Startup Sri Lanka, Gampaha (2026)

27/09/2026

The University of Peradeniya has once again secured the No. 1 position in Sri Lanka in the 2026 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings.

In the 2026 rankings, the University of Peradeniya ranked 200th globally among 2,016 universities from 110 countries, achieving a score of 8,262.5 points.

This achievement highlights the university’s continued progress in maintaining an environmentally friendly and sustainable campus, implementing sustainable development initiatives, and promoting environmentally responsible practices.

The UI GreenMetric World University Rankings evaluate the sustainability performance of universities based on several key indicators, including setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste management, water management, transportation, education, governance and digitalization.

The 2026 rankings were conducted under the theme, “Advancing Sustainable Campuses through Governance, Digitalization, and Integrated Performance.”

A total of 2,016 universities from 110 countries participated in the 2026 UI GreenMetric rankings, further highlighting its significance as a major international platform for assessing sustainability performance among universities worldwide.

By retaining the No. 1 position in Sri Lanka, the University of Peradeniya has once again demonstrated its continued commitment to sustainable development, environmental conservation, and fostering an environmentally friendly university culture.

26/09/2026

One of Sri Lanka’s Youngest Entrepreneurs Leads Quick Solutions to Prestigious 2026 Business Recognition

At just 16 years old, Chathusha Damsara, Founder and CEO of Quick Solutions (Pvt) Ltd, is making his mark in Sri Lanka’s growing technology and digital solutions industry.

His entrepreneurial journey began at a young age with a strong interest in building businesses and turning ideas into reality. Although he started with limited technical knowledge, Chathusha focused on the business and strategic side of the company while building a team capable of turning his ideas into practical technology solutions.

In a relatively short period, Quick Solutions has grown into a team of more than 15 professionals, delivering customized websites, software solutions, digital services, and technology products for businesses in Sri Lanka and international markets including the UK, USA, UAE, and Australia.

This growth and Chathusha’s entrepreneurial journey have also been recognized through two notable 2026 business awards. Chathusha was recognized as “Best Upcoming Youngest Entrepreneur of the Year,” acknowledging his achievements as a young entrepreneur and the progress he has made in building Quick Solutions.

At the same time, Quick Solutions was recognized as “Best Upcoming Software Company of the Year,” reflecting the company’s growth, work in software and digital solutions, and its expanding presence in the technology sector.

Receiving recognition in both the individual entrepreneur and company categories represents an important milestone for Chathusha and Quick Solutions. Rather than being the destination, these achievements mark another step in a much larger journey that is still in its early stages.

Today, Chathusha is focused not only on continuing to grow Quick Solutions as a service-based technology company, but also on developing the company’s own technology products and solutions with potential for international markets.

At 16, his vision is to build a strong Sri Lankan technology brand, create opportunities for a growing team, and develop products that can help businesses operate, sell, and grow more efficiently.

26/09/2026

Meet Delushana Karunarathna, Founder & CEO of Autara👇

25/09/2026

Sri Lanka’s total exports surpassed the US$12 billion mark during the first eight months of 2026, reaching an estimated US$12.01 billion, according to the Export Development Board (EDB).

The figure represents a 4.26% increase compared with the US$11.52 billion recorded during the same period in 2025, with both merchandise and services exports recording growth.

Merchandise exports rose 3.63% to US$9.41 billion, while services exports increased 6.59% to US$2.60 billion. The EDB noted that continued growth in services exports is helping broaden Sri Lanka’s overall export base and diversify export earnings.

In August 2026, total exports were estimated at US$1.60 billion, up 1.77% year-on-year. Services exports recorded particularly strong growth, rising 13.97% to US$331.87 million, while merchandise exports stood at approximately US$1.27 billion.

The EDB said the January-August performance reflects continued resilience in Sri Lanka’s external sector, with growth across both merchandise and services exports supporting the country’s efforts to build a more diversified and competitive export economy.

23/09/2026

Meet Buddhi Madhuka, Founder of Bizworks International (BWI). He didn't build another outsourcing company. He built the solution he wished businesses already had.

After 16+ years across finance, treasury, banking operations, fintech, mobile money, and payment technologies, Buddhi saw the same problem repeatedly: startups and SMEs trying to scale while juggling multiple service providers, rising overheads, and disconnected operations. His professional experience includes leading finance operations for iPay, Qatar's first fully fledged fintech solution at Vodafone, while contributing to the development of digital payment and financial services solutions.

That experience became the foundation for Bizworks International (BWI), a UK-registered global business process outsourcing and strategic advisory company. Instead of following the traditional outsourcing model, Buddhi set out to build a more flexible and integrated platform that gives businesses access to specialist capabilities while maintaining accountability through a single strategic partner.

BWI brings FinOps, HR, Technology, Creative, and Supply Chain capabilities together under one integrated model, giving growing businesses the specialist support they need without building every function in-house or managing multiple vendors. The model is designed to integrate directly into existing business structures, connecting clients with vetted specialist delivery teams through a single point of accountability.

The idea is simple: Less operational complexity. More control. Smarter scale. With its headquarters in the UK and a strategic hub in Qatar, BWI is built with structured governance, data protection, and international operations in mind, supported by GDPR compliance, ISO 27001-aligned practices, and continuity planning. It is designed to support businesses that want to grow beyond borders without letting their back office become a bottleneck.

Buddhi's entrepreneurial journey also extends beyond BWI, including co-founding Mandy Villa, a luxury hospitality business in Sri Lanka.

From Sri Lanka to the GCC, UK, and beyond, Buddhi's journey is a reminder that sometimes the best businesses are born from seeing an expensive problem for years and deciding to build a better answer. Stop overpaying for complexity. Start building for scale.

22/09/2026

Sri Lanka’s employed population surpassed 8 million in 2025, according to the latest report released by the Department of Census and Statistics.

The report states that the total employed population reached 8,079,040 in 2025, comprising 5,299,777 males and 2,779,262 females.

The country’s overall employment rate was recorded at 96.1%.

In 2025, the population aged 15 years and above was estimated at 17,034,109, of whom 8,408,251 were part of the labour force. This resulted in a labour force participation rate of 49.4%.

The male labour force participation rate stood at 69.1%, compared to 32.4% among females.

Meanwhile, 6,185,730 females aged 15 years and above were outside the labour force, according to the report.

Overall, 8,625,859 people were outside the labour force, with females accounting for 71.7% of this figure, or nearly 6.2 million people.

Women outside the labour force include those engaged in household work, education, retired or elderly individuals, and those who are not working due to health-related reasons.

21/09/2026

Meet Kumod Senuja Sedarahetti , Co-Founder of AKurate Co, a Sri Lankan business content and marketing company focused on helping modern businesses build stronger brands through strategy, content and digital marketing.

Kumod’s entrepreneurial journey was built on experience first. Before entering entrepreneurship, he gained exposure to how leading organizations operate, including companies such as MAS, Access, Unilever and Zone24x7. Alongside his professional experience, he strengthened his marketing expertise through academic and professional qualifications, including his Bachelor’s degree and qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Asia Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing.

That combination of corporate experience, marketing knowledge and an entrepreneurial mindset eventually led him to build AKurate Co with a different approach to marketing.

Founded in 2024 and operating from Colombo, AKurate Co. is a brand-building and marketing consultancy with a team spread across Sri Lanka, from Jaffna in the North to Galle in the South. Helping individuals and businesses build strong brands, transform their legacy, and create sustainable growth through personal branding, business brand building, marketing consultation, performance marketing, and LinkedIn optimization. With a focus on strategic thinking, meaningful storytelling, and long-term brand growth, AKurate Co. is also expanding into the events space with the upcoming launch of AKurate Events.

For Kumod, entrepreneurship is also about growing alongside the businesses he works with. His philosophy centres on understanding a client's challenges, developing a tailored strategy, executing creatively and continuously improving based on results.

Today, through AKurate Co, Kumod is building a marketing business that brings together strategy, creativity and content to help Sri Lankan businesses compete in an increasingly digital marketplace.

His journey reflects a broader entrepreneurial lesson: professional experience can become a powerful foundation for building something of your own when it is combined with the willingness to take a different approach and create long-term value.

21/09/2026

Sri Lanka Customs has surpassed a significant revenue milestone this year, with total collections exceeding Rs. 2 trillion, according to the department.

The largest share of Customs revenue has been generated through motor vehicle imports, followed by petroleum imports. Together, these categories account for a substantial portion of the department’s total revenue collections.

20/09/2026

Meet Maleesh Randunu and Supun Harshana, the two young Sri Lankan entrepreneurs who started a new era in Sri Lanka’s Event Industry during one of the most uncertain times in modern business.

Six years ago, in the middle of COVID-19, with a team of just 8 and almost no starting capital, they founded Devent. Instead of becoming just another event planning company, they asked a different question: What could Sri Lanka offer that couples would travel here specifically to celebrate their love?

Sri Lanka already had the ingredients: luxury resorts, tropical beaches, private villas, scenic mountains and world-class hospitality. What was missing was a specialist bringing it all together for one purpose: creating unforgettable romantic experiences for couples.
That's how DEVENT became Sri Lanka's luxury destination proposal specialist.

For DEVENT, it's never just about decoration. Every proposal is built around the couple's story, from the location, lighting, flowers and music to fragrances and personalized details. From intimate candlelight dinners to yacht proposals and elaborate destination experiences, there's no single formula. Luxury, to them, means personalization and creating something that can't be replicated.

- 700+ destination proposals delivered

- Around 70% of clients are international, from Dubai, Australia, the UK, India and Europe

- Partnerships with luxury hotels and hospitality brands

- New jobs and new concepts introduced to Sri Lanka's tourism and events sector

Along the way, DEVENT has helped grow a whole new category: Romance Tourism in Sri Lanka.

And the journey is going global. DEVENT has already launched in Italy, is developing operations in Germany and France, is exploring Asian markets, and is building a franchise model to create an international network of luxury proposal planners under one Sri Lankan-born brand.

Their bigger dream? To put Sri Lanka on the map not just for beaches and wildlife, but as one of the world's destinations for love.
Because a proposal may last only a few minutes, but the memory lasts a lifetime.

26/08/2026

Sri Lanka has launched this year’s petroleum exploration licensing round for the Mannar Basin, with the official launch taking place on August 25 at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation headquarters.

Organised by the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka, the event was held under the patronage of Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka and Labour Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha.

Under the latest licensing round, four exploration blocks covering approximately 34,000 square kilometres in the Mannar Basin will be offered to international energy companies for further exploration.

The Ministry said previous exploration activities in the basin had confirmed the presence of petroleum and natural gas, including discoveries of natural gas and liquid hydrocarbons.

Petroleum Development Authority Director General Neil de Silva said the basin’s largely unexplored areas present significant opportunities for international investors to undertake further exploration using modern geological surveying methods and advanced technologies.

He added that prospective companies would also have access to geological information on the Mannar Basin held by the Authority.

According to de Silva, existing geological data suggests that the Mannar Basin could hold around 2 billion barrels of petroleum and 9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with the potential for these resources to be commercially recovered through drilling.

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