Atlys, the travel technology company that lets travellers apply for visas across 120+ destinations, has opened its first physical experience centre — a walk-in space at BurJuman Mall in Dubai. It is the company's first storefront anywhere in the world.
Why Dubai, specifically
The UAE is Atlys' largest market outside India. International markets — including the US, the UK and Australia — now account for nearly 50% of the company's business, and the UAE is the top contributor within that. Atlys entered the UAE market in 2024, and the country has been central to its global strategy since.
What the space does
Located on the third floor of BurJuman Mall, the centre lets travellers walk in to discuss their travel plans with expert advisors, have documents reviewed, and understand their approval chances before applying.
Staff also guide travellers through more demanding applications. Applications can be completed in-store, with the rest of the process — tracking, updates, communication — handled through the Atlys app.
Founder and CEO Mohak Nahta framed the store as a complement to the app rather than a replacement for it: "The experience centre gives travellers another way to engage with Atlys: expert guidance at the store, with the same speed and transparency as the app. The UAE sits at the centre of global travel and of our own growth, and that made it the right home for our first store."
The funding behind the move
The launch follows Atlys' $36 million Series C round, closed earlier this year and led by Susquehanna Asia VC, with participation from existing investors Elevation Capital, Long Journey Ventures and Peak XV Partners. MakeMyTrip joined the round as a strategic investor.
Atlys says the capital is going toward three things: expanding into new international markets, consolidating its position in markets where it already operates, and accelerating its AI roadmap across the visa lifecycle. The company is currently on an annualised run rate of more than 700,000 visas, and says it has grown 11x since its Series B round in 2024.
What it signals
A visa-tech company built entirely around an app opening its first physical location is a deliberate bet that some part of the visa process — reassurance, document review, handling harder applications — still benefits from a human in the room.
Placing that first bet in the UAE, rather than in India or the US, is consistent with where Atlys says its growth is actually concentrated. Whether the store model expands to other markets is not addressed in the source material.
