Venture capital firm investigates its co-founder

Prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm DFJ said it has been conducting an investigation into allegations against partner and co-founder Steve Jurvetson, who sits on the boards of Elon Musk-led companies SpaceX and Tesla Inc.

DFJ marketing partner Carol Wentworth said in a statement that the firm “became aware of indirect and second-hand allegations about one partner, Steve Jurvetson” this summer and immediately opened an independent investigation, which is ongoing. She did not respond to a question about the nature of the allegations. Jurvetson did not respond to a request for comment.

“DFJ has never received a complaint about the professional conduct of any of our partners or investment professionals,” Wentworth said in the statement.

The news was first reported Tuesday by the technology publication the Information. Its article came after entrepreneur Keri Kukral published a Facebook post warning that “women approached by founding partners of Draper Fisher Jurvetson should be careful.”

“Predatory behavior is rampant,” she wrote in the post Monday. “Silencing behavior ranges from security (within) the firm creating files on women, to potential violations of revenge porn laws, to grotesque threats.”

Kukral said she had experienced some of these things “along with many others.” In a reply to a comment on Facebook, she said her situation was “grey and personal not professional.” She said in the post that she was not seeking investment or trying to further her career.

Citing an unnamed source, the Information said Kukral had a personal relationship with Jurvetson.

Kukral said in replies to her post that DFJ had an attorney contact her and that an investigation began before her Facebook post. When reached by The Times, she said she couldn’t speak until she got an attorney.