People · Consumer Internet & Media
Pocket FM CFO and SVP step down
By Startup Enthusiast ·
- Date
- Company
- Pocket FM
- What it does
- Audio streaming platform for audio series
- Kind
- People
- Founded
- 2018
What they do
Pocket FM is an audio streaming platform offering multilingual audio series and entertainment content
What happened
CFO Anurag Sharma and SVP Mayank Sancheti have stepped down; Abhilash Padival is reportedly the new CFO
Why it matters
The company is seeking $100–120 Mn at a valuation of up to $2 Bn, and recently laid off ~100 employees
The details
- Pocket FM's CFO Anurag Sharma has stepped down to explore entrepreneurial opportunities.
- Sharma joined Pocket FM in 2021 as VP Finance and was elevated to CFO in July 2023.
- He oversaw financial strategy, investor relations, compliance, fundraising, and strategic partnerships.
- SVP Mayank Sancheti has also stepped down and is serving his notice period.
- Sancheti handled product, monetisation, and growth; he previously worked at Grab and Uber.
- Pocket FM is reportedly appointing Abhilash Padival as the new CFO.
- Padival is Director India Investment Banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
- The company also laid off ~100 employees as part of restructuring, though it denies company-wide layoffs.
The bigger picture
- Pocket FM is seeking $100–120 Mn at a valuation of up to $2 Bn.
- Its last valuation was $750 Mn during a $103 Mn Series D in 2024.
- The Indian audio OTT market is projected to be a $3.2 Bn opportunity by 2030.
- Competitor Kuku FM is gearing up for a $200 Mn IPO and appointed bankers in December 2025.
About the business
- Pocket FM is an audio streaming platform offering multilingual audio series and entertainment content across genres.
- It operates internationally in the US and Europe.
- The company's tagline is 'The home of the world's best audio dramas'.
- It features an AI story writing partner called 'Sherpa' on its website.
- Pocket FM has raised $196 Mn to date.
- Its ARR (annualised recurring revenue) was $430 Mn (₹4,000 Cr) in March 2026.
- Revenue for FY25 was ₹1,768 Cr, up 68% from ₹1,052 Cr in FY24.
- The company is free cash flow positive at nearly 5% EBITDA.
What happens next
- Pocket FM is seeking $100–120 Mn at a valuation of up to $2 Bn.
- The company is reportedly appointing Abhilash Padival as new CFO.
Investors
- Lightspeed (existing)
- StepStone Group (existing)
- Tencent (existing)
- Times Internet (existing)
Founders
- Rohan Nayak, Co-founder
- Nishanth KS, Co-founder
- Prateek Dixit, Co-founder
Other articles talking about it
More on Pocket FM
- Pocket FM launches Sherpa AI tool for long-form fiction creation19 September 2026 · Launch
- Pocket FM raised $851 million in Series D funding12 August 2026 · Roundup · $851.0M
- Pocket FM appoints ex-Bank of America exec Abhilash Padival as CFO7 July 2026 · People
- Pocket FM co-founder on microdrama challenges1 July 2026 · Analysis
- Pocket FM sees multiple senior exits25 June 2026 · People
- Pocket FM shuts microdrama vertical Pocket TV25 June 2026 · Shutdown
- Pocket FM reports revenue growth and profitability in FY2520 May 2026 · Results
- Pocket FM cuts 10% of workforce in performance review6 May 2026 · Layoffs
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