Archive · 8 Sep 2026
H-1B Delayed Jyoti Bansal’s Dream, But Not His Success
Jyoti Bansal grew up helping his father run a farm-equipment business in Rajasthan.
He studied computer science at IIT Delhi and moved to the United States to work as an engineer.
For years, his H-1B visa tied his ability to stay in the country to his job.
After receiving a green card, he was able to start his own company.
About 30 investors rejected his first idea before he raised around $5 million.
That company, AppDynamics, was eventually bought by Cisco for about $3.7 billion.
Bansal later started another company called Harness because he missed building new products.
Harness is now valued at $5.5 billion and is working on ways to help companies manage software, including software created with artificial intelligence.
Bansal says people should become founders when they find a problem they cannot stop thinking about.
Jyoti Bansal moved from Rajasthan to the United States at 21 on an H-1B visa.
After receiving his green card, Bansal founded AppDynamics in 2008 following roughly 30 investor rejections.
Cisco acquired AppDynamics for approximately $3.7 billion in 2017, shortly before its planned IPO.
Bansal co-founded Harness in 2017, and the company was later valued at $5.5 billion.
Harness is developing AI tools for testing, securing, deploying and operating software after code is written.
- Who
- Jyoti Bansal, founder of AppDynamics and Harness.
- What
- He built two billion-dollar software companies after overcoming immigration and early fundraising barriers.
- When
- Bansal founded AppDynamics in 2008, sold it in 2017, and co-founded Harness in 2017.
- Where
- His journey began in Rajasthan and continued through IIT Delhi and Silicon Valley.
- Why
- He wanted to solve difficult software-management problems and later returned to entrepreneurship because he missed building.
- First company
- AppDynamics, founded in 2008 around application-performance monitoring.
- Initial fundraising
- Bansal raised approximately $5 million after roughly 30 investors rejected the idea.
- AppDynamics acquisition
- Cisco agreed to acquire AppDynamics for approximately $3.7 billion in January 2017 and completed the deal in March 2017.
- Second company
- Bansal co-founded Harness in 2017 as a software delivery and automation company.
- Harness valuation
- Harness was valued at $5.5 billion after its latest funding round.
- Immigration path
- Bansal worked in the United States on an H-1B visa for about seven years before receiving a green card.
- AI strategy
- Harness describes its focus as “AI for everything after code,” including software testing, security, deployment and operations.