The married couple behind a Y Combinator-backed AI startup has announced that they are “separating romantically” but will continue to work together as co-founders. Marie Schneegans and Michael Fester are the duo behind 14.ai, which calls itself “the world’s first AI-native customer service agency”. In a post shared on LinkedIn yesterday, Schneegans announced that she and her husband are splitting up but remain “best friends and co-founders”.
The two had met 10 years ago in Paris, according to a TechCrunch report. They moved to the United States after Michael Fester startup Snips was acquired in 2019.
‘Separating romantically’
“Michael and I are separating romantically,” Marie Schneegans, 33, said in her LinkedIn post. The Switzerland-born entrepreneur added that the decision to split was mutual and they would continue to work together on 14.ai.
“We’re not breaking up as cofounders, and we’re not stepping away from 14.ai,” she said. “This is a mutual decision, two people being honest about what’s right for both of us.”
Earlier this month, TechCrunch reported that 14.ai had raised $3 million in seed funding led by Y Combinator.
Schneegans praised her ex-partner as she said they trust each other completely. Even so, they had chosen to grow “independently” when it came to their romantic lives.
“We’re best friends and cofounders, and we trust each other completely,” said Schneegans. “Two people choosing to grow stronger romantically independently so we can build even stronger together.”
Internet reacts
The atypical separation announcement drew mixed reactions. While many praised the former couple for their maturity in continuing to work together, others were disbelieving.
A screenshot of the post reached X, where it has been viewed 3.4 million times.
“Why would someone publicly announce a “divorce” with their co-founder if it isn’t for views?” asked one X user. “Turning LinkedIn into Facebook was a mistake,” another said.
A few, however, also spoke out in their defence. “I understand this doesn’t fit the narrative and isn’t as fun as getting a viral tweet. But these are actually really nice people (real human beings!) who felt a need to say something because their startup is under a microscope,” a user said.
(Also read: Wall Street founder accuses 26-years-younger wife of affair in $100M divorce)