Delve is facing additional scrutiny following new allegations that it used an open source tool without proper attribution, as claims from a whistleblower expand concerns about the company’s practices.
The allegations come from an anonymous source known as DeepDelver, who claims that Delve presented a no-code product called Pathways as internally developed, despite similarities to an existing open source tool.
Claims Of Unattributed Open Source Usage
According to the whistleblower, Pathways closely resembles SimStudio, an open source agent-building tool developed by Sim.ai. The whistleblower said Delve denied that its product was based on SimStudio when questioned during a product demonstration.
DeepDelver later provided what they described as evidence suggesting that Pathways was a modified version, or fork, of SimStudio. If confirmed, such use would require compliance with the Apache software license, which mandates attribution to the original developer.
The whistleblower characterised the alleged behaviour as improper use of intellectual property, though open source software can be reused if licensing terms are followed.
Response From Sim.ai Leadership
Emir Karabeg confirmed that he had communicated with the whistleblower and stated that no licensing agreement existed between Sim.ai and Delve.
Karabeg said Sim.ai had been aware that Delve intended to use its technology and had attempted to establish a commercial agreement, which was not finalised. He added that he was not aware the tool would be offered as a standalone product.
Sim.ai was also a customer of Delve, according to Karabeg, reflecting common commercial relationships among companies associated with Y Combinator.
Broader Allegations And Investor Context
The new claims follow earlier allegations from the same whistleblower, which accused Delve of misrepresenting customer data and audit processes. Delve has denied those earlier claims.
The whistleblower also alleged that the practices related to Pathways predated Delve’s Series A funding round led by Insight Partners. The investment firm has not publicly commented on the matter.
References to Pathways and other materials have reportedly been removed from Delve’s website, and its media contact channel is no longer active. Delve did not respond to requests for comment.
Public Reaction And Ongoing Discussion
The allegations have generated significant discussion on social media, where the issue has gained visibility and prompted commentary from developers and industry observers.
The situation remains unresolved, with no formal findings yet confirming whether licensing terms were violated.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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