Electric two-wheeler maker Ather Energy Ltd's Rs 1,300-crore qualified institutional placement (QIP), which opened on Wednesday, has received bids worth over Rs 10,000 crore, over 8 times the issue size, from some of the country's largest domestic and foreign institutional investors, signalling strong institutional appetite for the company, according to sources from a leading brokerage aware of the matter.

The QIP was launched at a floor price of Rs 1,169.70 per share. Alongside the QIP, Ather is raising Rs 1,200 crore through a preferential issue approved by its board, taking the company's total fundraise to Rs 2,500 crore. All participating investors, including the company's promoters through a parallel preferential issue, have subscribed at a premium to the floor price, the sources said.

The issue has seen participation from leading long-only domestic institutional investors (DIIs) and foreign institutional investors (FIIs), underscoring institutional conviction in Ather's business and the long-term growth potential of India's electric two-wheeler market.

The fundraising comes as the company reports improving financial performance. Ather's net loss narrowed 57.2 percent year-on-year to Rs 100.2 crore in the fourth quarter of FY26, while operating revenue rose 73.7 percent to Rs 1,174.7 crore.

Against this backdrop, the founders' participation stands out. Co-founders Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain are each investing Rs 20 crore through convertible warrants as part of the preferential issue, alongside Hero MotoCorp's proposed investment of about Rs 960 crore and the India-Japan Fund's Rs 200-crore investment.

All promoter and strategic investments are being made at Rs 85 per share above the SEBI-mandated floor price. Market participants view the founders' decision to invest fresh capital alongside institutional and strategic investors as a strong signal of confidence in the company's long-term growth prospects.