Hello,
Serious allegations surround Netflix.
The government is investigating Netflix India’s business practices, including allegations of visa violations and racial discrimination, according to a home ministry email sent to Netflix’s former director of business and legal affairs for India, Nandini Mehta, who left the company in 2020.
According to Reuters, Mehta is pursuing a lawsuit in the US against Netflix for alleged wrongful termination and racial and gender discrimination—charges Netflix denies.
Elsewhere in a court, an episode of Succession played out.
Rupert Murdoch, 93, wants eldest son Lachlan to run his empire after his death—but his other children want their say. And at stake is one of the most powerful media empires in the world.
ICYMI: Friends at 30!
Meanwhile, Coldplay fans had, let’s say, an eventful Sunday!
BookMyShow servers crashed minutes before the tickets went live for the British band’s Music of The Spheres World Tour concert in Mumbai, and it was sold out in minutes!
Lucky you, who got them. For the rest of us, we have memes! 🥹
Psst.. you still have a chance to buy tickets for TechSparks 2024! This one you don’t want to miss out!
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- Love in the time of AI
- Building healthcare for the world
Here’s your trivia for today: Which country holds the record for the longest period without a government during peacetime?
Startup
Love in the time of AI
India’s dating app usage has surged from 20 million in 2018 to 82.4 million in 2023, according to Data.ai. These apps are often plagued by a lack of vetting to prevent dating scams and can end up promoting superficiality over genuine connections.
Enter Juleo, founded in 2023 by Chiranjeev Ghai and Varun Sud, which aims to fill the gap between dating and matrimony apps.
Love-matchmaking:
- The Delhi-based company combines rigorous verification, AI-driven matchmaking, and real-life interactions to offer an alternative to the swiping culture.
- Juleo vets the profiles through government ID checks and video verification through India Stack to make the dating app safe, especially for women. It conducts criminal background checks on all new users and assigns trust scores to members.
- Recently, Juleo secured $2.5 million in angel funding, supported by tech entrepreneurs Ramakant Sharma, Kunal Shah, and Ruchi Deepak—founders of Livspace, CRED, and Acko, respectively.
Startup
Building healthcare for the world
In recent years, the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare has been a growing frontier for innovation. One startup at the forefront of this movement is Dozee, a healthcare technology company co-founded by Gaurav Parchani and Mudit Dandwate, which is revolutionising patient monitoring with a contactless, AI-powered approach.
Key highlights:
- As India’s first AI-based contactless remote patient monitoring and early warning system, Dozee is FDA cleared and has monitored 250 billion+ heart beats and saved 14 million nursing hours.
- “Our goal was to make monitoring as passive and seamless as possible,” says Parchani. “The patient just lies on the bed, and the system automatically tracks their vitals.”
- One of Dozee’s most groundbreaking features is its no-contact blood pressure monitoring system, a technological feat that doesn’t exist elsewhere.
News & updates
- Funding: In the past year, funding for AI companies by Middle Eastern sovereigns has increased fivefold, according to data from Pitchbook. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar are looking to diversify their economies, and are turning to tech investments as a hedge.
- Education: Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a new fund for AI education and training globally. Alphabet is creating a $120 million Global AI Opportunity Fund through which it will “make AI education and training available in communities around the world” in partnership with local nonprofits and NGOs.
- Ban: The US is expected to propose prohibition on using Chinese software and hardware in connected and autonomous vehicles on American roads due to national security concerns. It has raised serious concerns about the collection of data by Chinese companies and the potential foreign manipulation of vehicles connected to the internet and navigation systems.
What you should watch out for
- The ministerial panel on GST rate rationalisation will meet on September 25 and is expected to discuss the tweaking of tax slabs and rates.
- Globally, all investors will focus on the US GDP growth numbers for the second quarter ended June 2024, followed by the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s Speech on September 26.
Which country holds the record for the longest period without a government during peacetime?
Answer: Belgium, at 541 days. The country did not have an elected government from 2010 to 2011.
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