Hatch Makerstudio to create community workspace bringing ideas to life

From left: GIZ Sri Lanka Head of SME Sector Development Programme Ranmalee Gamage, GIZ Sri Lanka Country Director Christiane Einfeldt, Deputy German Ambassador to Sri Lanka Olaf Malchow, Hatch CEO and Co-Founder Brindha SelvaduraiGnanam, Sri Lanka Export Development Board Chairman Suresh de Mel, Hatch Head Maker Florian Manderscheid, Hatch Co-Founder Jeevan Gnanam and GLX Founder Randula De Silva

The newly-launched Hatch Makerstudio is a community workspace designed for innovators, providing access to state-of-the-art digital fabrication technology and equipment for start-ups and individuals to prototype and test their innovations. It is an ideal platform for creative thinkers to collaborate and drive innovation in product development and manufacturing aiming at new opportunities for economic growth. 

The Makerstudio, located at Hatch, Colombo, was officially declared open by Deputy German Ambassador to Sri Lanka Olaf Malchow and Hatch Co-Founder Brindha Selvadurai-Gnanam, recently. 

The Makerstudio is financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Sector Development Programme in partnership with Hatch. 

In his keynote address Malchow commented on the potential of Sri Lanka’s start-up economy and spoke on the importance of entrepreneurial ecosystems to fester dynamic economic development while enabling significant societal benefits

Brindha Selvadurai-Gnanam, Co-Founder and CEO of Hatch stated that the vision for Hatch was to provide access to a supportive environment, skills, materials and advanced technology to allow anyone with an idea to innovate and excel. 

“The Makerstudio embodies this vision,” she said, adding that it was made possible because of a fruitful partnership with GIZ, who share a similar passion for creative problem solving by nurturing a Maker-culture in Sri Lanka. 

“The Makerstudio has always provided a safe and affordable space to experiment freely and build prototypes until I perfected my design,” said Safiya Sideek, a Maker, who exhibited ‘Elements by Safiya’ at the launch.
Hatch Makerstudio is located on the ground floor of Hatch Works, Colombo. All tools and machines can be used independently or assisted by workshop staff, overseen by Florian Manderscheid, Head Maker at Hatch.