Co-founder of Ego receives flak for exiting company after Indian American entrepreneur suffers brain injury in attack

Highlights

• Peggy Wang resigns from AI startup Ego and launches her own company
  
• Fellow co-founder Vishnu Hari suffered traumatic brain injury in January attack
  
• Wang maintains support for Hari and the rest of the team
  
• Wang faces backlash online, Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan intervenes
  
• Hari confirms he signed non-disparagement clause while recovering
  

Co-founder resigns amid challenging circumstances

Peggy Wang announced last week that she had stepped down as co-founder of Ego, a Silicon Valley startup, and was launching a new venture in the consumer AI space. Ego, backed by Y Combinator, is an AI-native simulation engine enabling users to create and share 3D animated characters. Wang said she remained “incredibly bullish” on her former co-founder Vishnu Hari and the rest of the team.

Wang explained that she co-founded Ego with the belief that gaming and interactive media would become the next generation of social spaces. Her new startup has been accepted into Y Combinator’s F25 batch.

Vishnu Hari’s attack and recovery

On January 18, Indian-American entrepreneur Vishnu Hari was found bleeding in San Francisco after a violent, unprovoked attack. He was hospitalized for two weeks in the ICU with a traumatic brain injury. Hari later revealed he suffered partial blindness in his right eye and hearing loss in his left ear. His belongings, including jewelry and piercings, were stolen.

In a post shared on February 1, Hari described the attack: “A man hit me on the back of my head with a metal pipe, completely unprovoked... I had no memory of the attack at the time.”

Online backlash and company dynamics

Wang’s resignation and announcement of her new startup drew criticism online, with some accusing her of abandoning Hari after his recovery. The response became so intense that Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan publicly defended Wang, warning against abusive or disrespectful behavior.

Hari confirmed that, as part of Wang’s departure, he was asked to sign a non-disparagement clause while still recovering from blood clots in his brain. He stated that he agreed to focus on healing and rebuilding the company, and emphasized he held no ill will toward Wang.

Wang’s statement on future plans

Wang described her decision to leave as stemming from “differing visions for the company’s future.” She expressed enthusiasm for building her next venture, highlighting the potential of humanlike AI agents to transform online interaction.