Sri Lanka officially launched Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2025 under the inspiring theme ‘Together We Build,’ commencing a nationwide celebration of innovation, inclusion, and economic empowerment.

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is an annual worldwide movement celebrating innovators and entrepreneurs, promoting creativity, collaboration, and economic growth. This year, Sri Lanka continues the island’s engagement as part of the global network, with ICTA once again serving as the National Host Organization.

‘Together We Build’ champions the initiative to unite Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, empower communities, and drive sustainable growth through innovation. GEW 2025 unfolds countrywide, and Sri Lanka is poised to amplify its voice on the global stage, advocating creativity, resilience, and collaboration.

The launch was held at Temple Trees on November 14th, 2025, under the distinguished patronage of Hon. Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. The event renewed Sri Lanka’s commitment to cultivate entrepreneurship as a catalyst for national development.

Supporting the entrepreneurial spirit around the nation, parallel launch events were simultaneously held throughout all nine provinces, within the first two hours of the Colombo ceremony, including the Prime Minister’s keynote address, live streamed to all provincial venues, guaranteeing inclusive participation from every corner of Sri Lanka.

Commenting, Hon. Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister, Digital Economy said, “Global Entrepreneurship Week Sri Lanka 2025 is a celebration of innovation and collaboration. By empowering entrepreneurs in every province, we are building the foundation for a digitally driven, inclusive economy where every Sri Lankan has the opportunity to create, connect, and grow. For the first time, we are launching Global Entrepreneurship Week simultaneously across all nine provinces ensuring that innovation is not limited to Colombo but embraced at every corner of our island. True progress happens when opportunity reaches everyone.”

Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy and Chairman of ICTA, delivered the welcome address. Suresh de Mel, GEN Global Representative also spoke.

A special segment titled, ‘Empowering the Future: The Gig and Digital Economy’ showcased impactful private sector partnerships and financial empowerment initiatives for startups and SMEs. The panel discussion ‘The 2035 Playbook: How Sri Lanka Builds Its Next Era of Entrepreneurs’ focused on partnerships, innovation, and startup growth.

A thematic video screening captured the energy of GEW 2025 and previewed district-level activities, were followed by closing remarks, a media briefing, and networking.

The GEW Sri Lanka 2025 launch extended from ceremonial to an activated movement. It heralded a nationwide mobilization. This year, the initiative is targeting rolling out 900 events throughout the country in all 25 districts. The campaign aims to onboard 250 partners and engage over 30,000 participants islandwide, creating an unprecedented entrepreneurial engagement in Sri Lanka.

To achieve these ambitious targets, national partners joining the campaign include Vidatha, NEDA, SED, IDB, NYC, and NYSC. Notable, many other partners have already joined the movement demonstrating strong support.

The launch aims to strengthen Sri Lanka’s innovation and startup ecosystem, building a platform connecting entrepreneurs, investors, academia, and government. The initiative also ensures entrepreneurship opportunities reach grassroots level, with district-level committees working alongside ICTA to coordinate activities and engage local communities. The programme will engage students, startups, and business leaders through workshops, forums, and innovation showcases.

For more information on GEW Sri Lanka 2025 activities, visit https://gew.icta.lk/

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XpressJobs, Sri Lanka’s leading online recruitment platform, has been appointed as the Official Recruitment Partner for Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2025 for the second consecutive year.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today at the Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) between Mr. Charith Kandamulla, GEW Program Director representing ICTA, and Dr. Oshadie Korale, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of XpressJobs, along with Mr. Tyner Fernando representing XpressJobs.

Organized by ICTA in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Economy, GEW Sri Lanka 2025 celebrates the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship under the global theme “Together, We Build.” The initiative will feature 900+ events, 250+ partners, and over 30,000 participants across all 25 districts.

As the official recruitment partner, XpressJobs plays a vital role in helping emerging entrepreneurs and startups find the right talent to grow their businesses, strengthening the foundation of Sri Lanka’s startup ecosystem. The company also supports ICTA in mobilizing key resources for GEW activities, including volunteer recruitment, as part of its broader commitment to developing the country’s human capital.

“We’re honoured to continue partnering with GEW Sri Lanka to support the country’s growing community of entrepreneurs,” said Dr. Oshadie Korale, Co-Founder and COO of XpressJobs. “While GEW inspires people to start their ventures, we help those ventures hire the talent they need to thrive. Together, we’re building an ecosystem where innovation, opportunity, and growth go hand in hand.”

“GEW Sri Lanka has become a powerful platform that connects entrepreneurs, universities, corporates, and government agencies,” said Mr. Charith Kandamulla, Program Director of GEW Sri Lanka, representing ICTA. “XpressJobs’ continued partnership ensures that every great idea emerging through GEW has access to the people and skills needed to bring it to life.”

This collaboration between XpressJobs and ICTA underscores a shared vision, to empower entrepreneurship through opportunity, helping Sri Lanka build a future-ready, innovation-driven economy.

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Accelerating Sri Lanka’s digital future, Disrupt Asia 2025, South Asia’s premier startup conference and innovation festival, is to be held from 17th to 20th September. Going beyond a four-day event, it is a national movement focused on driving innovation, enabling global opportunities, and influencing long-term policy and tech-driven transformation.

Currently, Sri Lanka’s growing startup ecosystem, backed by government agencies, industry partners, and globally connected institutions, is gaining unprecedented momentum.

As a platform, Disrupt Asia 2025, conference aims to create a conducive ecosystem for investment, attract international investors, and facilitate the soft landing of investors, startups, and accelerators into the Sri Lankan market. Building these strategic connections globally, Disrupt Asia 2025 is positioning itself as a catalyst for transforming Sri Lanka into a regional innovation hub.

To date, Disrupt Asia 2025 has ramped up global engagement through a series of high-profile events and strategic visits. The global roadshow campaign has created significant momentum in key markets while elevating Sri Lanka’s dynamic tech ecosystem and laying the groundwork for the flagship summit later this year.

At India’s Startup Mahakumbh 2025 in New Delhi, ICTA officials showcased Sri Lanka’s vision to thousands of entrepreneurs and investors. Sri Lanka was present at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indiana with participation in the Startup Nations Ministerial and GEN Invest Forum. At Singapore’s Echelon 2025, the team partnered with nVentures to highlight a nation at the cusp of exponential digital growth..

The roadshows culminated with Asia Berlin’s Carl Rainer Hartlein undertaking a focused visit to Colombo, engaging with ICTA, Digital Economy Investment Committee, Hatch Works, Port City Colombo, Sri Lanka Association for Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM), and TRACE Expert City to explore cross-border innovation opportunities. This visit was facilitated by Asia Berlin Ambassador Manori Unambuwe.

“Sri Lanka stands out as a resilient and innovative nation, home to a dynamic startup ecosystem and world-class talent. With its vibrant innovation hubs and strong culture of excellence, the country plays a unique role as a politically neutral connector in Asia, fostering exchange, collaboration, and breakthrough ideas.”

The conference will also feature a high-level lineup of Government dignitaries including H.E. Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake – President of Sri Lanka, Hon. Eranga Weeraratne – Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, Dr. Hans Wijesuriya – Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy and Chairman, ICTA, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe – Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Global Industry figures such as Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarnna, Mr. Bhanuka Harischandra, Ms. Padmaja Ruparel , Mr. Rajan Anandan , Mr. Craig Dixon.

Disrupt Asia 2025 keynote address will be delivered by Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO, Paytm, India’s digital payments pioneer.

The conference will explore how Sri Lanka is shaping a business environment favorable to startups, and why global innovators should consider establishing their ventures in the country.

Globally recognized founders, startup ecosystem builders, and international investors actively seeking high-growth opportunities in South Asia’s dynamic startup ecosystem will attend the event.

This year’s conference aims to attract more venture capitalists by positioning Sri Lanka as a prime destination for investment. The main conference and the Innovation Festival will spotlight the country’s top tech startups, providing them a platform to showcase their innovations to both local and international investors. With more partners joining including government agencies, industry associations, ecosystem builders and global networks, Sri Lanka is on track to revolutionize the country’s startup ecosystem positioning Disrupt Asia 2025 as a movement to unlock global opportunities and accelerate innovation at home.

Startup showcase applications are now open, providing emerging companies the opportunity to present their innovations to a global audience of investors, industry leaders, and potential partners. Both startup showcase applications and main conference tickets are available at www.disruptasia.today, offering access to networking, learning, and collaboration that will shape Sri Lanka’s digital future. For inquiries, contact info@disruptasia.today.

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