QYOU Media Inc. has announced that its subsidiary, Chatterbox Technologies Limited, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on the SME Platform of the BSE Limited (BSE), marking India’s first IPO focused on influencer marketing.
The IPO will offer up to 3,727,200 equity shares, with the final price to be determined through the Book Building Process. The shares are set to be listed on the BSE, pending regulatory approval. The process will follow Rule 19(2)(b) of the Securities Contract (Regulation) Rules, 1957, and comply with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) ICDR Regulations.
Chtrbox’s IPO will allocate not more than 50% of the net issue to Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs), with up to 60% of the QIB portion reserved for Anchor Investors. Additionally, 15% will be available to Non-Institutional Bidders and 35% to Retail Individual Bidders.
Curt Marvis, CEO and Co-Founder of QYOU Media, said, “Our team in India has been working diligently on this project for many months. All QYOU Media shareholders should be extremely proud of this accomplishment as it marks the beginning of our journey to become a leading publicly listed SME company in the influencer marketing space in India.”
Raj Mishra, CEO and Managing Director of Chtrbox, added, “We all recognised the amazing potential that existed for Chtrbox when I joined the QYOU Media team, particularly in light of the powerful and sustained growth of what is now being called ‘The Creator Economy’. As the first publicly listed company in India specifically focused on the influencer marketing business segment, the ability to quickly and accurately discover influencers with the right audience demographic and engagement metrics becomes increasingly valuable.”
Chtrbox, founded in 2016, connects brands with social media influencers. The platform has managed over 1,000 campaigns, collaborating with approximately 500 influencers and content creators. While primarily operating in India, with headquarters in Mumbai, the company has also extended its services to international markets, including Singapore, the UAE, the US, and the UK. Chtrbox now plans further expansion into the UAE and Southeast Asia.
Alongside the IPO, QYOU Media has announced a non-brokered private placement of up to 50 million units at $0.04 per unit, aiming to raise up to $2 million. Each unit comprises one common share and three-quarters of a warrant, exercisable at $0.06 until 28 February 2027. The offering may extend to a maximum of 57.5 million units, potentially raising $2.3 million.
The net proceeds will primarily cover transaction-related expenses, including legal, accounting, and consulting fees, as well as final earnout payments from QYOU Media’s original acquisition of Chtrbox. The offering is expected to close on or about 28 February 2025, pending regulatory approvals, including that of the TSX Venture Exchange.
The global influencer marketing platform market is projected to grow from $16.2 billion in 2023 to $306.9 billion by 2033, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34.2%.
