Making International Travel Frictionless For Indians

Episode Description

In this episode, Mayank Khanduja (Partner, Elevation Capital) sits down with Mohak Nahta (Founder, Atlys) to dissect the journey of building Atlys, the only ‘On Time’ visa provider for Indians. Atlys breaks visa applications down to their most fundamental, easy-to-understand elements.

The intricate visa application process remains a significant pain point, especially in countries like India, where passport strength often poses challenges. Dated embassy websites, reliance on agents and the often hefty commissions add layers of complexity for millions of travelers, making the whole visa process an anxiety-ridden experience. Enter Atlys. Having personally grappled with the perplexities of immigration and visa systems, Mohak feels a deep connection with Atlys and is committed to transforming the travel experience.

Initially positioned as a B2C solution for the US market, it saw organic adoption among Indian expats who then started recommending the product to their friends and family in India. The platform soon turned its sights towards catering to countries with weaker passports, starting with India. With its user-centric approach, Atlys simplified the convoluted visa application process into a streamlined, easy-to-follow procedure. Through innovations like auto-populated information from passport scans, integration with official portals, and elimination of redundant questions, the platform manages to make visa applications a breeze to complete in a matter of minutes.

Atlys has grown its GMV 8x in the last eight months and went from working with 1 agent to 2000+ agents for its B2B product since inception. The episode delves deep into the inception and mission of the platform, Atlys' journey from its US origins to its focus on India, the tech stack powering the automation of the visa application lifecycle, value proposition of the product, early signs of PMF, equipping travel agents with Atlys’ B2B solution, challenges faced, and advice for emerging entrepreneurs on the importance of selecting the right investment partners.

For our listeners, if you’re seeking a hassle-free visa application experience, Atlys is your go-to solution. If you're an entrepreneur with a groundbreaking idea, write to us at dayone@elevationcapital.com.

In this episode, you will gain insights on:

• Atlys' US origins to its focus on India
• Tech stack powering automation of visa applications
• Early signs of PMF
• Equipping travel agents with a B2B solution
• Elevation’s early investing framework
• Reflections on being a solo founder
• Early stage challenges
• Future product roadmap
• Importance of having the right capital partners