Discover how Mohak Nahta, founder of Atlys, is transforming the global visa process with AI innovation rooted in his Indian upbringing.
Early Life: The Mumbai Boy with Global Dreams
In the bustling city of Mumbai, where dreams are as vibrant as its street markets, Mohak Nahta grew up surrounded by stories of resilience and opportunity. Born into a family that valued education and perseverance, Mohak’s upbringing reflected the spirit of modern India—ambitious, diverse, and deeply rooted in tradition.
Even as a child, Mohak was fascinated by tales of distant lands. Yet, he often saw how complex visa rules limited the dreams of many Indians who wanted to travel abroad. This early frustration would later become the driving force behind his global vision.
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The Spark: From Mumbai to Silicon Valley
Mohak Nahta’s academic brilliance took him from Mumbai to Carnegie Mellon University, one of the world’s most prestigious engineering schools. There, he honed his expertise in computer science, mastering the art of problem-solving and innovation.
After graduation, he joined Pinterest as a software engineer in San Francisco. It was during a work trip in 2020 that Mohak—then the only Indian on his team—was confronted by the harsh reality of visa bureaucracy. Hours of form-filling, document uploads, and embassy queues made him realize a simple truth: applying for a visa should not be harder than traveling itself. That realization became the turning point of his life.
Building Atlys: Turning Frustration into Innovation
Armed with his Mumbai grit and Silicon Valley skill, Mohak Nahta founded Atlys in 2020—a startup built on a simple but powerful mission: to make global travel effortless for everyone.
The idea was both personal and revolutionary. Atlys leveraged AI technology to simplify visa applications, automate document verification, guide users step-by-step, and even predict approval odds. What once took days could now be done in just 55 seconds.
Under Mohak Nahta’s leadership, Atlys quickly became the go-to app for travellers across the world. With a 99.2% on-time visa delivery rate and over 5 million users, it transformed the way people viewed cross-border travel.
For Indian students, entrepreneurs, and digital nomads, Atlys was not just a product—it was a promise that the world was open to them.
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The Indian Influence: Jugaad Meets AI
Mohak’s Indian heritage deeply influenced Atlys’s DNA. The company blended India’s culture of jugaad—creative problem-solving—with the precision of global technology.
He built a diverse team, many from India, who understood the emotional stakes behind every visa approval. For them, Atlys was more than a startup; it was a mission to democratize travel.
In 2024, Mohak’s deep connection to India shone again when he tweeted a bold promise: free visas for a day if India’s Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra won gold. Though Chopra earned silver, the post went viral, uniting millions in pride. Mohak’s gesture captured India’s imagination—showing that technology, empathy, and patriotism could co-exist beautifully.
The Global Impact: From Atlys to Skylane
By 2025, Atlys had raised $37 million in funding, expanded to over 150 countries, and acquired a UK-based firm to scale further. But Mohak wasn’t done yet.
He launched Skylane, a next-generation visa infrastructure platform for governments, designed to modernize outdated immigration systems. His vision: to make the Indian passport stronger, and borders smarter—not harder.
From Delhi to Dubai, Atlys became a bridge that connected people, businesses, and cultures. Mohak’s mission to “free the world’s travelers” wasn’t just a slogan—it was becoming a reality.
Legacy: The Boy Who Turned Borders into Gateways
From the crowded lanes of Mumbai to the tech corridors of San Francisco, Mohak Nahta’s journey with Atlys is a story of how one man’s persistence can rewrite global systems.
His success proves that innovation thrives on empathy, and that sometimes the biggest revolutions begin with a single frustrating experience.
For millions of travelers, Atlys is freedom. And for its founder, Mohak Nahta, it’s a lifelong mission—to build a world where visas are not barriers but gateways to adventure.