Visual telematics startup Cautio has secured Rs 6.5 crore in a pre-seed funding round. Antler, 8i Ventures, and AU Small Finance Bank led this pre-seed round.
The funding itself combines equity investment with debt financing. In addition to these major players, Cautio also received contributions from both early customers and angel investors.
Cautio offers video-based telematics products at competitive prices. These products are designed to be customized solutions that tackle specific road safety problems. The company itself was founded by two tech veterans: Ankit Acharya, previously a senior executive at ride-hailing company Namma Yatri, and Pranjal Nadhani, a former senior engineer with Dream11 and Urban Company.
Cautio equips vehicles with customizable dash cams and an AI-powered operating system. This technology helps improve driver behavior and accountability on the road, the company says.
“Telematics in India has rapidly advanced from GPS, Bluetooth and portable navigation to embedded connectivity,” Acharya said.
“Initially focused on passive road safety measures, the emphasis is now shifting towards active real-time responsiveness due to high accident rates.”
Cautio targets the commercial passenger sector, providing its solutions to mobility and logistics companies as well as institutions. The company is also involved in pilot projects throughout India.
“As investors, we are excited to back founders like Ankit (Acharya) and Pranjal (Nadhani). Their ability to integrate cutting-edge technology into accessible and cost-effective solutions positions them uniquely to redefine road safety,” Nitin Sharma, partner at Antler India, said.
Lightmetrics, Samsara, Fleetmatics and Lytx are some of the big companies in this space.
