SLT-MOBITEL’s ‘The Embryo’ to build digital solutions for Sri Lanka

• Pioneering group R&D initiative drives multi-channel innovation pipeline

SLT-MOBITEL, the national ICT solutions, telecommunications and mobile services provider, recently established ‘The Embryo’, the SLT group’s pioneering research and development initiative.  

The Embryo comes with the aim of driving a multi-channel innovation pipeline to build cutting-edge digital solutions to serve the nation, using the valuable knowledge and skills within the SLT group and collaborating with academia, industry, integrators and entrepreneurs.

The Embryo initiative will be driven through three main pillars: namely the Intrapreneurship Studio, Entrepreneurship Studio and Venture Capital Studio. It will serve vibrant ecosystem partners  to work in a range of verticals spanning health, education, environment, agriculture, tourism, finance and others creating breakthrough technological innovations. The initiative will employ the aid of state-of-the-art technologies such as 4G, 5G, GPON, cloud computing, Open RAN, Intent-driven network, IoT, open source applications, blockchain, analytics including AI/ML/DL, hyper automation (RPA/DPA), open digital architecture (API, Micro services, Zero touch Networking) and developer platforms. 

The initiative creates a platform for the next generation of innovators to tap into the wealth of knowledge and skills of the group, establishing a strong partnership that fosters the growth of innovative digital products and services. 
The Embryo’s Intrapreneurship Studio has already commenced its programme. It will drive innovation by supporting the group’s employees to be the entrepreneurs with their inherent skills, to define technology of the future. Empowering and encouraging in-house teams within the group, the Intrapreneurship Studio provides the impetus to harness their talents and set in motion a new wave of entrepreneurship and a robust platform for the Intrapreneur programme.   

The Entrepreneurship Studio is designed to provide an attractive opportunity for early-stage tech entrepreneurs to gain access to funding, mentoring and to build connections in the tech ecosystem, enabling them to reach an impressive scale. The first programme of the Entrepreneurship Studio was launched in May 2021 and is currently progressing at the mentoring and coaching stage. The selected entrepreneurs receive mentoring and coaching from high-calibre experienced resource persons, participate in workshops and boot camp sessions. Furthermore, they have the opportunity to present their solutions, which have been enhanced through mentoring, at a Demo Day. 

Ensuring the start-ups are not stifled by a dearth of investment capital, The Embryo’s third pillar, the Venture Capital Studio aims to drive innovation through a partnership formed for co-financing. Nurturing these businesses, this programme will provide the capital injection that start-ups critically need by creating strategic partnerships to drive value creation.  

The Embryo has also undertaken to use technological innovations to address pressing social challenges affecting the nation. Through ‘The Elephant Decoder Hackathon’, The Embryo aims to address the growing human-elephant conflict by seeking disruptive and practical solutions to help curb this recurring issue. With the aim of expanding the partner eco system for innovation and research, The Embryo has entered into memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with leading academia in the country. Among these are the University of Moratuwa, University of Peradeniya, University of Ruhuna, University of Kelaniya, University of Colombo School of Computing and General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. The Embryo is also collaborating with prominent academia by operating research and development centres within their premises and hopes to expand this footprint. These ties will be strengthened with the inclusion of other leading academia in the country, in the future. Through The Embryo, SLT-MOBITEL aims to continue to drive the nation’s aspiration towards being a technology-based smart nation building a strong eco system with the participation of all stakeholders.