Startup Fizz Accuses Venture Investor of Leaking Data to Competitor Sidechat*

Student social app Fizz has filed an updated lawsuit against rival platform Sidechat*, adding allegations against venture investor Jerry Lu. Court documents claim Lu, a partner at Maveron, engaged in funding discussions with Fizz but instead shared confidential startup data with its direct competitor.

Fizz alleges that during a March 2022 meeting, its founders disclosed business strategy, campus expansion plans, user metrics, and fundraising plans to Lu. This information later appeared at Sidechat*’s parent company, Flower Ave Inc., which also owns Yik Yak. The lawsuit notes Lu invested in Sidechat* in October 2023, though contacts with its team began in 2022.

Fizz previously sued Sidechat* for sabotaging campus launches, spreading false data-breach rumors, and bribing students to uninstall Fizz. The new allegations focus on Lu’s role as an intermediary who continued sharing Fizz’s data even after withdrawing from the deal. Representatives for Maveron and Jerry Lu did not respond to requests for comment.

Sidechat* and Yik Yak CEO Kyle Venn stated the allegations are not a court ruling, and the current team is unrelated to pre-2025 acquisition events. He emphasized the company’s focus on product development over litigation.