Venture Engine is Sri Lanka’s leading startup funding platform and a pioneer in the local startup ecosystem since 2012, bringing together local and international investors to fund and accelerate high-potential Sri Lankan startups. Over the past decade, finalists have pitched to top investors such as Avendus Capital, Accel, Sequoia Capital, Aavishkaar, Khazanah, Temasek, Crescent Group, Indian Angel Network and Uber. Since its inception, Venture Engine has vetted and mentored over 1,000 startups and facilitated more than Rs. 2 billion in funding. This year, Venture Engine is set to return bigger and better than ever.
Disrupt Asia Conference taking place on September 18th, is Sri Lanka's premier tech and innovation conference, bringing together global visionaries, government leaders, and pioneering entrepreneurs from across the startup ecosystem. The summit will feature dynamic keynote sessions, an expansive Startup & Innovation Showcase highlighting groundbreaking local and international ventures, and a curated Investor-Business Matchmaking program to accelerate funding opportunities. Attendees will also engage in track-based thematic discussions exploring the latest trends in FinTech, HealthTech, Generative AI, AgriTech, Tourism, Logistics, and GovTech, positioning Disrupt Asia as the ultimate platform for shaping the future of innovation in the region.
Innovation Festival is a vibrant one-day public event designed to foster a culture of innovation and creativity, open to all enthusiasts of emerging technologies. This engaging experience will include interactive exhibits, cutting-edge digital activations, immersive art installations, and curated partner offerings. At its core, the Startup Showcase will give selected startups a powerful platform to connect with the public. whether launching their final product, running brand activations, or building awareness among their target audience. Over the years, this showcase has become a launchpad for some of the region’s most exciting ventures, making it a highlight of the Disrupt Asia experience.
A vibrant networking event hosted by co-working spaces in Sri Lanka, set in a scenic coastal location outside Colombo.
Top Startup Platform Sri Lanka’s most prestigious startup competition, discovering game-changing businesses.
Investor Access Connect with local and global investors for funding opportunities.
Mentorship & Networking Gain insights from industry experts, corporate leaders, and successful entrepreneurs.
Showcase Innovation Highlighting cutting-edge solutions and positioning Sri Lanka as an entrepreneurial hub.
I was lucky enough to attend the 2018 event and be part of a panel of local and international start-up professionals to discuss how startup entrepreneurs can maximize lessons from failure.
I was absolutely blown away by the hospitality and talent present in the Sri Lankan ecosystem, and ICTA lays an integral role in fostering that. This includes its flagship event, Disrupt Asia. The team at ICTA do an incredible job producing a world-class event, with the right mixture of seriousness and fun, and stunning presentation. Because of DA, I was able to create invaluable linkages with the start-up community in Sri Lanka, and am pursuing multiple avenues for collaboration between Lankan start-ups and entrepreneurs and Bangladesh.For anyone interested in Sri Lanka or working in start-ups regionally, Disrupt Asia is a can't miss event in their calendar.
Sri-Lanka has always had a community of people who support each other through decades of warm Hospitality. Due to this the Startup Eco-System is a very open & friendly one where founders & communities support each other in business. Disrupt Asia, which is the premier startup convention in Sri-Lanka and is with no-doubt the best platform for founders to collaborate and open up opportunities. With IgniterSpace, I was able to meet several people who helped us grow into international markets. In the year 2017 we met with a Tech Entrepreneur from the US who gave us access to the US Embassy in SL and we now manage all their education related grants in the American Center.
In the year 2018 we met Nirjhor who is the CEO of BD Angels in Bangladesh. Nirjhor helped IgniterSpace to do their first international expansion to his country. I believe Disrupt Asia will keep on unlocking great opportunities for IgniterSpace as well as all your Startups! I highly encourage you all to participate at this event as it will enable you to definitely DISRUPT ASIA!
Disrupt Asia not only shone a spotlight on unique startups in Sri Lanka but it also introduced Techstars to a talented and growing community of Sri Lankan investors, and corporate supporters; all indicators of the future prosperity of a startup ecosystem.
We were extremely fortunate to have connected with oDoc founder Heshan Fernando on a panel at Disrupt Asia, starting a relationship which resulted in a historic first. oDoc is the first Sri Lankan team to be accepted into a Techstars accelerator.
Participating in Disrupt Asia changed the course of our company. At the event, we connected with Ray Newal, the MD of Techstars India. It was this chance encounter that led us to be selected for the Techstars Bangalore Program.
The Techstars Program was a perfect gateway to India. It helped us formulate our strategy and provided us with the network required to start and grow our India operation.
As a startup who pitched for the first time at a startup event. Disrupt Asia was a great experience, we meet great people and well-wishers who helped us to find our path for success. We meet our first investor at the event which has helped us to fuel our growth. And the opportunity to pitch at Oslo Innovation Week was beyond our expectations as a startup. We encourage new startups to pitch and participate for Disrupt Asia 2019.
We invite you to be a part of this defining movement in Sri Lanka’s startup ecosystem. Confirm your sponsorship tier Schedule a strategic partnership briefing
Sachindra Samararatne
(Associated Chief Digital Economy Officer)
ICT Agency of Sri Lanka
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