During the coronavirus lockdown, one among several challenges we faced was access to medicine. There were brief windows where restrictions were lifted and pharmacies were allowed to open. Often being met with long queues of those in need. Several pharmacies experimented with the idea of delivering medicines. But this approach wasn’t exactly noted for being effective. Meanwhile, PickMe was lauded ...
“I feel every business needs to hit refresh regularly. We assume a lot of things, which aren’t necessarily true and carry on business as usual until doomsday. Simply because we don’t see any other way,” shares Ramesh Shanmuganathan, the Group CIO of John Keells Holdings. This is his guiding philosophy on how a business should operate. Recently, we met with ...
Digital banking in Sri Lanka has a long way to go. This was a fact many of us learned during the curfew. Stuck in our homes, we were forced to rely on our debit/credit cards and online banking services to manage our finances. While several industries were unprepared for the disruption caused by the coronavirus, banks had already begun investing ...
At the heart of the stark colonial buildings that line the streets of Fort, resides one of the biggest hubs for all things startup, Hatch. Once a week, a group of thinkers, creators, and innovators come together for an accelerator program for fintech startups, HatchX. Its vision is to help local fintech startups make banking more efficient and accessible across ...
Launched at the height of the lockdown, HatchX is Sri Lanka’s first fin-tech accelerator. The initiative by Hatch is carried out in partnership with the Lankan Angel Network and the Ford Foundation. Its goals are to make financial services more accessible across South Asia. The programme has accepted 7 fintech startups as its first cohort. These startups are Fipbox, Helios ...
“Without women, we are unable to solve the world’s greatest challenges. Women represent a new generation of innovation and disruptive thinking,” said Co-Founder of She Loves Tech, Virginia Tan. She Loves Tech is the world’s largest startup competition for women and technology. The competition, together with its conference, has continuously expanded its reach into 30+ countries. Now in its 6th ...
Hack:bit 2020, a virtual national hackathon for school and university students in Sri Lanka organized by STEMUp Educational Foundation. In case you’re lost, The STEMUp Foundation is a non-profit organization. Its mission is to inspire and engage students to become interested in pursuing Scientific, Technological, Engineering, and Mathematical (STEM) degrees and careers. The organization’s mission is fulfilled through the programmes ...
Ah yes internet data. We all wish we had more of it. We all wish it works fast every second of the day. But like quite a few of us, you are likely to curse yourself and your telecom operator at the end of each month as you purchase add-on data. Yes, internet is a precious resource, one that might ...
Within a few hours, you can go from lush jungle to a peaceful beach to a stunning mountain peak. Blessed with natural beauty islandwide and paired with a rich culture, Sri Lanka is a global tourist destination. It’s a fact that we take pride in as the hospitality industry is among the nations top-performing. But even before the coronavirus pandemic, ...
Acer—one of the leading names in computer electronics has launched a brand-new lineup for 2020. At the recently held “next@acer virtual press conference” in Taiwan, the company unveiled a list of notebooks, desktops, and monitors. The announced devices are aimed at users across the spectrum, ranging from students to gamers and content creators. More Chromebooks Almost 9 years ago, Google ...
It’s been 3 years since Startup Grind first came to Sri Lanka. In case you’re lost, Startup Grind is one of the largest independent startup communities in the world. Active in over 250 cities, the initiative aims to help entrepreneurs form meaningful connections. Its signature event is its series of fireside chats featuring key business leaders. This year, in line ...
Among the many players in the local eCommerce sector, Takas stands out as a veteran. The company credits much of its success to its expertise in technology. During the recent curfew, the company leveraged this expertise. In doing so, they conquered the challenges of selling groceries online. Since 2018, Takas eCommerce Services (TES), the technology arm of the company, has ...
Recently, we got our hands on two models from the new Asus ZenBook series, the ZenBook Pro Duo and the ZenBook 14. Even though they carry the ZenBook branding, these two laptops are aimed at two very different audiences. From ASUS’s perspective, the idea is to cater to the general masses as well as some of the more specialized use ...
Supporting startup ecosystems is a policy matter. How governments respond to the looming economic crisis will depend on several factors. Among them is the importance they place on small and medium enterprises. SMEs contribute to 52% of the national GDP and 45% of total employment in the country. Needless to say, in the eye of the storm, startups have found ...
Back in 2018, we saw the arrival of a global startup initiative to Sri Lanka. Held inside the Dialog Auditorium, the first edition of Startup Grind Colombo saw Cofounder and CEO of 99X Technology, Mano Sekaram sharing his journey through life as an entrepreneur. In 2019, at its second edition, we saw the cofounders of Hatch, Brindha Selvadurai and Jeevan ...
With over 14 million users in Sri Lanka, Viber ranks among the top messaging apps in the country. Today, the company made a huge announcement. It would be cutting all business ties with Facebook. The app will remove Facebook Connect, Facebook SDK, and the popular GIPHY integration to share gifs. The company also announced that it would no longer be ...
“The value of the Sri Lankan startup ecosystem has quadrupled over the past two years. It has risen from LKR 5.4 billion to LKR 21.8 billion,” stated the Chairman of the ICTA, Jayantha De Silva. He stated this reflecting on the findings of the 2020 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER). The GSER is an initiative by Startup Genome and the ...
The coronavirus pandemic forced the economy to come to a standstill. Its disruptive effects were felt by everyone. Here in Sri Lanka, much attention has been given to the salary cuts enacted by large corporates due to lost revenue. But the impact has been even harder on smaller businesses. Already, several startups have seen their revenues dry up and are ...
Organized by Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, ESCaPe 2020, was successfully held for the 5th time on 29th May 2020 as the online project symposium of final year undergraduates of Department of Computer Engineering. The symposium commenced with Dr. Kamalanath Samarakon, Head of the Department of Computer Engineering delivering the welcome speech. Then shortly following ...
Video games – an industry that generated $131 billion in 2018 and projected to grow as much as $300 billion by 2025. The industry has been a driving force in the world of technology for many years. Now, the world of gaming has hit a new milestone. Akili Interactive’s EndeavorRX has become the first video game to be marketed and ...
