Cautio, a Bengaluru-based visual telematics startup, has acquired BYTES, an AI-powered two-wheeler safety technology startup. BYTES is backed by Nikhil Kamath’s WTFund, IIT Mandi Catalyst, NSRCEL-IIMB, and Startup Karnataka.
Following the acquisition, BYTES’ founders and team will join Cautio’s R&D to develop AI-driven safety for two-wheelers, which account for three-fourths of India’s road deaths. Cautio, serving autos, cabs, and fleets across 50+ cities, extends its 24×7 command centre to riders.
Cautio currently provides video telematics and safety services for autos, cabs, buses, and logistics fleets, with deployments across more than 50 cities.
BYTES tackled unique challenges: no cabin space, erratic power, rider unpredictability, chaotic roads, and cost limits. Their vision AI detects risks in real-time with edge optimisation tuned for Indian conditions. Cautio analyses millions of video kilometres for fleets; now it doubles R&D investment for rider visibility, incident logging, and human-loop responses.
Cautio plans to increase its investment in this category by expanding research, dedicating long-term engineering resources, and committing capital to solutions aimed at making everyday riding safer. Areas of focus include rider visibility, real-time risk detection, incident documentation, and human-in-the-loop response systems suited to the speed and vulnerability of 2 wheeler movement in India.
Founded in 2023 by by Ankit Acharya and Pranjal Nadhani, Cautio (Covert Eye Technologies) builds AI-powered, cloud-connected dash camera infrastructure for commercial mobility.
Cautio has raised $3 milliion in seed funding from several strategic and operator angels from the mobility ecosystem, including Amal Parekh, Antler India, 8i Ventures, AU Small Finance Bank, Venture Catalysts.
Ankit Acharya, co-founder & CEO, Cautio, said, “Every incident we see reminds us that safety in India cannot remain limited to three- and four-wheelers and commercial fleets. Two-wheelers are at the heart of Indian mobility, and they deserve the same attention, intelligence, and care that larger fleets receive today. BYTES shares this belief deeply. By bringing their team into Cautio, we are accelerating our mission to build an India-first safety infrastructure that protects everyone on the road, not just a select few.”
Aayush & Prakhar, co-founders of BYTES, said, “Our mission at BYTES has always been to make riding safer without adding friction. We’ve believed from day one that safety must be democratised across all segments, especially two-wheelers. This ecosystem needs to come together to truly move the needle on safety, and as Cautio has already shown how video intelligence can reshape mobility safety in India, hence we’re excited to scale our work inside a platform that understands both the urgency and the responsibility of what we’re building. Together, we can reach millions of riders faster.”
