BoAt (company)

BoAt (legal name "Imagine Marketing Services Pvt. Ltd.") is an India-based company which was incorporated in November 2013. BoAt markets earphones, headphones stereos, travel chargers, and premium rugged cables.

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 manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) for BoAt's Airdopes line ranges from ₹3,999 (approx. $53) to ₹6,999 (~$92).

Airdopes 431 wireless earbuds

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

BoAt distributes a line of teathered 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).

Rockerz 261 tethered wireless earbuds

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 which 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.

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 betwen ₹2,990 (~$39) and ₹7,990 (~$105) depending on the model and its features.

Nirvana 715 ANC, which feature active noise cancellation

Like other wireless headphones, BoAt's devices do not connect to an audio source via wire or cable. Its devices 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.

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). The undiscounted MSRP for wired earbuds ranges from ₹799 (~$10.50) to ₹1,490 ($20) in mid-2020.

BassHeads 102 product photo

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 in 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.

BoAt offers a line of smart watches that offer a variety of fitness modes, health monitoring features, and call, text, and social media notifications.

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.

Stone 1401

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.

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.

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.

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

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, among others.

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.

BoAt was co-founded by Aman Gupta and Sameer Ashok Mehta.

• Aman Gupta is co-founder and chief marketing officer of BoAt. Prior to co-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 co-founder 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 co-founder of BoAt. Mehta had entrepreneurial and executive leadership experience prior to co-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.

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.