New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- Investors are rushing to buy into pre-IPO placements of companies such as Lenskart, Physics Wallah and Aequs-ahead of the anchor book allocation-to secure meaningful stakes before the official launch of the IPO. Driven largely by the fear of missing out, this rush is set to intensify as more companies launch IPOs in the coming months, several experts told Mint.

A pre-IPO placement is a private sale of unlisted shares before the formal IPO process, while an anchor book placement is a specific, regulated allocation of shares to institutional buyers just one day before the IPO opens to the public.

"In the current market, we are seeing a resurgence of late-stage interest in pre-IPO placements, particularly in high-grow...