Consumer electronics brand boAt has filed its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) through the confidential filing route. The company announced the move via separate newspaper advertisements on Monday.
The pre-filing mechanism, introduced in 2022, allows companies to submit their Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) exclusively to SEBI, keeping the document confidential until they finalize their IPO plans. The initiative aims to provide greater flexibility and privacy to firms preparing for a public listing.
Founded by Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta, boAt operates on a direct-to-consumer (D2C) business model, focusing on affordable, stylish, and high-quality audio products, wearables, and accessories. The brand drives sales through online marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart, its own website, and maintains a strong offline presence across retail stores.
boAt has raised over $170 million to date, including a $60 million round led by Warburg Pincus and Malabar Investments in 2023. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Warburg Pincus is the largest external stakeholder, followed by Fireside Ventures and Qualcomm.
During the fiscal year ended March 2024, boAt’s scale reduced by 5% to Rs 3,122 crore, compared to Rs 3,285 crore in FY23. However, the company managed to cut its losses by 47% to Rs 53.5 crore during the same period.
India’s wearable market declined 20.7% year-on-year to 38 million units in Q3 2024, marking a second consecutive quarterly drop, according to IDC. The decline was driven by fewer product launches and cautious inventory management, despite the festive season. Notably, the average selling price rose by 1.3% to $21.3—the first increase since Q2 2019.