Startup funding in India also means watching what big backers do in the open market. SoftBank investment vehicle SVF II Ostrich (DE) LLC has sold 5.55 crore shares of Ola Electric Mobility through open-market transactions between 6 January and 22 October 2026, according to Ola Electric's regulatory filing dated 26 October.
What changed in the shareholding
Following the transactions, SoftBank's vehicle saw its shareholding in Ola Electric decline to 11.7% from 12.9%, while its holding on a diluted basis fell to 11.47% from 12.81%. The investor also sold 1.12 crore rights entitlements during the period. Separately, NSE bulk-deal data showed the vehicle sold 3.58 crore rights entitlements cumulatively through 26 October.
The rights issue behind the sales
The stake sale comes as Ola Electric seeks to raise Rs 1,000 crore through a rights issue. The issue opened on 22 October and will close on 30 October 2026, offering 37.03 crore partly paid-up equity shares at Rs 27 apiece, with an upfront payment of Rs 16.20 per share.
On the other side of the trade, Motilal Oswal Financial Services and Calliope Capital Advisors applied for a combined 2.39 crore shares under the rights issue, after acquiring rights entitlements from promoter-group entities ANI Technologies and Indus Trust. Founder Bhavish Aggarwal pledged a 4.32% stake to fund his participation in the rights issue. Selling rights entitlements is not the same as selling existing shares, but the filings show a major backer trimming exposure while the company raises fresh capital.
Why it matters for founders
For founders, the Ola Electric episode is a lesson in signalling: a rights issue tests conviction, and every filing is read as a signal. Line up anchor participation before you open an issue, because the market will notice who buys, who pledges and who sells entitlements.