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Giga Raises $61 Million as Founders Endure Racist Attacks After Announcement

The abuse followed a video by the San Francisco voice‑AI startup’s founders announcing the funding milestone.

Overview

  • Giga, founded in 2023 by IIT Kharagpur alumni Varun Vummadi and Esha Manideep, disclosed a $61 million Series A in a video posted on X.
  • The company builds voice-based AI for real-time customer support, with its system already in use at DoorDash and plans reported to expand to large enterprises.
  • Following the announcement, commenters on X targeted the founders with racist and appearance-based slurs, including derogatory remarks about their looks, skin color, and accents.
  • Numerous users publicly condemned the abuse and voiced support for the founders, emphasizing the startup’s technology and achievements over personal attacks.
  • One outlet reported the round was led by Redpoint Ventures, a detail not independently corroborated in the other coverage provided.