Of course, allegations of sexual assaults against Dave McClure were the highlights of this year, but then there have been other major embarrassments, too

Not a single year in the recent past has gone by without any major controversies in the startup world. And 2017 has been no different. From sexual harassments to infightings among founders, many startups and VC investors have gone down in the history for being on the wrong side this year as well.

Among the major scandals that rocked the tech world is the series of allegations of sexual assault against prominent Silicon Valley investor and 500 Startups Founder Dave McClure. It all started with a New York Times article in June, in which many women recounted their stories of sexual assaults by noted VCs, including McClure, while seeking jobs/funding for their startups.

As the accusations against McClure began to unfold, more women victims including from Asia came out in the open to narrate their horrifying stories of molestation and unsolicited sexual advancements by McClure. We are not sure if there are more skeletons in the closet, but McClure has already resigned as the General Partner of the accelerator cum-early-stage-fund.

Asia, home to many fast-growing startups, has also had its own fair share of controversies in 2017. Sexual assaults have been the highlights of the year, but there have been some other more embarrassing incidents, too.

Here we bring you a list of the most talked-about sex scandals/controversies in the startup world in Asia that shook the world in 2017.

MaGIC Founder Cheryl Yeoh accused McClure of sexual assault

Barely days after allegations against McClure came out, Cheryl Yeoh, the Founding CEO of the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC), in a blog post recounted her disgusting episode of being assaulted by the former 500 Startups partner, nearly three years ago.

Also Read: We need to change the way we talk about sexual harassment, an interview with Cheryl Yeoh

In a blog post, she said what started out to be an innocent night of just jamming and hanging out at her new apartment turned into a nightmare episode that had been haunting her for the past three years. She described an incident that “was way more than crossing the line of inappropriateness. It’s sexual assault.”

Yeoh began by explaining that McClure spent the evening ensuring her drink was always full. After the other visitors grabbed an Uber home, Cheryl was suddenly, and quickly, alone with Dave. She asked him if he was also getting a ride home. He said no. “Perplexed, I offered him to crash on the couch or the guest room and proceeded to show him the guest room. Then I went into my own bedroom but Dave followed me there, and that’s when he first propositioned to sleep with me. I said no,” she wrote.

Yeoh says it was at this point she demanded McClure leave and led him to the door. On the way out, he pushed himself onto her to the point where she was backed into a corner, made contact to kiss her, and said something along the lines of ‘Just one night, please just this one time.’ “Then he told me how he really likes strong and smart women like me.”

At this point, Yeoh managed to get him out of the apartment. Still in shock and in tears, she immediately called her boyfriend at the time and told him what had just happened. She kept the incident to herself for a couple of years, and in 2015, she confided it to three of her closest friends.

Yeaoh’s disclosures rocked the startup world, and eventually McClure had to resign as General Partner at 500 Startups.

AyoPoligami app withdrew from the market for promoting polygamy

The names says it all.

AyoPoligami, an Indonesian dating app, had to temporarily withdraw from the market for the very service it offers: promoting polygamy. Launched in early-2017, AyoPoligami described itself as a dating app that “connects male users to female users who are willing to start a ‘big family’ with just one husband.” In other words, it is a dating app for married men to meet single women with the end goal of getting laid, in accordance with the Islamic law.

Like many other dating apps in the market, it also had features such as messenger service that allows users to reach out directly to potential dates. By early September this year, it clocked 10,000 downloads on Google Play Store.

Also Read: How AyoPoligami became the most hated app among Indonesian women today

Despite Indonesia being home to the world’s largest Muslim population, and polygamy being a common practice  which is heavily regulated under the Islamic teachings, the app was condemned for facilitating married men who wish to find a new wife. Under Indonesian state law, a man would be allowed to take a second wife under the condition that the first wife is ill and that she provides a written consent for the new marriage.

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The post The startup world’s moments of ignominy; chronicling the sexual harassment cases that shamed the industry in 2017 appeared first on e27.