We’re making visa applications as easy as booking a flight: Atlys CEO

Atlys, a digital visa application platform that promises to make travel hassle free, has announced its official launch in the UAE.

The company’s mission is to make visa processing as simple and stress-free as booking a flight, announces its press release.

Founded in 2021, Atlys has offices in three continents, and processed over 1.2 million visas for travellers heading to more than 100 countries.

Why the UAE?

After expanding its footprint in India and the US, the three-year old startup is setting up base in the UAE, with an eye on capitalising on the country’s travel hub status. With 92 per cent of the UAE’s population consisting of expatriates, many of whom face visa challenges when travelling, the UAE provides the perfect environment for Atlys’ innovative solution, as per the company’s press release.

Although UAE nationals enjoy a strong passport, most expats do not, making Atlys’ services invaluable in this market, it adds.

Sakshi Jain, general manager of Atlys UAE, emphasised the importance of this launch, stating, “UAE is the world’s tourist hub with millions of tourists flowing in every year. Residents are also avid travellers, but the biggest hurdle they face is the visa issuance process. At Atlys, we are striving to make that process as hassle-free as possible.”

The digitally-provided service has recorded a growth rate of 200 per cent within a year of its inception.

To talk about the platform, Gulf Business spoke to Mohak Nahta, the platform’s founder and chief executive. “Our mission is to enable every person on Earth to travel freely, and this mission has two components – access and empowerment. We’re excited to bring Atlys to the UAE, a country that embodies seamless connectivity and where travel is an essential part of life.”

Q. Tell us about the Atlys platform.

Atlys streamlines the process of obtaining travel visas and ensures you stay informed about your destination.

The company makes it easy to secure visas and other essential travel documents. Through its app, travelers can complete visa applications, book appointments, take passport photos at home, and safely store their travel documents for future trips.

Additionally, Atlys keeps track of important travel restrictions and requirements for different countries, ensuring you are always up to date. Atlys has offices in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Dubai, and New York. Now, Atlys is expanding into the UAE, a country with high connectivity across the Gulf and a large expat population that can greatly benefit from a platform like Atlys.

Q. Why did you choose to create the offer around athlete Neeraj Chopra’s 2024 Paris Olympics medal and how has the response been?

Historically, sports have been a unifying factor in human society. It has the unique ability to bring together individuals who otherwise have nothing in common. At Atlys, we wanted to celebrate this sense of unity and shared pride in our athletes and sportspeople.

Neeraj Chopra is the first Indian track and field athlete to win an Olympic medal at Tokyo in 2020 and the first Indian to win a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships. He is a legend and a source of inspiration for all Indians and athletes worldwide. This was our way of honoring him and celebrating the spirit of sports and the Olympics.

The response has been tremendous. Thousands of people responded to my post on LinkedIn, and we were featured in almost every major media outlet. This reinforces my earlier point that sports have the power to bring people together.

Q. Could you provide some stats around the platform’s growth since inception.

For Atlys, product-led growth is key. We believe that the best products are those that people use over sustained periods and recommend to their friends and family. We have focused on core user issues and problems and solved them through a great product experience. This has helped us grow 60x in visas over the past year.

Product scalability is another critical component of our product-led growth strategy. This has allowed us to serve multiple international markets without setting up offline operations. Not only does this save costs, but it also enables us to expand quickly and efficiently. We have offices in three countries and provide visa services for over 80 countries.

Q. Tell us about your funding journey?

Atlys began as a side project, but as I recognised the demand for the service, I left my job to focus on it full-time. My team and I have been dedicated to building the company from scratch, with the goal of revolutionising the visa application process to make it faster and simpler for travellers worldwide.

Throughout this journey, I’ve faced various challenges, particularly in managing my responsibilities as CEO. However, my unwavering commitment to providing exceptional service to our clients has kept me motivated.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned the value of hard work, persistence, and determination to succeed. But what truly inspires me is the opportunity to help people travel more effortlessly, which is the driving force behind Atlys.

Atlys raised $12m in a Series A funding round in 2023, led by Elevation Capital and Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India). The round also saw participation from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), musical duo Chainsmokers, South Park Commons, Pinterest Founders, among other investors.

We used a portion of the capital to solidify our foothold in the global e-visa market, which is projected to reach a size of $4.03bn by 2032. Recently, we closed a Series B round at $20m, led by Peak XV and Elevation.

We are continuously enhancing our platform and introducing new features to cater to all kinds of travel needs.

Q. What are the biggest trends shaping travel in 2024?

Sports tourism: Sports tourism has evolved significantly in recent years, with a new generation of sports fans emerging. More than a million fans travelled to Paris for the Olympics.

Gig tripping: The destination concert business is up more than 50 per cent. People are increasingly travelling to see their favorite artists perform.

Impulse travel: Few people plan their trips in advance now. Many decide within a short time span to travel, choosing the most accessible destination in terms of visa, hotels, and flights, along with other services. This is where Atlys comes in, enabling quick and smooth visa applications.

Advancement of AI: AI is evolving into a personal travel assistant and translator. At Atlys, we have been using AI to reduce visa rejections. Our in-house AI visa predictor helps us identify reasons behind rejections and address them more effectively.

Q. Why should a traveller choose Atlys versus a traditional travel agency?

Here are the reasons why you should choose Atlys:

• On-time guarantee: We provide an ‘On-time guarantee’ for your visa. If we cannot meet the timelines, we offer a full refund of all charges incurred on the platform.
• Easy visa applications: Our platform is user-friendly, making it accessible even for those applying for a visa for the first time.
• Secure: Your personal information is kept safe and encrypted. We use a highly reliable courier service for the secure collection and delivery of your documents, ensuring their safety at every step.
• Great support: We offer real-time updates on your visa status and expert help if you have any questions. Whether it’s a simple query or a complex issue, our customer service is easily accessible and highly responsive.
• Saves time and money: In line with our motto of making travel easy, we provide a one-stop source for all your visa-related needs. This eliminates the need to consult multiple sources. No hidden costs are involved when you apply with us.
• Wide coverage: We serve visas for over 80 countries for UAE residents. This wide coverage allows you to apply for visas to numerous countries worldwide.

Read: UAE residents flock to Europe: Schengen visa applications surge by 20%