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.
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.”
