Indian online visa application platform Atlys has raised $12 million in a Series A round led by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India) and Elevation Capital.
Atlys said in a statement on Wednesday that the round also saw participation from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Musical Duo Chainsmokers, South Park Commons, Pinterest Founders and other investors.
According to the statement, the funds raised will be used to expand the platform’s product offerings for travellers, attract customers, and further strengthen the team through talent acquisition.
Atlys had previously raised a $5 million seed round in 2021.
In addition to visas, Atlys’ goal is to solve numerous other pain points that people face with international travel. This includes areas like credit for travel, remittance and travel insurance.
According to the statement, the world is rapidly moving towards e-visas. Over 60 percent of countries have already adopted e-visas, and more have announced their plans to move to e-visas in the near future.
it said Atlys is at the forefront of this shift and offers a world-class experience for travellers across the globe.
It said with Atlys, travellers can easily apply for visas through the digital platform from anywhere in the world and get their visas on time.
Atlys Founder Mohak Nahta found the visa process to be tedious, uncertain and not at all traveller-friendly, and he realized that the solution had to be digital and set out to build an app, which led to the launch of Atlys.
“Our USP is to transform a process riddled with anxiety into one with certainty,
“By leveraging over a million data points, we’re able to predict when you’re going to get a visa, reduce visa rejection rates, and we have built the tech to make that happen,” he said.
He also believes every Indian should have the opportunity to travel anywhere without the burden of complex visa processes.
He said Atlys can help Indians get visas on time to over 100 countries and has reduced the time for applying for a visa to under three minutes.
He said Atlys aims to eliminate uncertainty, lengthy documentation and high visa fees by providing a simplified solution for visa applications.
“The traveller-centric solution provides a visa guarantee within a promised window through its app and website,
“So far, 99.2 percent visas come on time. It has also partnered with governments to facilitate visas and help them reduce overstays,” he added.
Meanwhile, Peak XV Principal Shraeyansh Thakur said that travel is a fast-growing category in India that is seeing strong tailwinds post Covid.
“Over 10 million new passports are being issued in India every year, adding materially to the base of travel aspirants from India,
“Visa is a critical pain point for travellers and Atlys is building a next-gen platform to transform visa applications for travellers globally and reimagine international travel,” he said.
Elevation Capital Partner Mayank Khanduja, on the other hand, said that Atlys’ commitment to removing visa-related barriers aligns with the growing aspirations of Indians to explore the world.
“We’re excited to join Atlys on its mission to transform the visa application process and solve larger travel-related pain points in India,
“Our partnership with Mohak represents a significant step towards Atlys’ efforts to streamline global mobility,” he said.
According to him, their strategy to offer a new age visa service that’s economical, risk-free and data-driven will encourage quicker adoption of newer, more efficient procedures.
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