Otto Money secures $1.3m to scale AI-based wealth advisory

By Vriti Gothi

Otto Money, an AI-powered wealth guidance platform, has raised $1.3 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Pravega Ventures, marking its first institutional capital raise.

The round also included participation from angel investors such as Rishi Kohli, CIO at Jio BlackRock AMC; Amit Gupta, founder of InMobi and Yulu; Amit Agarwal, founder of NoBroker; and Mohit Aron, founder of Nutanix and Cohesity. Existing backers also participated in the round.

Founded in 2025 by IIT alumni Apurv Gupta and Ankur Lahoti, Otto Money positions itself as an AI-driven decision layer for retail investors seeking structured, multi-asset wealth guidance. The platform aims to provide institution-grade investment models that outline trade-offs, assess risks, and align portfolio decisions with long-term financial goals, without distributing or promoting specific financial products.

The newly raised capital will be deployed over the next 12 to 18 months to strengthen the company’s AI models, enhance personalization capabilities, and expand its aspiration-based guidance framework. Otto Money also plans to invest in hiring across engineering, data science, and product teams while pursuing go-to-market initiatives in Tier 1 cities through partnerships and brand-building efforts.

Gupta previously served as CTO of Cohesity, a data security and management company valued at over $7 billion, where he led global engineering teams building enterprise-scale data platforms. Co-founder Ankur Lahoti earlier held the role of Director of Engineering at Google, focusing on internet-scale systems with an emphasis on reliability and privacy. The founders’ backgrounds in large-scale data infrastructure and AI underpin Otto’s technology-first approach to consumer wealth management.

India’s wealth and investment management market has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by rising disposable incomes, increased equity participation, and widespread adoption of systematic investment plans (SIPs) and self-directed investing platforms. However, industry observers note that access to unbiased, holistic financial guidance remains limited, with much of the ecosystem oriented toward product distribution.

Otto Money seeks to address challenges such as information asymmetry, conflicted advice, fragmented portfolio views, and decision fatigue during market volatility. By positioning itself as an AI-based guidance layer rather than a product marketplace, the company aims to shift investors toward disciplined, goal-oriented wealth planning.

The company is currently in early market deployment and reports active engagement from digitally native investors. Over the next two to three years, Otto Money plans to broaden its AI guidance capabilities, expand coverage across investment scenarios, and scale in major Indian metros through strategic ecosystem partnerships, with a focus on compliance and long-term trust.