In a recent incident that sparked widespread outrage across social media, two Indian-origin startup founders, Varun Vummadi and Esha Manideep, were subjected to racist bullying on X (formerly Twitter). The founders of Giga, a voice-based artificial intelligence systems company that recently secured an impressive $61 million in funding, were targeted by a user under the handle @boneGPT for their appearance. This discriminatory post, which had garnered 3.4 million views and over 4,600 likes as of November 8, specifically stated, “if you raise $61M maybe hire attractive people for the demo,” before the user further amplified the bullying after being blocked by Vummadi.

The offensive tweet quickly drew the ire of netizens, who rallied in defense of Vummadi and Manideep. The post received a significant “ratio”—a social media metric indicating that views far outnumber likes, signifying widespread disagreement or disengagement rather than approval. Commenters vehemently condemned the racist and superficial remarks, emphasizing the importance of substance over appearance. One user eloquently stated, “They have an attractive product, that's the only thing that matters. You are not using X because Elon Musk is attractive, you are using X because it is an awesome product.” Another retorted with sharp sarcasm, “Watch them become millionaires while your groyper ass slaves away for a $12/h job,” while a third added, “When people can’t compete in brilliance, they attack appearance. That’s not humor that’s insecurity.”

Varun Vummadi, the CEO, and Esha Manideep, the CTO, are the visionary co-founders behind Giga. Both are distinguished alumni of IIT Kharagpur and have earned a coveted spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2024. Their commitment to their startup dream is further underscored by the significant career opportunities they forewent: Vummadi reportedly declined a $525,000 package as a quant trader, and Manideep turned down a $150,000 role with a high-frequency trading firm. Their dedication highlights a profound belief in Giga's potential to revolutionize customer support.

Founded in 2023, Giga is at the forefront of developing