Inside the Collapse of VideoVerse's $250M Minute Media Deal: Alleged Fraud, Forged Signatures, and a Founder Who Disappeared

In September 2025, sports media publisher Minute Media announced the acquisition of VideoVerse, an Indian AI-powered video-clipping startup, for $250 million. It was hailed as a landmark exit for an Indian startup . By May 2026, Minute Media terminated the deal, citing "significant discrepancies" in VideoVerse's representations . Less than a year after announcement, the acquisition had fully collapsed, leaving investors unpaid and the founder at the center of multiple overlapping lawsuits .

The Alleged Fraud Scheme

Court filings accuse founder Vinayak Shrivastav of orchestrating a broad forgery and fraud operation:

• Forged merger documents — Shrivastav allegedly used fraudulent merger paperwork to deceive investors and creditors about the legitimacy of the Minute Media deal .

• $55 million Lingotto loan fraud — Investment firm Lingotto says Shrivastav provided fabricated bank screenshots and forged CEO signatures to secure a $55 million loan. Based on those forged documents, Lingotto transferred $53 million on October 1, 2025 . Lingotto is now suing to recover $64 million (principal plus fees) . The first $4 million installment payment was due March 31, 2026 and never arrived .

• Fake share-repurchase agreements — Former COO Sabya Das alleges Shrivastav forged Das's signature on loan and share-repurchase agreements after the Minute Media acquisition closed, extracting tens of millions from the company . Das is seeking $75.9 million in damages .

• Victimizing existing investors — Bluestone Capital, which invested in VideoVerse's 2023 round, is suing for fraud, alleging the startup violated investment terms and refused to pay out acquisition proceeds .

The Four Overlapping Delaware Chancery Court Lawsuits

At least four separate legal actions are pending in Delaware:

Plaintiff	Claim	Amount Sought
Bluestone Capital	Fraud, breach of investment terms, refusal to pay acquisition proceeds	Undisclosed / damages
Lingotto	Fraudulent inducement on $55M loan based on forged documents	~$64 million
Minute Media	Termination related to misrepresentations and discrepancies	Undisclosed
Sabya Das (former COO)	Forgery of his signature on loan and share-repurchase agreements	$75.9 million

Where Is Vinayak Shrivastav Now?

Multiple reports state that Shrivastav is believed to be residing on the Palm Jumeirah islands in Dubai . TechCrunch notes that Shrivastav has "effectively disappeared" from India and the U.S., with legal filings describing him as unreachable . He was removed as CEO by the end of April 2026 . He faces potential civil and criminal exposure in both India and the United States .

Key Caveats

• All of the above are allegations in civil lawsuits. No court has issued a final liability finding against Shrivastav.
• Shrivastav has not been criminally charged in any known jurisdiction as of the latest reporting.
• The TechCrunch report (Aug. 12, 2026) is the most authoritative single source; other outlets largely aggregate its findings .