Rotoris Raises $3 Million Seed Funding to Build India’s First Global Watch Brand

Premium and luxury D2C watch brand Rotoris has raised $3 million in seed funding, backed by leading investors including Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath and Venture Catalysts. The startup aims to create India’s first globally competitive watch brand with Swiss-level design standards.

A new name is rapidly gaining attention in India’s premium and luxury watch segment. D2C watch brand Rotoris has raised $3 million (approximately ₹27 crore) in seed funding. The funding round was jointly led by Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Venture Catalysts, and 100 Unicorns.

The round also saw participation from actor Vivek Oberoi and content creator Tanmay Bhat as investors. In addition, several prominent startup founders and angel investors took part, including Varun Alagh (CEO, Honasa Consumer), Gaurav Khatri (Founder, Noise), Nitin Jain (OfBusiness), and Vishal Khurana (Shiprocket).

Who Are the Founders of Rotoris?

Rotoris was founded earlier this year by Aakash Anand, the founder of Bella Vita. He is joined by Prerna Gupta, Founding Partner at Wolfpack Labs, along with Anant Narula and Kunal Kapania, co-founders of Drink Free Advertising Media.

For Aakash Anand, Rotoris marks a significant turnaround. His earlier AI-based social platform Unikon.ai shut down within a year due to high cash burn.

A Major Pivot From AI to D2C

Unikon.ai was reportedly burning close to ₹2 crore per month, making the business unsustainable. Following this, Aakash Anand decided to pivot away from AI and return to the D2C business model. Both Rotoris and Unikon.ai operate under the same parent company, Unikon Innovations Private Limited.

Aakash Anand has previously demonstrated growth and profitability by building successful D2C brands, which is one of the key reasons investors have shown confidence in this new pivot.

Not Yet Launched, But Big Plans Ahead

Interestingly, Rotoris has not launched any products yet. Despite this, the company claims its watches are being designed in line with Swiss-level watchmaking standards.

Rotoris is preparing to launch its first five watch collections next month:

• Auriqua

• Monarch

• Astonia

• Arvion

• Manifesta

Alongside the product launch, the company also plans to open its first Rotoris Experience Store in Delhi, allowing customers to explore and understand the watches up close.

How Will the Funding Be Used?

According to Rotoris, the newly raised capital will be deployed across several key areas:

• Strengthening manufacturing capabilities

• Investing in product engineering

• Expanding the supply chain

• Inventory rollout

• Hiring new talent across product, design, and branding teams

From the outset, the company’s focus is on building a brand with international markets in mind.

The Vision: India’s First Global Watch Brand

Rotoris aims to position itself not just as another watch brand, but as India’s first global watch brand. While India’s premium and luxury watch segment is currently dominated by international labels, Rotoris is attempting to bridge this gap by introducing an Indian brand built to global standards.

Conclusion

Rotoris’ $3 million seed funding round highlights growing investor confidence in Indian premium and luxury D2C brands. With a strong founding team, high-profile investors, and global ambitions, Rotoris has the potential to emerge as a major name in India’s premium watch market in the coming years.