Popular tech reviewer and consumer advocate Shivam Arora, known to his million subscribers as Venom’s Tech, has raised a major red alert regarding Deciml, a micro-investing application that rose to fame through high-profile celebrity endorsements.
Arora revealed in a detailed investigative report on Monday that over ₹2 lakh of his personal funds have been stuck in the platform since early March, with withdrawal requests remaining unprocessed for weeks.
The app, which is owned by Traustast India Private Limited, has allegedly ceased all communication with its users, leaving thousands of young Indian investors in a state of financial panic.
The controversy centers on Deciml’s core product, a “round-up” investing tool that automatically saves small amounts of change from digital transactions and invests them into mutual funds.
While the app gained massive traction in 2023 through its “Influester” campaign, the current situation suggests a total operational collapse.
Arora noted that the startup’s social media channels have been dormant since early 2025, and the official WhatsApp support has been replaced by a non-responsive automated bot.
Investors are specifically calling out the “Influesters”—a group of India’s top content creators who not only promoted the app but also reportedly took equity stakes in the company.
This list includes prominent figures such as A-list YouTuber Bhuvan Bam, podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, Raj Shamani, and mentalist Suhani Shah.
Aspiring creators and students, many of whom started their investing journey because of these trusted names, are now flooding app stores with one-star reviews citing “scam” alerts and missing payouts.
Arora’s investigation discovered that while the Deciml interface appears to be functional, the backend connection to its Asset Management Company (AMC) partners like Navi Mutual Fund may be severed.
For those with money currently trapped, Arora suggested a technical workaround: users can bypass the Deciml app entirely by logging into MF Central, a centralised platform for mutual fund servicing in India.
By using their Permanent Account Number (PAN) and registered mobile number, investors may be able to reclaim their holdings directly from the fund houses.
Founded in 2020 by Satyajeet Kunjeer, a CFA Level 2 professional, Deciml was initially hailed as a fintech unicorn in the making.
The startup successfully raised millions in seed funding from marquee investors, including Gaurav Munjal, the co-founder of Unacademy, and Ritesh Malik, the founder of Innov8.
Despite this pedigree, Kunjeer has not made a public appearance or social media update since late 2024, fueling rumours regarding the company’s solvency.
As the creator economy in India continues to mature, this incident serves as a stark reminder for influencers to perform rigorous due diligence before putting their reputation behind financial products.
For the lakhs of young Indians who followed their favourite creators into this investment, the silence from both the founder and the “Influesters” remains the most concerning part of the unfolding crisis.
