BoAt (company) (2024)

BoAt (legal name "Imagine Marketing Services Pvt. Ltd.") is an India-based company that was incorporated in November 2013. The company is an online brand that offers multi-category consumer electronics products. BoAt markets earphones, headphones, stereos, hair trimmers, power banks, travel chargers, smart watches, and cables. BoAt was founded by Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta and in 2022 reached the mark of being one of the largest wearable electronics brands.

Products and brands

BoAt designs and markets a variety of audio-focused consumer electronics, including wireless earbuds, wired headphones, wireless speakers, home audio equipment, smart watches, and an assortment of mobile phone accessories.

BoAt distributes a line of wireless earbuds under the brand name Airdopes. As of mid-2020, the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for BoAt's Airdopes line ranged from ₹3,999 (approx. $53) to ₹6,999 (~$92).

Like competing brands and models of wireless earbuds, the Airdopes line features Bluetooth connectivity, which enables truly wireless use, and carrying cases that include built-in batteries to charge the wireless earbuds when not in use.

Tethered wireless earbuds

BoAt distributes a line of tethered wireless earbuds under its Rockerz and BoAt brands. As of mid-2020, the undiscounted MSRP of BoAt's tethered wireless earbud offerings range from ₹2,990 ($39) to ₹4,990 ($66).

Like truly wireless earbuds, tethered earbuds do not connect directly to an audio source (like the audio-out port on a mobile phone, computer, or stereo). However, tethered wireless earbuds are connected to one another via a wire or are connected to a band that houses the batteries, controls, and onboard processors, which drive the speakers in the earbuds. Depending on the model, the connecting wire or band is worn behind the head or around the neck of the wearer, as if it was a lanyard.

Wireless headphones

BoAt also distributes a line of wireless headphones in both on-ear and over-ear form factors. Its headphones are marketed under the company's BoAt, Rockerz, and Nirvana brands, and undiscounted prices range between ₹2,990 (~$39) and ₹7,990 (~$105) depending on the model and its features.

BoAt's devices do not connect to an audio source via wire or cable; instead, they feature Bluetooth connectivity to play audio from the audio source (such as a mobile phone, computer, or stereo system). In wireless playback mode over Bluetooth, BoAt's headphones draw power from lithium-ion batteries, which are integrated into the headphones.

Many of BoAt's wireless headphones come with an auxiliary audio cable that can plug into standard headphone jacks (or other audio jacks using adapters, which aren't included). On many models, connecting headphones to an audio source using the auxiliary audio cable does not draw down battery charge.

Wired headphones and earbuds

BoAt distributes a range of wired headphones and earbuds under the company's BassHeads brand. The undiscounted MSRP for BassHeads-branded wired headphones is around ₹2,490 (~$33).

Like with most wired headphones and earbuds, BoAt's devices connect to a standard headphone jack on mobile devices, computers, stereo systems, and other audio-outputting devices. BoAt's devices draw power from the audio source into which they're plugged and do not require power from a dedicated amplifier. The company's over-ear and on-ear headphones, as well as its in-ear earbuds, offer a degree of passive noise cancellation by partially occluding the wearer's ear canals from external sound.

Smartwatches

BoAt offers a line of smartwatches in a variety of fitness modes, health monitoring features, and call, text, and social media notifications. The smartwatches come in various colors, styles, and feature mixes.

Smart Ring

The BoAt Smart Ring offers sleep and health monitoring and tracking, including sleep data, heart rate, menstrual cycles, and body temperature through a partnered application. The ring is made of a mix of ceramic and metal and is designed to be durable, resisting both water and sweat along with physical activities. It is built to be lightweight and comfortable, and therefore easy to wear daily. BoAt is looking to introduce the smart ring with a price tag at or below approximately $80, to keep it in line with the pricing of its other consumer products.

Portable wireless speakers

BoAt sells a range of portable wireless speakers under its Stone and Rugby brand names. Its speakers wirelessly connect to an audio source using Bluetooth and are powered by built-in batteries. As of mid-2020, devices are priced between ₹2,490 (~$33) and ₹12,999 MSRP ($171), without discounts, depending on the model and features.

BoAt's wireless speakers come in a range of sizes and form factors designed for different use cases. Its smaller, lower-powered devices are priced lower than its larger wireless speaker options, which feature louder sound output, longer battery life, and varying degrees of ruggedization in their designs.

Home audio equipment

BoAt distributes home audio equipment under its Aavante brand. The company's home audio offerings primarily consist of sound bars and subwoofers for use with televisions and other home theater equipment. As of mid-2020, BoAt's home audio offerings are priced between ₹9,900 (~$130) and ₹24,990 (~$329), without discounts.

BoAt's home audio equipment features multiple input modes, including Bluetooth, USB-A, and auxiliary audio cable. Certain models are Bluetooth-only.

Mobile accessories

The company distributes BoAt-branded mobile device accessories, such as USB cables (including USB-a to Lightning, USB-A to Micro USB, USB-C to Lightning, and USB-A to USB-C connections) and auxiliary audio cables.

It also sells a range of portable external batteries under the brand Energyshroom. These batteries can be used to charge a mobile device when there is no access to a power outlet. The company also sells a range of quick car chargers, using Qualcomm's quick charge technology and capable of charging quick charge-enabled devices.

Special editions

BoAt produces limited editions of its various audio hardware products as part of promotions or collaborative tie-ins with other brands.

Marketing and promotion

BoAt promotes its products through a combination of influencer marketing and brand tie-ins with sports teams and public events.

BoAt calls its brand influencers "BoAtheads." Its brand influencers include Indian singers like Neha Kakkar and rapper Naved Shaikh (also known as Naezy), as well as athletes like cricketers Hardik Pandya and Shreyas Iyer.

The company has done brand tie-ins with sports franchises like cricket teams Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians. Additionally, BoAt has co-branded its audio devices with music events like Sunburn Festival and other large-scale events like the Lakmé Fashion Week.

Leadership

Cofounders

BoAt was cofounded by Aman Gupta and Sameer Ashok Mehta.

• Aman Gupta is cofounder and chief marketing officer of BoAt. Prior to founding BoAt, Gupta was the director of sales at Harman International, where he oversaw a portfolio of consumer electronics brands including JBL, Harman Kardon, and AKG which Harman International distributes in India. Gupta's first entrepreneurial experience was as cofounder and CEO of Advanced Telemedia Pvt Ltd, which helped launch global brands such as Beats Audio, Sennheiser, and Telex, among others, in the Indian market.
• Sameer Ashok Mehta is cofounder of BoAt. Mehta had entrepreneurial and executive leadership experience prior to founding BoAt. He is an owner of Redwood Interactive, which distributes computer gaming hardware and peripherals under the Redgear brand. Mehta is also director at Kores India, a business owned by his family. Mehta was appointed to his directorship at Kores India Limited in February 2010.

Non-executive director(s)

Kanwaljit Singh joined the company's board of directors in April 2018. Singh is managing partner of Fireside Ventures, which led a ₹60,000,000 (approximately $900,000 USD) equity funding round in BoAt. The round was not announced until early May 2018.