Aman Gupta, co-founder of boAt, had shared a message on social media saying he has found a new partner. The post said, “I’d rather you hear this from me than from someone else. I’ve found a new partner. Tomorrow is my anniversary, and it feels like the right day to tell you everything. Until then, please don’t speculate. Your guesses are embarrassing.”
Hours later came the announcement. Gupta shared that his new venture, OFF/BEAT, has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture in a round led by Bessemer Venture Partners.
From viral teaser to venture reveal
Gupta’s post had set-off widespread speculation. The funding announcement now clarifies that the “new partner” was a strategic one: Bessemer Venture Partners backing his latest startup.
What is OFF/BEAT?
According to the company, OFF/BEAT, lauched a month ago, is positioned as a venture built for a new generation of Indian consumers who are digitally native, aspirational, and increasingly influenced by identity and culture as much as by product.
The company aims to operate at the intersection of culture and technology, with a particular focus on how artificial intelligence is reshaping how brands are built, discovered, and scaled, the company said.
Gupta, who previously co-founded boAt and scaled it into a Rs 3,000+ crore business, is looking to replicate that success with a sharper focus on emerging consumer behaviour and tech-led growth, the company said.
Why Bessemer is betting on Gupta again
Explaining the rationale behind the investment, Bessemer Venture Partners said it is backing founders who understand both cultural shifts and technological disruption. “Aman saw how a new India would think about aspiration, identity, and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI,” Anant Vidur Puri, partner at Bessemer, said.
The fund has previously backed global technology companies such as Shopify, Canva, LinkedIn and Anthropic, the company mentioned.
‘Not just capital, but capability’
Gupta said the decision to raise funds was driven less by the need for capital and more by the strategic value of the investor. “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI,” he said.
He added that Bessemer brings “speed, credibility, network, and strategic support that money alone cannot buy”.