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AI Startup Giga Faces Toxic Culture Allegations After $61 Million Raise

Media reports say the founders have not publicly responded to a former hire's detailed post.

Overview

  • Jared Steele says he quit on his first day at the San Francisco startup after encountering what he called “red flags everywhere.”
  • He alleges employees were expected to work 12-hour shifts seven days a week, with paid time off subject to management discretion.
  • He reports discrepancies between promised compensation and title and the lower revenue figures he saw on internal dashboards.
  • He claims executives spoke about spending $100,000 on illegal activity at $10 million ARR and joked about sacrificing a goat in India.
  • Giga, founded in 2023 by IIT Kharagpur alumni Varun Vummadi and Esha Manideep, recently raised $61 million led by Redpoint Ventures, and outlets say they have sought comment.