AI startup sues ex-CEO, saying he took 41GB of email and lied on résumé

Hayden AI, a San Francisco-based startup specializing in spatial analytics tools for urban environments, has initiated legal action against its co-founder and ex-CEO, Chris Carson. The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court late last month and made public recently, alleges that Carson misappropriated a substantial amount of proprietary data—specifically 41GB of emails—just before his dismissal from the company in September 2024. The startup accuses Carson of engaging in a series of fraudulent activities, which they claim include forging board signatures, executing unauthorized stock sales, and improperly charging personal expenses to the company. In the wake of these allegations, Carson has launched a competing venture known as EchoTwin AI. Despite attempts to reach Carson for comment via LinkedIn, email, and text, no response was received. Furthermore, an unexpected visit to EchoTwin AI's office in Oakland yielded no answers from the team there. Carson has indicated in a lawsuit document that he established EchoTwin AI as a means to address what he perceives as retaliatory actions from Hayden AI’s board following his exit. Hayden AI, currently valued at an estimated $464 million according to PitchBook, is seeking preliminary injunctive relief from the court. This would mandate that Carson return or destroy the data he allegedly acquired unlawfully.