Exclusive: IPO-bound Ather Energy raises Rs 60 Cr debt

Ather Energy has continued to raise debt funding before its potential public listing. The Bengaluru-based company has raised Rs 60 crore (over $7 million) in debt from Stride Ventures through its trustee Vistra ITCL.

This is the second debt infusion in the electric scooter manufacturer in the past two months. Stride Ventures invested Rs 200 crore via debentures in May. Entrackr had exclusively reported the fundraise which also had equity investment from co-founders.

While Ather IPO timeline is yet to be known, it took a definitive step towards public listing by converting itself into a public company in June.

Ather has raised around $450 million to date from the likes of Tiger Global and Hero MotoCorp. As per the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Hero Moto Corp is an associate company of Ather and controls around 38% stake.

Following a four-fold growth during FY23, Ather’s revenue from operations decreased slightly to Rs 1,754 crore in FY24 from Rs 1,781 crore in FY23, as per disclosure made by Hero Moto Corp. The sale of scooters was the primary source of revenue for Ather while after-sale and subscription services were other income channels.

Ather maintained its position as the fourth largest two-wheeler EV manufacturer with 6,097 units sold in June 2024 and a market share of 7.66%, according to Vahan data. Its arch rival Ola Electric stayed on top with sales of 36,716 units, controlling a market share of 44%.

The company recently said that it will set up its third manufacturing plant in Maharashtra with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore. The new facility will produce electric two-wheelers as well as battery packs.