8 APRIL2025Blue Origin made history with its first all-female crewed spaceflight, NS-31, launched from West Texas on April 14, 2025. The mission, which lasted 11 minutes, crossed the Kármán line and experienced weightlessness. The mission celebrated diversity and inspired future generations to dream big.The spaceflight carried six accomplished women: Katy Perry, a global pop star; Gayle King, Veteran journalist; Lauren Sanchez, Pilot and fiancée of Jeff Bezos; Aisa Bowe, Aerospace engineer and former NASA rocket scientist; Amanda Bowe, Civil activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee; Kerianne Flynn, Film producer focused on gender issues. The launch was attended by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Jeanette Epps, Mae Jemison, Kris Jenner, and Khloé Kardashian.The mission launched from Blue Origin's Corn Ranch site in West Texas at 9:30 a.m., reaching an altitude of 107 kilometers and surpassing the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. The six crew members experienced weightlessness before safely returning to Earth.The six women tumbled and did handstands in weightlessness during the journey. Aisa Bowe held a patch representing the Bahamas, whereas Katy Perry sang "What a Wonderful World". She held a daisy and said, "Daisies are common flowers, but they grow through and condition. They are resilient. They are powerful. They are strong."The New Shepard booster successfully returned to Earth, landing vertically near the launch site before making its descent in the Texas desert. Six crew members expressed jubilation and an emotional return, kissing the ground and experiencing the space experience.Lauren Sánchez curated the NS-31 mission, highlighting diverse representation in space exploration. Sánchez and King became the first Black woman and Vietnamese American woman in space. Despite criticism, the mission promotes gender equality and inspires future generations. According to a recent report released by Tracxn, the US ranks first globally in funding for women-led startups, with India second. Indian women-led startups raised $26.4 billion, accounting for 7.5 percent of all startups, whereas women-led tech firms globally secured $29.6 billion in 2024.On a global level, an 11 percent decline from $33.1 billion in 2023 and a 21 percent drop from 2022 has been recorded. However, in 2024, only 11.7 percent of total funding went to women-led startups due to economic challenges. Despite this, 45 funding rounds reached $100 million, a 15 percent increase from 2023, but a drop of 40per cent from 2022.Enterprise Applications, Life Sciences, and Fintech sectors saw the highest number of women-led tech startups in 2024, with Life Sciences companies raising $4.4 billion in 2024, a 6 percent drop from 2023, and FinTech at $3.44 billion in funding in 2024, a 10 percent drop from 2023, respectively.Over 7,000 women-led startups make up 7.5 percent of active startups in India, with the U.S. leading in funding, followed by India, with San Francisco, New York City, and London leading in city-wise funding.Indian women-led startups received the highest investments in the Retail, Edtech, and Enterprise Applications sectors, where retail secured USD 7.8 billion, Edtech received USD 5.4 billion, and Enterprise Applications stand at USD 5 billion.Five Indian women-led startups launched their Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and went public, including MobiKwik, Usha Financial Services Limited, Tunwal E Vehicle India Pvt Ltd., Interiors and More Ltd, and LawSikho in 2024.Additionally, Bengaluru leads in the most number of women-led startups and the highest funding raised, followed by Mumbai and Delhi NCR. IN FOCUS6 WOMEN EMBARK ON SPACE EXPLORATION IN FIRST ALL-FEMALE SPACEFLIGHTINDIA RANKS SECOND IN FUNDING RAISED FOR WOMEN-LED STARTUPS, REPORT
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