Derana Startup 2021, Sri Lanka’s premier entrepreneurial reality TV program recently concluded with much grandeur and fanfare.
The incredibly successful venture was a partnership between Derana, Partners for Good (PFG) a Jordan non-profit organisation, YouLead, the youth skills development and entrepreneurship project of USAID, and the Ministry of Sports and Youth. Joining the project were also, strategic partners of the program: the Small Enterprise Development Unit, Sri Lanka Inventors Commission, Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), Hardtalk Private Limited, and Corporate Sponsor Dialog Enterprises.
The competition drew over 5,000 applicants, out of which, after careful shortlisting by industry professionals, experts, and academics, only the most impressive top 30 young entrepreneurs were chosen. These 30 participants went through a rigorous mentoring phase with industry experts who helped improve their product into a commercially viable innovation, giving them the much-needed business intelligence, knowledge, experience, and skills to take home the grand prize of 6 million rupees to be used as an investment to their start up.
After the conclusion of the mentoring phase, all 30 participants of Derana Startup 2021 had to be subjected to an SMS voting round, where three entrepreneurs were featured weekly, and only one outstanding competitor made it through to the next round. Out of the 10 contestants selected by the people, only six highly qualified entrepreneurs who stood out with their unique ideas qualified for the grand finale.
The final competition was judged by renowned personalities across multiple sectors.