Gurugram, 14th November, 2026: Co-founded by Aakash Anand and Prerna Gupta in 2025, ROTORIS has moved from its first collection launch to international industry participation and institutional investment within its first year. Its early growth has included a US$3 million seed round, participation in Watches and Wonders Geneva, and the expansion of its collection portfolio.

How Aakash Anand and Prerna Gupta Set Out to Build ROTORIS

The watch house began with an ambition that emerged from a question: could an Indian-founded company build a watch house with its own design philosophy and international ambitions? 

For Aakash Anand, whose previous ventures grew into major consumer businesses, the opportunity lay in building within an established category from a different starting point. Prerna Gupta brought strategy and consumer brand development experience to the venture. As Co-founder and CEO, she leads the creative direction and shapes how the company's design philosophy translates into its collections.

ROTORIS' First Year: From Initial Production to Institutional Investment

The company's first year has included product launches, funding milestones and expansion into international watchmaking platforms.

2025: ROTORIS is founded

Aakash Anand and Prerna Gupta establish the company.

December 2025: US$3 million seed round

ROTORIS raises US$3 million from Nikhil Kamath, Vivek Anand Oberoi, Venture Catalysts, 100 Unicorns, Tanmay Bhat and more than 30 entrepreneurs.

February 2026: First collections introduced

ROTORIS launches 2,100 numbered timepieces across five collections.

February 2026: First ROTORIS House experience

The company presents its first physical experience at Mr. Button in Greater Kailash 3, New Delhi.

April 2026: Watches and Wonders Geneva

ROTORIS participates in the international watch exhibition in Geneva.

2026: Astonia is launched

ROTORIS adds Astonia, its chronograph collection, to its portfolio.

2026: ROTORIS House opens in New Delhi

The company establishes its appointment-only experience centre in Greater Kailash 3.

October 2026: ₹70 crore Series A round

Blume Ventures leads the funding round, with participation from other investors. The capital is intended to support product development, production expansion and market growth.

These milestones established the company's initial position in the Indian watch market while extending its presence to international audiences.

What the Founders Want ROTORIS to Stand For

The founders' vision is expressed through the philosophy: “Become More”. It positions ambition as an ongoing pursuit, shaped by individual decisions and personal progress. For ROTORIS, this philosophy informs how the company approaches its products and the people it seeks to reach. The intention is to build a watch house associated with individuals who define their own milestones and continue to pursue larger ambitions.

"Ambition is not defined by a single milestone. It is shaped by the decisions people make while building towards something larger. ROTORIS was founded around that belief. We wanted to build a watch house that speaks to people who are still moving forward, creating their own definitions of progress rather than waiting for recognition."  says Aakash Anand, Co-founder of ROTORIS.

The Founders' Approach to Watch Design

ROTORIS approaches watch design through the relationship between a timepiece's visual identity and its mechanical construction. Each collection follows a distinct design direction, with the movement, case and dial developed around its underlying concept.

The Manifesta timepiece centres on natural and single-stone dials and an open-heart automatic movement. Astonia introduces a chronograph format, while Arvion follows a one-hand time display. Monarch and Auriqua extend the company's collection portfolio through their respective design and movement choices. All ROTORIS timepieces have a distinct material selection, movement architecture, and visual proportions that contribute to each collection's identity.

Speaking about the design philosophy, Prerna Gupta said: "Design begins with a point of view. In watchmaking, that point of view has to translate into every component, from the movement and case proportions to the dial and its smallest details. At ROTORIS, the intention is to give every collection its own design language while ensuring that the engineering supports the original idea." 

About ROTORIS

ROTORIS is a design-led watch house co-founded by Aakash Anand and Prerna Gupta. Its five collections are: Astonia, Manifesta, Monarch, Arvion and Auriqua. Inside the Manifesta is a single-stone dial and an exposed automatic movement. Each collection is based on a chosen movement, and each timepiece is released as a numbered edition with a published run size. ROTORIS Registry provides access to timepieces. ROTORIS also operates ROTORIS House, now open, and ROTORIS Room, a series of long-form conversations alongside the watches. 

Editions in all five collections are listed on rotoris.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who founded ROTORIS?

ROTORIS was co-founded by Aakash Anand, an established entrepreneur with a track record of building and scaling successful ventures, and Prerna Gupta, a founding partner at Wolfpack Labs.

2. When was ROTORIS founded?

ROTORIS was founded in 2025, with its first collection introduced in February 2026.

3. Who runs ROTORIS?

Aakash Anand and Prerna Gupta lead ROTORIS as co-founders, with Prerna also serving as CEO.

4. Who leads design at ROTORIS?

Prerna Gupta leads the company's creative direction and design philosophy.

Media contact:
Shriya
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