Driven by the goals of fostering and nurturing Sri Lankan start-ups and helping transform young disruptors to become successful entrepreneurs, both locally and internationally, SLASSCOM has been a key enabler in strengthening and creating a cohesive ecosystem to support the start-up lifecycle in the country.

Taking these initiatives forward with the intention of paving the way for local start-ups looking to connect with investors, mentors and the start-up community to drive traction, raise capital and scale up their businesses, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation forum of SLASSCOM recently held a physical networking event that opened up some remarkable opportunities for entrepreneurs to meet with potential investors. 

The event was also specifically designed to help entrepreneurs navigate start-up challenges, minimise risks, maximise success and achieve scale and comprised of presentations and insights given by Hsenid CEO and SLASSCOM Board lead Sampath Jayasundara, on the objectives of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation forum and how the forum could help start-ups to expand their businesses. 

Chathuranga Manamendra, Forum Head of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, highlighted the importance of start-up members being part of the SLASSCOM E&I forum to shape the future of the industry and Nimbus Ventures  Director Marketing Lalinda Ariyarathna on the next phase of the networking pillar, the opportunities of working together with SLASSCOM to achieve the country’s IT/BPM industry development goals. 

Jayasundara stated, “Over the years, we have helped create a robust ecosystem that has provided a great networking platform for our entrepreneurs, investors and enterprises. We take pride in our inclusive and well-rounded selection of topics showcased at these events, where tailor-made guidance and resources have been provided to help our entrepreneurs revamp their everyday operations, boost efficiency and amplify profitability. As such, the overall aim of this event was to support start-ups and open doors for collaboration, continuous innovation and growth.”

Dedicated to helping start-ups find the right direction, expand on their ideas and develop product and service concepts to help raise investment, this event proved to be a “double opt-in” process, that not only helped start-ups with lucrative investor connections but also provided guidance and strategies to accelerate and increase their chances of success and to carve out a place for themselves as established and successful ventures. 

The next Entrepreneur Meetup is planned for January 24, 2022. Please contact [email protected] for more information. With a solid track record for having nurtured some of the most successful start-ups in the country, SLASSCOM will continue to play a vital role in being the catalyst for Sri Lanka’s start-up community and in supporting many promising entrepreneurs achieve scalable growth.