Uber hosts Springboard initiative for Lankan start-ups

From left: US Embassy Economic Officer Andrew Shinn, Uber Delivery General Manager Varun Wijewardane, Kreader Founder Heshan J. Peiris, Technology Ministry Secretary Dr. Dharmasri Kumaratunge, ManKiwwa Founder Shohan Kalusuriya, on behalf of Megic Inc Founder Yashen Ariyathilaka, ICTA Head of Startup Engagement Abith Latiff, Uber South Asia Director Public Policy and Government Affairs Sanjay Chadha and Uber Mobility Sri Lanka Country Manager Kaushalya Gunaratne

Uber, the global ride hailing and food and grocery delivery platform, hosted ‘Uber Springboard’, an initiative to encourage Sri Lankan start-ups to strengthen the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

With support from the Technology Ministry, government of Sri Lanka, Uber has selected three start-ups from a tech start-up competition that are set to travel to Uber’s centre of excellence in India for a mentorship programme. 
As part of DIGIECON 2030, Uber’s tech leaders interacted with 26 Sri Lankan start-ups and provided feedback and guidance. After a rigorous evaluation process, the jury of Uber Springboard has selected three start-ups for further mentorship, which include KReader, ManKiwwa and Megic. 

KReader | Founder: Heshan J. Peiris: The start-up offers a subscription-based digital reading framework for local languages in Sri Lanka. It provides eBooks, audiobooks, AI-based text to speech with emotions and text to sign language for personalised and inclusive reading experiences. 

ManKiwwa | Founder: Shohan Kalusuriya: This venture offers a transformative platform that bridges the gap between citizens and government authorities, empowering citizens to report civic issues seamlessly. 
Megic | Founder: Yashen Ariyathilaka: Founded by 16-year-old Yashen, this start-up is an innovative AI-driven EdTech platform personalised for maths learning in Sri Lanka that aims to democratise access to quality education. 

At the showcase event in Colombo, the start-up founders shared their story with Technology Ministry Secretary Dharmasri Kumaratunge, who was the guest of honor for the event. US Embassy Economic Officer Andrew Shinn and Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) Associate Chief Digital Economy Officer Sachindra Samaratne also lent support to the initiative. 

Commenting on the initiative, Technology State Minister Kanaka Herath said, “I want to applaud Uber for their outstanding efforts in recognising start-ups in Sri Lanka. I am also deeply grateful to the Government of Telangana for extending a special invitation to these startups to attend the Telangana Global AI Summit. This exposure to cutting-edge knowledge will be invaluable.”

Uber Delivery Sri Lanka General Manager Varun Wijewardene said, “At Uber, we recognise the value of continued innovation and its potential to inspire positive change. Through this initiative, we want to provide Sri Lankan start-ups expert mentorship, guidance and international exposure, that equips them to plan ahead and build a strong foundation for their ventures.”

Uber Mobility Sri Lanka Country Manager Kaushalya Gunaratne said, “Budding start-ups that have the hunger and drive to inspire change will benefit immensely from meeting Uber teams in India and hearing from them directly.”