Last year, four NYU students got together to form Diaspora, a social network meant to value privacy in a way they said Facebook never intended to. Now one of the entrepreneurs has been found dead at age 22.

TechCrunch reports Ilya Zhitomirskiy was found dead Saturday after San Francisco police received calls about a possible suicide. The medical examiner’s office will conduct an investigation that could last several weeks in order to determine the official cause of death.

Launched in April 2010, Zhitomirskiy and his three partners sought to raise $10,000 for Diaspora, but they ended up hauling in $200,000. But the upstart is now reportedly facing tough times, last month passing the hat around for more donations.

Diaspora Co-Founder Ilya Zhitomirskiy Passes Away At 22 [TechCrunch via CNNMoney]

Previously: Diaspora: The Facebook Slayer Where Protecting Your Privacy Is Their Killer App

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