Social app IRL shut down in June, but SoftBank — which led the platform’s $170 million Series C in 2021 — is now suing the company for $150 million.
IRL told the world it had 20 million monthly active users, but an internal investigation later revealed that 95% of them were fake. According to SoftBank, those “impressive user numbers” encouraged them to invest, hence the fraud lawsuit.
Because “younger startups are now increasingly getting caught in the act” when it comes to misleading investors, Rebecca Szkutak asked several VCs about the red flags they look for while assessing a pitch and performing due diligence.
“There are 100 metrics they can show you, and they will pick the four that will make them look the best,” said 37 Angels founder Angela Lee. “Our job as a VC is to ask about the other 96.”
