🕶️ Durov fights back: Telegram’s new moderation plan

Six bullets of updates

1. 🫡 Almost two-thirds of startup employees say managers are unprepared to take the role.

2. 🏈 The Green Bay Packers, valued at $6.3B, are the NFL's only publicly-owned team, with 538K+ shareholders.

3. 👐 The public EV startup with the indicted CEO is seeking an additional $100M funding amid growing SPAC struggles. 

4. 🚗 Driverless car-sharing startup Vay pivots to B2B services, targeting growth amid a projected $2.7B market opportunity.

5. ✎ Mintlify builds a next-gen platform for writing software docs, with tools to auto-generate docs from codebases.

6. 🕹️ Roblox will roll out paid videogames and allow developers to sell physical merchandise through the games they create.

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Telegram’s Durov announces changes to combat illegal activity on the app

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced plans to improve the platform's content moderation by removing features misused for illegal activities. This comes after his recent investigation in France, where he was questioned about crimes like fraud and sharing illicit content on Telegram. Durov stressed that while most users are not involved in criminal activity, a small fraction has damaged the platform's reputation.

Telegram has already taken steps by disabling new media uploads to a blogging tool exploited by anonymous users and removing a People Nearby feature due to problems with bots and scammers. Durov committed to further improving moderation, though he did not detail specific plans. These changes are Telegram's first response since Durov's arrest in France.

The investigation has raised questions about tech platforms' responsibility in controlling content and the legal risks for their leaders. Durov's lawyer argued that it's unfair to hold him accountable for others' actions on the platform, but experts like Katie Harbath caution that fixing content moderation will likely require more than minor adjustments. Read more!

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Startup Events and Deadlines

1. Startup World Cup: NYC Regional Competition | September 9 | NYC

2. Crash Course in Financial Modeling | September 11 | Webinar

3. Startups and Business Networking Event NYC | September 11 | NYC

4. mHUB MedTech | Deadline: September 12 | Chicago

5. Financial modeling bootcamp for startup founders | September 16-20 | Bootcamp, Live

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These companies just raised money

1. 💧 Drip Capital secures $113M in funding to boost working capital for small businesses in India and beyond.

2. 🦪 Oyster raises $59M in Series D at a $1.2B valuation as remote work trends continue to grow.

3. 🧋 French cleantech startup Calyxia secures $35M to combat microplastic pollution with innovative tech.

4. ☀️ Reonic raises €13M to support small installers of green tech like heat pumps and solar panels.

5. 🚸 Kinsome, a new app for kids and grandparents, raises $12M to enhance cross-generational communication.

6. 🚲 Cowboy, from Brussels, designs and sells electric bikes for major European cities. They have closed a €5M funding.

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First global AI treaty opens for signing, prioritizes human rights

The first legally binding international AI treaty, the AI Convention, will be open for signing by countries including EU members, the U.S., and Britain. Developed by the Council of Europe and adopted in May after discussions among 57 nations, the treaty addresses AI-related risks while promoting responsible innovation, focusing on protecting human rights.

Britain’s justice minister, Shabana Mahmood, praised the Convention as a significant step in harnessing AI without compromising fundamental values like human rights and the rule of law. This treaty is separate from the EU AI Act, which regulates AI systems within the EU market. Read more! 

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I Did 3 Startup Accelerators (So You Don't Have To)

In this video, Caya from Slidebean shares his experiences with startup accelerators like DreamIt Ventures, 500 Startups, and Startup Chile. He discusses the challenges, benefits, and why they joined multiple programs, offering advice on avoiding unnecessary equity dilution. We also compare top accelerators and share tips on funding, networking, and mentorship.
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