Archive · 3 Jun 2025
UC Berkeley Grad's VC Experiment Sparks Debate on Startup Funding
A UC Berkeley graduate pretended to be a startup founder to test how venture capitalists (VCs) respond.
He used buzzwords like 'AI' and mentioned a Stanford background in his emails.
Out of 34 VCs contacted, 27 responded, and 4 wanted to meet.
This experiment highlights how VCs might prioritize appearances over the actual idea or product, sparking a debate about startup funding.
UC Berkeley graduate Bhavye Khetan sent cold emails to VCs.
He posed as a fake founder with no product or pitch.
Khetan used buzzwords like 'AI' and 'Stanford CS' to attract attention.
27 out of 34 VCs responded to his emails.
The experiment has sparked a debate about VC practices.
- Who
- Bhavye Khetan
- What
- Khetan claimed to have tricked VCs.
- When
- Recent
- Where
- X (formerly Twitter)
- Why
- To expose flaws in the VC ecosystem.
Khetan's Perspective
VC Community Perspective
Investor behavior
Khetan's Perspective
VCs focus on superficial markers over substance.
VC Community Perspective
Taking a meeting isn't a big sign.
- Person Involved
- Bhavye Khetan
- University
- UC Berkeley
- Key Terms
- AI, Stanford, Palantir
- Deception Method
- Fake Founder Persona
- VC Responses
- 27/34
Sources
Indian-origin Berkeley graduate claims he fooled investors. He has no product, no pitch
Indian-origin man fakes founder identity, claims he fooled 27 investors with AI-laced CV
Indian-origin Berkeley graduate sends 34 Cold emails to VCs with keywords AI, Stanford and ex-Palantir, here's what happened
