said that in 2025, he was hired by Giga to lead demand generation. However, he quit in just one day after noticing “red flags everywhere”.
HT.com has reached out to Giga founder and CEO Varun Vimmadi. This copy will be updated on receiving a response.
He alleged discrepancies between what he was promised and what he saw on joining, including differences in compensation, title, and the company's reported revenue.
Steele claimed that he noticed inconsistencies right off the bat. For example, the company dashboards displayed significantly lower revenue than what was stated to him.
Among his most shocking claims was that the startup executives allegedly told him, “When we hit $10m ARR, we're going to spend $100k on [illegal stuff]” and made disturbing remarks about sacrificing a goat in India.
Steele further alleged that employees were expected to work 12-hour days, seven days a week, and that the company's paid time off policy was subject to change at the management's discretion.
Employees were basically expected to “always be working,” he claimed.
Steele got a taste of the company's attitude towards leaves and paid time off early on — before he joined, he notified Giga about two weddings he had to attend and got time off approved. After he signed the contract, he was told he would not be able to attend either wedding.
He said he had moved across the country to join the startup after being given just three days to relocate from Austin to San Francisco, only to be “snubbed” by the founder on his first day.
Steele revealed that on his first day, he reached the office early. The founder walked in his direction and he extended his hand for a handshake – only to be snubbed by the founder.
“First day of work, I got in early. Founder walks in my direction, I stand up, extend my hand for a handshake. He snubs me - not even an acknowledgement,” Steele said. “I just moved my entire life & drove 26 hours across the country & not even a ‘welcome to the team' or a hello.”
Steele said that quitting after the first day was the easiest decision of his life.
Giga or Vummadi have not yet publicly responded to the allegations.
Source: HindustanTimes
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