AI-biotech startup Owkin becomes France’s latest unicorn

Bernardo Montes de Oca
18.11.21

Owkin is France’s latest unicorn after raising $180 million in equity investment from Sanofi, a French pharmaceutical company.

The startup uses machine learning and predictive AI to generate biomarkers for both disease and treatment outcomes. This data allows clinical trials to be more effective.

Instead of gathering data on the company’s servers, Owkin uses Federated Learning so only the predictive models from other sources travel between servers. Thus, Owkin ensures to transmit learning while maintaining privacy.

Owkin aims to connect the global healthcare industry through the responsible use of data and artificial intelligence. Both companies hope that the partnership allows for presence in the world’s top oncology centers.

“This landmark partnership with Sanofi will see federated learning used to create research collaborations at a truly unprecedented scale”, Thomas Clozel, Owkin’s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement.

The French-American company recently won the Best MedTech company in Oncology in the latest MedTech Visionaries Awards.
   
   

In partnership with

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

CBA.ca

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!

All your news. None of the bias.

Be the smartest person in the room by reading 1440! Dive into 1440, where 3.5 million readers find their daily, fact-based news fix. We navigate through 100+ sources to deliver a comprehensive roundup from every corner of the internet – politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a quick, 5-minute newsletter. It's completely free and devoid of bias or political influence, ensuring you get the facts straight.

First global AI treaty opens for signing, prioritizes human rights

The Wisdom of AI.

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! 

SaaS Growth Calculator

This is a growth calculator that lets you forecast the impact of your ARPU (average revenue per user) and Churn Rate on the long-term potential of your subscription business.

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.
Don’t forget to subscribe!

Bernardo Montes de Oca
Content creator in love with writing in all its forms, from scripts to short stories to investigative journalism, and about almost every topic imaginable.
MORE STORIES
Slidebean logo
© Copyright 2024 Slidebean Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙️ in New York City and San Jose