Spark capital david dispo vlog squadmascarenhastechcrunch

Business|Investors distance themselves from the photo-sharing app Dispo after controversy.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/business/dispo-david-dobrik.html

Multiple investors said they would donate any profits from their investments to organizations focused on survivors of sexual assault after its co-founder was accused of playing a role in a sexual assault scandal.

Spark capital david dispo vlog squadmascarenhastechcrunch

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  • March 22, 2021

Some investors have started distancing themselves from Dispo, a fast-growing photo-sharing app, after its co-founder, the YouTube creator David Dobrik,became embroiled in controversy.

Dispo, which launched in 2019, is a photo-based social platform similar to Instagram that mimics the experience of using a disposable camera. Photos taken through the Dispo app take 24 hours to “develop” and appear on a user’s feed.

In October, Dispo raised $4 million in a funding round led by Seven Seven Six, the firm of Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder. In February, the company garnered an additional $20 million in a financing led by Spark Capital; the funding valued Dispo at $200 million.

But in an investigation by Insider that published last week, Mr. Dobrik was accused of playing a role in a sexual assault scandal involving a former member of his “Vlog Squad.” He later told The Information that he would leave Dispo and step down from its board. And some of Dispo’s investors have also started backing away.

On Sunday, Spark Capital said it would “sever all ties” with Dispo. “We have stepped down from our position on the board, and we are in the process of making arrangements to ensure we do not profit from our recent investment in Dispo,” the venture firm posted on Twitter.

On Monday, Mr. Ohanian and Seven Seven Six also issued a statement calling the accusations against Mr. Dobrik “extremely troubling” and “directly at odds with Seven Seven Six’s core values.” Mr. Ohanian posted to Instagram that he and Seven Seven Six supported Mr. Dobrik’s choice to step down from the company.

Seven Seven Six also said on Twitter that it would donate any profits from its investment “to an organization working with survivors of sexual assault.”

Unshackled Ventures, another early investor in Dispo, said on Monday that it would also donate any profits from its investment to organizations focused on survivors of sexual assault, including Maitri, which is focused on helping South Asian survivors of domestic violence.

“We are a female majority team that does not take this lightly. We are in full support of their decision to part ways with David,” Unshackled Ventures said in a statement.

Dispo and Mr. Dobrik did not respond to requests for comment.

Over the past year, many investors have become enamored with the influencer world. “I feel like something has palpably shifted in the past year among investors, and it seems like everyone is talking about the creator economy now and investing in creator tools,” Li Jin, founder of Atelier, a venture firm investing in the creator space told The New York Times in December.

But several popular YouTube stars have come under fire over the past year for scandals involving racism and sexual assault.

Mr. Dobrik is one of YouTube’s most popular creators, with more than 18.7 million subscribers on his primary channel. After gaining fame on Vine, the short-video app, he and a group of friends called the “Vlog Squad” began creating short, comedic content often involving stunts for sites such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

Influencer turned app founder David Dobrik has stepped down from his role at Dispo, as investors cut ties with the photo app over controversy linked to Dobrik's circle of YouTubers.

The Information reported just before midnight Sunday, Pacific time, that Dobrik would be leaving the company he co-founded and has been the face of since its launch.

The news came just a few hours after venture capital firm Spark Capital, who led initial investment in the app, announced on Twitter that it would "sever all ties" with Dispo and "[make] arrangements to ensure" it would not profit from its investment in the app.

Tweet may have been deleted (opens in a new tab)

Dispo is a photo creation and sharing app designed to mimic the aesthetic — and delayed-gratification aspect — of disposable film cameras. The app moved out of its invite-only beta stage earlier in March this year, after raising $20 million in Series A funding led by Spark in February on top of $4 million from Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian's SevenSevenSix last year.

Mashable has reached out to Dispo for comment. The company issued identical statements to reporters from TechCrunch and The Information, saying: "David has chosen to step down from the board and leave the company to not distract from the company’s growth. Dispo’s team, product, and most importantly- our community- stand for building a diverse, inclusive, and empowering world."

Dobrik is currently under fire over allegations of assault levelled at members of his wildly popular creator collective, known as the Vlog Squad.

Insider reported last week that a young woman alleges she was sexually assaulted by Squad member Dom Zeglaitis during a video shoot in 2018.

And Joseth "Seth" Francois, the only Black member of the Squad until he left in 2019, told Buzzfeed earlier this year that a "prank" where he was tricked into kissing a disguised member of the squad was actually assault as he didn't consent to kissing that person, and has also spoken about experiencing racist and culturally insensitive "jokes" during his time as a member of the collective.

In a video posted on March 16, Dobrik apologised specifically to Francois, and expressed "[disappointment] with some of [his] friends," saying he does not "stand for any kind of misconduct". Comments on the video, titled "Let's Talk", were disabled.

A number of brands have ended partnerships or deals with Dobrik since the Vlog Squad allegations have come to light.

This story is developing...

If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.