College social app Fizz has escalated its legal battle with rival Sidechat, accusing a venture capitalist of sharing its confidential business plans with the competition. The new filing claims Jerry Lu of Maveron met with Fizz under the pretense of a potential investment, then passed its non-public details—like growth strategies and user metrics—to Sidechat’s parent company, Flower Ave Inc.
How a VC meeting turned into a data leak
Fizz, a platform for anonymous college forums, says it only discovered Lu’s role through legal discovery. According to the complaint, Lu received Fizz’s internal documents—including its investor deck and campus-launch playbook—from a mutual acquaintance, Jack Burlinson, and forwarded them to Sidechat. A screenshot in the filing allegedly shows Lu sharing notes with Flower Ave after a March 2022 meeting with Fizz’s founders.
Lu later invested in Sidechat’s seed round in October 2023, but Fizz claims his discussions with the rival app began as early as 2022. Burlinson, named in the lawsuit, told TechCrunch he was unaware Sidechat existed and that Lu misled him about his investment intentions.
Why this matters for startups and VCs
The case highlights a risky reality for founders: sharing sensitive data with investors who may have ties to competitors. Both Fizz and Sidechat operate in the crowded space of anonymous college social networks, where apps like Yik Yak (acquired by Flower Ave in 2023) have faced scrutiny over bullying. The UNC system even banned these platforms, citing harmful behavior.
Sidechat’s CEO, Kyle Venn, denied wrongdoing, noting the alleged events predate his team’s 2025 acquisition of the business. Maveron and Lu have not responded to requests for comment.
What’s next in the Fizz vs. Sidechat lawsuit
Fizz’s original 2023 lawsuit accused Sidechat of sabotage, from spreading hacking rumors to paying students to delete Fizz’s app. The new allegations add a layer of intrigue, framing the dispute as a test of VC ethics in cutthroat markets. With no resolution yet, the case could set a precedent for how confidential startup data is handled during fundraising.
