| | JULY 20248In a groundbreaking move to democratize space travel, the US-based Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) and Blue Origin announced that India will be a partner in their human spaceflight program. This collaboration will give Indian citizens a chance to secure a seat on Blue Origin's New Shepard reusable rocket for an 11-minute journey past the Karman line, the recognized boundary of space at 100 km altitude.This initiative will include Indian citizens among the six participants SERA and Blue Origin plan to offer from countries with limited or no representation in citizen astronaut programs. Participants will experience a few minutes of weightlessness before a controlled descent back to the landing site.Joshua Skurla, Co-Founder of SERA, expressed excitement about India's inclusion, stating, "We are thrilled to have India as part of our human spaceflight program". He commended India's recent achievement of becoming the first nation to reach the Moon's South Pole and emphasized SERA's commitment to making space travel accessible to everyone. "We are pleased to offer this unique opportunity to an Indian citizen to experience the wonders of space travel", Skurla added.Indian citizens interested in participating can register for the program by paying a nominal fee of approximately $2.50, which covers the costs of verification to ensure safe and fair participation. Final candidates will be selected through a public voting process based on their personal stories, which they can promote via their mission profile pages, social media, and other channels.Selected participants must meet Blue Origin's physical requirements for space travel. They will undergo training at Blue Origin's launch site in West Texas three days before the flight. This mission offers a unique opportunity for Indian citizens to venture into space, contributing to a more inclusive future in space exploration. Cautio, a video telematics startup, has secured a pre-seed funding of Rs 6.5 crore led by Antler, 8i Ventures, and AU Small Finance Bank. The funding round, comprising equity and debt, also saw participation from Cautio's early customers and angel investors.Pranjal Nadhani, Co-Founder & CTO of Cautio, expressed gratitude, stating, "With the support of our partners at Antler, 8i, and AU, we are poised to expand our efforts in deploying cutting-edge safety solutions nationwide".Cautio specializes in cost-effective video telematics products, delivering customized solutions to address safety challenges prevalent in India. Utilizing customizable dash cam devices and an AI-powered operating system, the company aims to enhance accountability, improve driver conduct, minimize revenue loss, and prioritize an API-first approach.Nitin Sharma, Partner at Antler, highlighted Cautio's approach, emphasizing, "The Cautio model goes beyond capturing telematics data to converting it into actionable insights that enhance driver behavior, bolster safety measures, and pave the way for autonomous vehicles".According to Ankit Acharya, Co-Founder & CEO of Cautio, the evolution of telematics in India has progressed from GPS and Bluetooth to embedded connectivity. With India ranking highest in global road fatalities, recording 1,68,491 deaths in 2022, Acharya emphasized the role of video telematics and dash cams in curbing fatalities caused mainly by overspeeding and reducing approximately 4.4 lakh injuries."Driven by demand from the commercial vehicle sector, video telematics and dash cams are pivotal in eliminating speculation and advancing road safety", Acharya added.This funding round positions Cautio to further innovate in the telematics space and scale its impact in enhancing safety across Indian roads. INDIA TO JOIN SERA & BLUE ORIGIN'S CITIZEN ASTRONAUT PROGRAMVIDEO TELEMATICS STARTUP CAUTIO RAISES RS 6.5 CRORE LED BY ANTLER, OTHER INVESTORSIN FOCUSIN FOCUS
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