A month after unveiling his new venture, boAt co-founder Aman Gupta said OffBeat Studios has raised Rs100 crore in seed funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners, marking a major early bet on the new company.
In a LinkedIn post, Gupta said, “I didn't raise capital because I needed the cheque,” adding that he was looking for partners with a global outlook and strength in technology and artificial intelligence.
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Gupta said the funding was meant to bring in more than money. In his post, he described Bessemer's backers and network as offering “speed, credibility, network, and strategic support” that he believes are important for building a company in the AI era. He also said he chose to announce the fundraise on his wedding anniversary, comparing the arrival of an investor to choosing a life partner, because the relationship has to work through both highs and lows.
Bessemer Venture Partners has backed companies including Anthropic, Shopify and Canva, and Gupta specifically pointed to those names as part of the reason he chose the firm.
OffBeat Studios was introduced on March 3 after Gupta moved to a non-executive role on boAt's board, but the company has not yet disclosed its business model, sector focus, team or launch timeline.
Bessemer partner Anant Vidur Puri said the firm was backing a founder who has already built a successful consumer brand and is now applying that experience to a market being reshaped by AI and changing customer expectations.
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Gupta remains closely associated with boAt's brand-building journey and is widely known for his role on Shark Tank India, which made him one of India's most recognisable startup faces.
The fundraise comes at a time when boAt's parent company, Imagine Marketing, has already received Sebi approval for its IPO, even as the company continues to work through changes in leadership and its longer-term listing plans.
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