The Hatch Works, entered a strategic partnership with Draper Startup House, a global network of spaces connected to resources for entrepreneurs.
As part of the partnership, billionaire investor Tim Draper arrived in Sri Lanka to engage with key stakeholders in Government and the local startup ecosystem. During his visit, he will drive discussions focused
on supporting founders and local startups as an integral catalyst of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and future development. Draper attended a panel discussion at Hatch Colombo, on Tuesday along with the famous cricketer, entrepreneur Mahela Jayawardene and venture investor Sonia Hirdaramani. Discussion was moderated by Nathan Sivagananathan.
The panel discussion was titled “From Troubled Nation to Startup Nation,” and was prefaced by an introductory note by Jeevan Gnanam, Chief Executive Officer of St Anthony’s Industries Group and the Founder of Orion City and Hatch. Hatch shares a vision with Draper Startup House for Sri Lanka and has come onboard to support Hatch’s “Sri Lanka: From Troubled Nation to Startup Nation” initiative which seeks to change the narrative that currently clouds the media. Both parties will focus on the country’s immense future potential and hope to leverage the partnership to attract and retain high-quality talent, while linking Sri Lankan startups to a global network of investors and enablers.
Gnanam said, “We believe that entrepreneurs are the catalysts of economic development. They are steadfast and have been instrumental in developing the nation.
Our partnership with the investor Tim Draper will be able to collaborate with a global network of mentors, investors and peers to drive innovation and accelerate growth across all aspects of building world-class businesses in Sri Lanka.”
“We will also create a platform for young entrepreneurs to succeed in business. We are also hoping that Tim’s visit and this partnership will be an indicator to the global business community that Sri Lanka holds great unrealised potential that will be unlocked in the medium to long term and deliver value locally, regionally and internationally,” he said.