DIGIECON 2030: Uber Tech Leaders to mentor Sri Lankan start-ups

Uber, the global mobility platform, will invite 3 Sri Lankan start-ups to visit its India Tech Center for an exclusive knowledge-sharing and mentorship program in 2024. The company is participating in DIGIECON 2030, Sri Lanka’s flagship investment summit, run in partnership with the Ministry of technology and Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA). As part of the event, Hari Srinivasan, Director, Tech Engineering at Uber, will engage with a group of 26 start-ups that were shortlisted from over 100 entries, and share insights on ways to scale operations in the start-up journey.

DIGIECON 2030 aims to accelerate digital transformation in Sri Lanka. The Tech Start-up competition is a part of the event where young entrepreneurs from across the country will get an opportunity to showcase their ideas to business stalwarts and industry experts, and seek investment.

Sharing his views on the event, State Minister of Technology, Government of Sri Lanka, Kanaka Herath, said, “Innovative ideas, new solutions, and contribution from the youth, is integral to Sri Lanka’s progress. DIGIECON 2023 provides a platform to emerging tech start-ups to showcase their ideas in front of industry experts and move forward in their entrepreneurial journey. I would like to express my gratitude to Uber for their participation and sharing insights on strategies to scale technology start-ups. It was extremely encouraging for the start-ups to know that they stand a chance to visit Uber’s technology centre in India and interact with the team later this year. This partnership paves the way for groundbreaking ideas and promises to elevate the tech start-up ecosystem in the country. We hope this will encourage many more young minds to take a leap of faith and bet on their ideas to propel the country forward.”

Speaking about the event, Hari Srinivasan, Director, Tech Engineering at Uber, said, “We’re pleased to participate in DIGIECON 2030 and contribute to Sri Lanka’s tech march. Sri Lankan start-ups participating in the competition have exciting ideas and hold great potential, and I’m looking forward to engaging with them and sharing feedback. As part of our commitment to foster innovation, we’re also excited to provide three promising start-ups an opportunity to interact with our tech and engineering team in India firsthand, and gain an insight into our operations and how we approach challenges. We hope that the start-up ecosystem in Sri Lanka grows stronger and writes the next chapter of the country’s growth.”

The 26 startups that will participate in the session include AnybanQ.lk by Fintech Digital Pvt Ltd, DirectPay Pvt Ltd, Enadoc Pvt Ltd, Mintpay Pvt Ltd, Simplebooks, SpectrifyAI, Synapsys Limited, VizuaMatix Pvt Ltd, Synergy Information Systems Pvt Ltd, Bluechip Technologies Asia Pvt Ltd, ManKiwwa by Deegenics Pvt Ltd, Zapmail, KReader Pvt Ltd, Ceyentra Education Pvt Ltd, Get Connectz by Deegenics Pvt Ltd, ElysianMemorials, Metatechno Lanka Company Pvt Ltd, Pixvo Studio, CrossBorder Payments Pvt Ltd, E-Slate, Marketrix Inc, Evolza Holdings Pvt Ltd, Meu Labs Pvt Ltd, ITSELF Automation Pvt Ltd, Agrifue, and ZikZen Solutions Pvt Ltd. These innovative startups represent a diverse cross-section of Sri Lanka’s burgeoning tech industry and embody the nation’s drive towards digital transformation and entrepreneurial success.

The 3 tech-startups chosen by Uber, in collaboration with ICTA, will get a fully-funded trip to Uber’s Tech Center in India for a week.