After 3 IPO Attempts, OYO Parent PRISM Eyes $7-8 Bn Valuation

For the startup ecosystem, PRISM’s multi-year IPO saga is a case study in valuation discipline and founder resilience. After scrapping a $1.2 billion IPO in 2021 and a confidential filing in 2023, Ritesh Agarwal is now taking his company public at a significantly corrected price, armed with a profitable track record and no shareholder sell-off. The journey from a $11-12 billion aspirant to a $7-8 billion reality underscores the maturation of India’s unicorn class.

Oyo parent company PRISM filed its updated draft red herring prospectus (UDRHP-I) with SEBI on June 30, 2026, seeking to raise Rs 6,650 crore through a fresh issue of shares, marking the third attempt at a public listing after years of delays. The offering, which includes a pre-IPO placement option of up to Rs 1,330 crore, is structured exclusively as a fresh issue with no offer-for-sale component, signalling that existing shareholders — from SoftBank to founder Ritesh Agarwal — will retain their stakes while the company raises primary capital to reduce its heavy debt load. The planned use of proceeds is sharply focused: Rs 4,987.5 crore, or 75% of the issue, will be directed toward repaying or prepaying borrowings, with the remainder earmarked for general corporate purposes.

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SoftBank’s SVF India Holdings remains the largest shareholder with a 40.04% stake, while Ritesh Agarwal holds 26.71% through a combination of a direct 6.59% and his investment vehicle RA Hospitality Holdings’ 20.12%.

PRISM’s road to this moment has been long and corrective. In September 2021, the company first filed for a $1.2 billion IPO at a bloated valuation of $11-12 billion, only to pull back as pandemic-era travel disruptions and market volatility made such a price tag untenable. A confidential filing in 2023 also failed to materialise into a public offer. Now, with SEBI’s approval secured earlier in June 2026, the company is aiming for a more grounded valuation of $7-8 billion, a steep markdown that acknowledges the sobering shift in global tech valuations but also reflects a markedly improved business. For the nine months ended December 31, 2025, PRISM posted revenue from operations of Rs 6,941 crore—already exceeding the full-year FY25 total of Rs 6,259 crore—and profit after tax of Rs 748 crore, nearly three times the Rs 245 crore earned in all of FY25. This profitability pivot is a linchpin of the new IPO narrative.

The debt-repayment focus is a response to PRISM’s capital structure, which carried total borrowings of Rs 7,485 crore as of December 31, 2025. Reducing leverage will lower interest costs and free up cash flows for expansion, particularly in international markets where the company now generates 84% of its revenue. The US and Europe contribute 27% and 24% of revenue respectively, bolstered by the 2024 acquisition of G6 Hospitality (the parent of Motel 6 and Studio 6) from Blackstone, a deal that solidified its North American presence. Domestically, PRISM continues to scale its company-serviced hotel model, part of a wider network encompassing 24,303 hotels, 124,668 homes, and 144,583 listings across 35-plus countries.

Investor dynamics in this IPO are notable. SoftBank’s SVF India Holdings remains the largest shareholder with a 40.04% stake, while Ritesh Agarwal holds 26.71% through a combination of a direct 6.59% and his investment vehicle RA Hospitality Holdings’ 20.12%. By avoiding an offer-for-sale, the company prevents lock-up period concerns and aligns long-term interests; founders and backers such as Microsoft, Airbnb, Lightspeed, Greenoaks Capital, and Peak XV are betting on future value creation rather than immediate exits. This decision may comfort public-market investors wary of sudden sell-offs by large pre-IPO holders.