Stripe Atlas Relaunch with Inkle for Indian Founders

Stripe Atlas and Inkle Partner to Help Indian Founders Incorporate US Startups Compliantly

7th August 2025

Stripe Atlas and Inkle have announced a collaboration to support Indian founders in starting and managing US-based companies, restoring a once-popular incorporation pathway that had stalled due to evolving regulatory complexities.

https://docs.stripe.com/atlas/indian-founder-guide

https://www.inkle.io/incorporate

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Stripe Atlas, Stripe’s flagship product that allows entrepreneurs around the world to incorporate US companies remotely, had seen a sharp uptick in adoption among Indian founders in its early years. However, following regulatory changes introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in August 2022, the process became more complicated for Indian residents looking to hold equity in overseas entities.

Under the revised rules, Indian founders could no longer directly hold shares in foreign companies unless specific conditions are met. The most practical and compliant workaround involves Indian founders setting up a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) in India, which then becomes the shareholder in the US entity. While technically possible, navigating this structure involves nuanced legal, tax, and compliance considerations - factors that led Atlas to caution Indian residents against using its platform without first consulting a lawyer.

Helping Founders Navigate Complexity

Now, with the partnership between Stripe Atlas and Inkle, Indian entrepreneurs can once again incorporate US companies using Stripe Atlas—this time with a fully compliant structure tailored to India’s regulatory environment. Inkle along with the other partners, a US-first tax and finance platform, will assist Indian founders throughout the process: from setting up the required Indian LLP to ensuring RBI compliance, and from facilitating incorporation via Stripe Atlas to ongoing bookkeeping and tax filings for both US and Indian entities.

“With this partnership, we’re removing a big blocker that’s held back many great ideas. Founders can now use Stripe Atlas’s fast, global-friendly incorporation experience—backed by Inkle’s India-specific compliance and support layer.” said Anand Krishna, Co-founder & CEO at Inkle.

What the Process Looks Like

Inkle will provide an end-to-end experience for Indian founders. It starts with the formation of an Indian LLP that adheres to RBI’s regulations, followed by incorporation of a US C-Corp via Stripe Atlas, with the Indian LLP as the shareholder. From there, Inkle’s team and software will handle ongoing compliance and filings on both sides—ensuring founders remain focused on their business, not paperwork.

The collaboration allows Indian founders to benefit from Stripe Atlas’s speed and ecosystem, including access to a US business bank account, EIN, legal documents, and Stripe payment processing, while remaining compliant with Indian foreign investment laws.

A New Chapter for Indian Founders

Over the past decade, India has produced a generation of globally ambitious founders building for the world from Day 1. This collaboration aims to restore the default path to US incorporation that these founders relied on, but in a way that’s fully adapted to post-2022 regulations.

The Stripe Atlas solution is now live. Indian founders can learn how to incorporate a US company compliantly on Atlas here: docs.stripe.com/atlas/indian-founder-guide