Investors Like Controversial Site Unvarnished, Give it $500K, with More Likely to Follow Soon

Unvarnished, a new site that invites people to “review” work colleagues, has raised $500,000 in VC funding, according to an email sent out by founder Peter Kazanjy. The San Francisco startup was looking to raise closer to $1 million, according to sources. Judging by the buzz that has surrounded Unvarnished since its debut last week, it may get there soon. While some employment attorneys at Wilson Sonsini seem baffled by the site -- telling the L.A. Times last week that it’s a “litigation nightmare” that begs the question “Who can I sue?” -- some venture capitalists and angel investors appear ready to gamble on the company as a back way into LinkedIn’s market space.

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