‘Hire attractive…’: Indian founders face racist attacks even as their AI startup raises $61 mn

Even as Indians continue to rise as global leaders in technology, many still face racist taunts because of their accents and looks — a reminder of how shades of prejudice evolve. The latest example comes from Silicon Valley, where two young innovators from India, Varun Phumadi and Isha Mandeep, have faced a barrage of online hate despite their extraordinary success.

IIT Kharagpur alumni recently announced that their voice-based AI startup, Giga, has raised $61 million in Series A funding, joining the ranks of India-born entrepreneurs shaping the global tech landscape. The duo, both Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees, shared the milestone via a video on X (formerly Twitter), revealing that their product is already being used by DoorDash and is now set to expand to several Fortune 100 companies.

But what should have been a moment of celebration was quickly marred by a wave of racist and appearance-based trolling. Instead of praising their innovations, some users mocked their looks, accents and Indian background. “If you raised $61 million, you might as well hire attractive people for the demo,” one commenter quipped.

The remark sparked widespread outrage and prompted others to condemn hatred. One user replied: “When people can’t compete in intelligence, they attack appearance. This is not a joke, this is insecurity.” Another quipped: “Watch them become millionaires while you’re stuck in a $12 an hour job.”

Amid the noise, many rallied behind the founders. “They have an attractive product — that’s what matters. You’re not using X because Elon Musk is attractive; you’re using it because it’s a great product,” one supporter posted, capturing the broader sentiment.

Founded in 2023, San Francisco-based Giga develops voice-based AI systems capable of managing customer interactions in real-time, handling multiple languages, and integrating seamlessly with large enterprise systems. Its technology enables artificial intelligence to talk and chat simultaneously, a feat that has impressed investors and customers alike.

The founders’ journey is as compelling as their innovations. Varun turned down an offer for a PhD from Stanford University and a job as a quantitative trader worth $525,000, while Isha turned down a $150,000 offer from an Indian high-frequency trading firm to pursue her startup dream. “We left behind all these opportunities to pursue our passion for solving difficult problems in machine learning,” Varun wrote in an earlier LinkedIn post.

Their story — and the ensuing backlash — reveals the persistent bias Indian professionals face in global technology fields. From sarcastic accents to xenophobic jibes about “outsourcing,” such attitudes underscore how cultural bias continues to coexist with the celebration of diversity in the tech world.

However, for Varun and Esha, the hype only seems to amplify their achievement. And in an industry driven by intelligence and innovation, their success stands as a testament that brilliance goes beyond accent and appearance – even when the world occasionally forgets that.