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Why EV maker Ather’s IPO didn’t tick all right boxes

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
Why EV maker Ather’s IPO didn’t tick all right boxes
Medial

Why EV maker Ather’s IPO didn’t tick all right boxes Ather had to scale down its expected valuation from $2 billion to $1.4 billion ahead of the IPO — a move that, to some investors, signaled weaker demand or a lack of confidence. Ather Energy’s Rs 2,626 crore IPO — India’s third-largest public offering of 2025 so far — had all the makings of a headline event: a respected EV brand, strong engineering pedigree, and a fast-growing electric scooter market. Yet, as the subscription window closed, the response appeared muted. Institutional investors subscribed to just 1.7 times the shares allocated for Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIB) category, while Non-Institutional Investors (NIIs) subscribed to only 66% of their quota. Retail investors showed comparatively more interest, with a subscription rate of 1.78 times, thanks possibly to some last minute pushing by brokerages promising the possibility of listing gains. Ather is known for its solid engineering and high-quality scooters. But when it came to the IPO, it struggled to get attention. Many investors felt the company didn’t share a big, bold vision — something Ola did well. Ather had to scale down its expected valuation from $2 billion to $1.4 billion ahead of the IPO — a move that, to some investors, signaled weaker demand or a lack of confidence, especially when compared to the bolder positioning of rivals like Ola Electric. Even when we look at the financials of both EV companies, the contrast is clear. Ahead of its IPO, Ola Electric disclosed in its Red Herring Prospectus (RHP) that it recorded Rs 5,000 crore in revenue for FY24, with a net loss of Rs 1,584 crore — meaning the company spent Rs 1.25 to earn every Rs 1 in revenue. Ather Energy, on the other hand, reported Rs 1,579 crore in revenue with a loss of Rs 580 crore for the first nine months of FY25, translating to a cost of Rs 1.36 to earn every Rs 1. That higher per-unit cost, combined with lower scale, may have made investors cautious, especially when comparing Ather’s path to profitability with Ola’s stronger topline growth. Ather’s slow and steady approach to expansion, which ensured high customer loyalty and trust, has boomeranged when it comes to the IPO. Public markets tend to reward speed, growth, or profitability, and in Ather’s case, it appears lucky to have scraped through with none of the above. That is a huge endorsement of its reputation and promise, and possibly positive word of mouth. That the IPO was practically a compulsion is also a reason why the firm decided to forge ahead, with limited runway available and backers holding off. There is every possibility that investors will have to be more patient than usual to see the firm deliver returns. The founders have almost been timid in making claims linked to prospects, the antithesis of what Bhavish Aggarwal of Ola Electric. One can only hope that this refusal to chest thump will deliver the kind of returns that gladden the heart in time.

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Ather Energy files RHP to raise Rs 2,626 Cr via fresh issue

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
Ather Energy files RHP to raise Rs 2,626 Cr via fresh issue
Medial

Ather Energy files RHP to raise Rs 2,626 Cr via fresh issue Electric two-wheeler maker Ather Energy has filed its Red Herring Prospectus (RHP) with market regulator SEBI for its proposed Initial Public Offering (IPO). The offer comprises a fresh issue of equity shares worth Rs 2,626 crore and an Offer for Sale (OFS) of up to 1.1 crore equity shares by existing shareholders, including the company’s founders and early investors. Promoters Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain will each offload up to 9.8 lakh shares. Other selling shareholders in the OFS include Tiger Global, Caladium Investment (GIC), National Investment and Infrastructure Fund II, and seed investors such as IITM Incubation Cell and IITMS Rural Technology. The company has appointed Axis Capital, HSBC, JM Financial, and Nomura as the Book Running Lead Managers. The issue is being launched under Regulation 6(2) of SEBI's ICDR regulations, as Ather does not meet the profitability norms required for a mainboard listing under Regulation 6(1). Founded in 2013, Ather sells high-performance electric scooters, including the popular 450X. The IPO represents a pivotal moment for India’s electric vehicle (EV) sector and could bolster investor confidence in clean mobility ventures. The issue opens on April 28, 2025, and closes on April 30, 2025, with the anchor book opening on April 25. Shares will be listed on both BSE and NSE, with NSE serving as the designated stock exchange. According to the RHP, Hero MotoCorp is the largest shareholder in Ather Energy, holding 38.19% of the company. It is followed by Caladium Investment (GIC) with a 15.43% stake. The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Tiger Global hold 14.22% and 6.56%, respectively. Ather’s co-founders, Mehta and Jain, each hold 6.81%. Despite being Ather’s debut on public markets, the company has flagged the inherent risks associated with new listings in its RHP. Proceeds from the fresh issue will be used for business expansion, product development, and debt reduction. Meanwhile, Ola Electric, the first EV startup to go public, has witnessed a sharp decline, losing nearly 66% of its market capitalization from its peak valuation. In the first nine months of FY25, the company sold 1,08,000 vehicles, generating revenue of Rs 1,578.9 crore. However, it posted a loss of Rs 579.6 crore during the same period. For the full fiscal year ending March 2024, the company reported revenue of Rs 1,753 crore with a loss of Rs 1062 crore.

Exclusive: Ather Energy raises $34.5 Mn; co-founders invest over $10 Mn

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Ather Energy raises $34.5 Mn; co-founders invest over $10 Mn
Medial

Electric scooter maker Ather Energy has raised Rs 286 crore or $34.5 million through debt and equity. This is the first round of investment for the Bengaluru-based company this year. Stride Ventures invested Rs 200 crore via debentures while co-founders of the company Tarun Sanjay Mehta and Swapnil Babanlal Jain pumped in Rs 43.28 crore each via Series F preference shares, its regulatory filings accessed from the Registrar of Companies show. Ather Energy raised its second-largest funding worth Rs 900 crore ($108 million) from existing investors Hero MotoCorp and GIC through right issue in December last year. In the same month, Hero MotoCorp also acquired an additional 3% stake in Ather for Rs 140 crore (approximately $16.8 million). Recently, a media report said that Ather is in talks to raise $95 million in a pre IPO round. Another report added that Ather’s existing backer Sachin Bansal has sold a significant portion of his stake in the company to Zerodha’s co-founder Nikhil Kamath. As per TheKredible, Ather was valued at $750 million during the Series E round in May 2022. However, it has not disclosed its valuation since then. It’s likely to get unicorn status in the upcoming round. Ather has raised around $450 million to date. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Hero MotoCorp is the largest external stakeholder followed by Sachin Bansal, Caladium Investment, and Tiger Global. Ather’s revenue from operations surged 4.36X to Rs 1,784 crore in FY23 while its losses spiked 2.5X to Rs 864.5 crore in the same period. The company is yet to file its financial results for FY24. Electric two-wheelers saw a 50% drop in overall sales in April when compared to March. Ather Energy, which sold 17,000 units in March, saw 4,000 units sold in April. Ola Electric sold over 33,000 units, contributing about 50% to the overall sales in the last month.

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