First Capital Startup Nation is back, and the stakes have never been higher. As we extend our reach across the region, we are looking for Sri Lanka’s most visionary founders ready to set the benchmark for innovation across the South Asian frontier.
Do you have the grit to outshine 1,000+ competitors? The vision to break into the Top 10 and secure USD 1,000,000 in funding?
In 2026, we’re taking that legacy to the regional stage.
🚀 Compete. Pitch. Scale.
Deadline: 15th May 2026
Apply through the link in our bio.
There’s something powerful about buildings in Fort.
On Chatham Street, inside the 1920s De Mel building, we didn’t want to erase history. We wanted to converse with it.
Taking cues from the building’s classical bones, its proportions, rhythm, and quiet grandeur, we designed a space that respects its past while confidently stepping into the present.
The front and rear façades are flooded with natural light. Instead of fighting that abundance, we amplified it, letting daylight wash across textures, soften edges, and create openness where hospitality and workspace meet.
But the real design challenge and joy, was in the darker interior pockets.
Rather than forcing brightness where it didn’t belong, we leaned into shadow. Rich tones. Deep materials. Moody corners. Spaces that feel intimate, grounded, almost cinematic. Light becomes intentional here, sculptural fixtures, playful features, unexpected glows. Lighting that doesn’t just illuminate, but performs.
This is not just a coworking space. Not just a members’ club. Not just hospitality.
It is all of it, layered into one eclectic, contemporary experience, anchored in a 100-year-old building that still has stories to tell.
It’s fair to say that for Radha and I this project felt deeply personal.
Fort demands respect.
And if you listen closely enough, it will tell you exactly how it wants to evolve.
📸 Photo credit @fwalkerarnottphotography@creativaconsultancy1
#hatchchatham
When a global entrepreneurship legend compliments your journey, you know you’re on the right track.
It has been an absolute honor hosting Jeff Hoffman in Sri Lanka. Beyond the closed-door sessions, we spent time sharing the story of Hatch, our evolution, and the path we’ve paved through our Innovation District.
Hearing his praise for what we’ve achieved right here in the heart of Colombo was a massive moment of pride. Jeff’s belief in our trajectory reinforces that Sri Lankan talent and innovation have absolutely no boundaries.
This memorable experience was made possible with the support of Staynex and Veracity Group.
Thank you for the inspiration and for coming to Sri Lanka, Jeff!
BuildrLabs has found its home and it could not be more fitting.
Hatch Works, Sri Lanka's first and largest startup incubator and accelerator, the globally award-winning coworking space that has supported hundreds of startups and counting, is where BuildrLabs Cohort One is being built.
Two organisations that believe the same thing: that the right environment, the right community, and the right energy are not nice-to-haves. They are the foundation that everything great gets built on.
When you walk into BuildrLabs, you are walking into the same space where Sri Lanka's most ambitious entrepreneurs, engineers, and founders come to build. That energy is not incidental. It is by design.
Cohort One is open. Come build with us at Hatch.
Visit us at: https://buildrlabs.ai/ | +94 76 925 6780
#BuildrLabs #HatchWorks #Collab #AIBootcamp #CohortOne #SriLankaTech #StartupEcosystem #LearnByBuilding #TechCareer #Colombo #HatchLK #AIEngineer
Scaling Beyond Borders 2026 : We asked what it really takes to scale beyond Sri Lanka — and the room delivered. 🌏🔥
100+ founders, operators, investors and ecosystem leaders came through to @hatch.works for an evening of real talk, good energy and even better connections.
From the panel to the networking the vibes were immaculate. ✨
Big love to our co-hosts 8 circle powered by @singaporeglobalnetwork and our event partner @hatch.works for making this happen 🙌
And to everyone who showed up you made the room. See you at the next one 👀
#ScalingBeyondBorders #TSAMediaGroup #8Circle #SingaporeGlobalNetwork #startupsrilanka
We just wrapped an exclusive, closed-door roundtable at Hatch focused on shaping Sri Lanka’s Preventive Health Ecosystem. It was a powerhouse of insights as we were joined by global legend Jeff Hoffman (Co-founder, Booking.com) and Zulfer Jiffry (Founder, PickMe).
The conversation brought together key industry stakeholders to explore how a dedicated Preventive HealthTech Accelerator can bridge the gap between startups and the healthcare industry. By focusing on validation, scale, and strategic partnerships, we are setting the stage for a new era of wellness-tech in the region.
Today, Hatch led a tour for Jeff Hoffman, bridging the gap between Colombo's historic landscape and its future as a regional tech hub. Exploring the cultural value across Colombo and Fort allowed us to share the story of Sri Lanka’s resilience and talent with the Co-founder of Priceline.
We are proud to host Jeff as we continue to put the Sri Lankan Innovation District on the world map.
This initiative is brought to life with the support of Staynex and Veracity Group. More to follow, stay tuned.
He couldn't import the instrument he wanted in Sri Lanka.
50% import tax. No way to hear it. No way to touch it before buying.
So Arunoda Susiripala taught himself electronics from the internet and built one from scratch.
Then open sourced everything so no one else has to start from zero.
"It's not like a expensive hobby anymore. That's what I want."
Comment SYNTH and I'll send you the full episode link 🎛️
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#SriLankaCreatives #OpenSource #ModularSynth #BreadModular #TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast #SriLankaPodcast #BuildInSriLanka #SelfTaught #HatchLK #OdysseyHouseMedia
Burned out working from home. Then I met inspiring young entrepreneurs in Hatch 2020. Seeing a 18-year-old run an agency ignited my own drive. If they can do it, so can I. Started my own venture. #EntrepreneurMindset #Hatch2020 #AgencyLife #DigitalMarketing #AI #Motivation #Inspiration #StartupJourney #BusinessOwner #ReelsInspiration
The overlap between what Hatch Works stands for and what BuildrLabs is building is not a coincidence.
Hatch has spent years building a community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and builders who believe that the best things happen when ambitious people are in the same room. BuildrLabs was designed around that exact same belief applied to AI engineering education.
When you join BuildrLabs at Hatch, you are not just joining a bootcamp. You are joining two communities that are both oriented toward one thing: building something real and taking it further than anyone expected.
Cohort One. Where two of Sri Lanka's most ambitious organisations come together to build engineers.
Visit us at: https://buildrlabs.ai/ | +94 76 925 6780
#BuildrLabs #HatchWorks #Collab #AIBootcamp #CohortOne #SriLankaTech #Community #LearnByBuilding #TechCareer #Innovation #HatchLK #Builders
Bringing global giants to the heart of Sri Lanka’s Innovation District. 🇱🇰🚀
We at Hatch are proud to bring Jeff Hoffman, Co-founder of Priceline (Booking.com), to Colombo this May 14–15. This landmark, invite-only programme is a testament to Hatch’s commitment to bridging the gap between global expertise and local potential.
In partnership with Staynex, enabled by Veracity group, we are gathering a curated group of investors and industry leaders to redefine the future of travel and Sri Lanka’s strategic role in it.
The future of innovation starts tomorrow at the District. 💡
Last week, Hatch hosted an exclusive investor briefing in San Francisco, a focused conversation on rising opportunities in emerging South Asia.
The evening featured a panel discussion with Jeevan Gnanam, Cheryl Edison, and Jessica Chin discussing the Rising Opportunities in Emerging South Asia.
The conversation covered the investment thesis behind Sri Lanka's Innovation District, how ecosystem design translates into deal flow and returns, and the early signals from frontier markets that global capital is beginning to notice.
A new Innovation District. And the deal flow is just getting started.
