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Hello,

CoWIN safe, says the government.

On Monday, the Centre refuted reports of a breach of CoWIN data, calling the claims “mischievous” and “without any basis”. The Health Ministry, in a statement, said that the CoWIN portal is completely safe with adequate safeguards for data privacy.

ICYMI: World’s first babies fertilised by ‘robot’. Yup, this is no plot for a new sci-fi bestseller. 

Last year, at New York City’s New Hope Fertility Center, a sperm-injecting robot and a Sony PlayStation 5 controller were used to fertilise more than a dozen eggs. The result—healthy embryos that are now two baby girls, who they claim are the first people born after fertilisation by a “robot”.

Meanwhile, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is going international, opening its first office outside the US in London. This underlines the Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm’s confidence in the UK government’s commitment to creating a favourable environment for blockchain and Web3 startups.

Lastly, this man lived underwater for a record 100 days, at Jules’ Undersea Lodge, submerged beneath 30 feet of water. The diving explorer and medical researcher broke the previous mark of ∼73 days set by two Tennessee professors at the same lodge in 2014.

An excellent idea for a solo vacation, perhaps?

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Sheru’s vehicle-to-grid EV mission
• Next startup destination: Goa
• No bike taxis for Delhi, says SC

Here’s your trivia for today: What is the slogan used by German manufacturer BMW?

Electric vehicles

Sheru’s vehicle-to-grid EV mission

As consumers shift to electric vehicles (EVs), vehicle-to-grid technology, or V2G, can potentially help India manage its electricity consumption. And, the first company to launch the service for e-mobility in the country is Sheru. 

The Delhi-based battery technology startup made waves in the mobility sector recently when it unveiled its V2G tech platform, NetBat, and forged a strategic partnership with BSES Rajdhani, a prominent utility company.

Power up:

• V2G plays a vital role in balancing grid utilisation by allowing EVs to not only consume energy but also contribute back to the grid during periods of low demand or when additional power is needed.
• NetBat is a cloud-based platform that utility companies can access. It is an interface between swapping stations and utility companies.
• Sheru has raised $1.06 million in funding from investors including AdvantEdge, Micelio, and Climate Angels, among others, according to Tracxn. 

<Funding Alert>

Startup: Kyte Energy

Amount: Rs 3 Cr

Round: Undisclosed

Startup: Skills Caravan

Amount: Undisclosed

Round: Seed

Startups

Dr Chintan Vaishnav on Goa being next startup hub

Goa isn’t the first name to pop up when one talks about startup hubs. However, the state will give metro cities–Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi–tough competition in the sector, according to Dr Chintan Vaishnav, Chairperson of Startup20 India and the Mission Director for Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). 

Go, Goa:

• Goa, with a population of 15.7 lakh, has nearly 400 registered startups.
• Support from the government, accessibility, and a young crowd are all helping the state become a startup hotspot.
• At least half the number of startups incubated at the Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) cater to the hospitality and food and beverage (F&B) sectors, according to Dr Vaishnav.

Mobility 

SC says no to bike taxis in Delhi

Bike-taxi services run by aggregators such as Uber and Rapido in Delhi will remain suspended for now, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday.

No service:

• The Delhi government had taken the matter to the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court’s order stated that no coercive actions should be taken against bike taxi operators until the government establishes the required regulations.
• The government has now said it will come up with a policy for two-wheeler non-transport vehicles by June 30.
• Earlier this year, the government had cautioned Ola and Rapido, stating that utilising two-wheelers for commercial purposes was deemed a violation of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988.

News & updates

• Anchoring: Crypto prices are showing signs of stabilising after a market sell-off last week sparked by the SEC’s lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase. In the last 24 hours, some tokens continued dropping at a much lower pace while some recovered.
• R/blackout: Millions of Reddit fans will find themselves locked out of their favourite pages in the coming days, as moderators take a stance against plans for the platform to charge third-party app developers for access to the site’s data. The protest is expected to last at least 48 hours.
• Nearly there: U.S. chipmaker Broadcom is set to gain conditional EU antitrust approval for its $61 billion proposed acquisition of VMware. The European Commission’s clearance is tied to Broadcom’s interoperability remedies to rivals to address competition concerns.

What you should watch out for

• India-made satellite by Azista BST Aerospace (ABA) to launch on SpaceX Falcon 9.
• Kochi to host the third G20 Framework Working Group meeting on June 13-14.
• PM Modi to distribute appointment letters to 70,000 recruits via video conference at “Rozgar Mela” to be held at 43 locations.

What is the slogan used by German manufacturer BMW?

Answer: “Freude am Fahren”, which means ‘sheer driving pleasure’. However, in the U.S., and now most recently the U.K., BMW advertises its cars as “The Ultimate Driving Machine.”

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