Dilmah-GLX Lost Ingredients Lab Accelerator program

• Igniting innovation and tech in the local agri and food sector

Lost Ingredients Lab (LIL) is a Dilmah Tea and Good Life X collaborative program, initiated under the ‘Support to Small and Medium Enterprises in the Organic Agriculture Sector’ program of the Multi-Donor Action (MDA) jointly co-financed by the EU and BMZ, implemented by GIZ Sri Lanka. 

The program aims at creating investment opportunities in the domestic agri-food sector, emphasising the growing importance of digitalising the domestic organic food sector and supporting regenerative agri and food producers in Sri Lanka to access new markets, particularly in the EU. The second phase of the Lost Ingredients Lab program: the Accelerator Program is designed to introduce and model innovation and tech in the local food and agri sector.

The Accelerator runs parallel to the ‘Garage’ program and will support the manufacturing companies of the ‘Garage’ to innovate and optimise their potential. The chosen companies of the Accelerator possess the technology that can enable the Garage SMEs to scale sustainably and innovatively. The three tech companies, Saviru Technologies Ltd., Polar SenzMate Ltd., and Niftron Ltd., made it through the application process and are currently going through expert engagement and capacity-building activities of the program.

Niftron is a Blockchain as a Service platform allowing easy and efficient integration of blockchain with products or projects for improved credibility of transparency, security, and ownership. Niftron can help agriculture manufactures build brand trust and connect with consumers with their products. 

SenzMate Polar is an end-to-end traceability platform from farm to fork, ensuring the preservation of products in their original state. This system can be used along the cold supply chain, including the collection centre, warehouse, distribution centre, cold room, reefer vehicles, containers, and cargo.

Saviru Technologies and Services manufactures a large range of dryers and dehydrators with capacities from 5 kg to 5 tons. Their Dehydration Technology Services Centre also provides training on dehydration and the value-addition of spices, fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

The Garage and Accelerator programs will guide participants to fast-track their growth and position themselves strongly in the global market. Opportunities include end to end business strategy development and implementation, international B2B and B2C exposure, capacity building, and business matchmaking.

As evidenced by the nature and scale of applications, the presence of tech companies servicing the agri and food sector is minimal in Sri Lanka and are largely disconnected from the needs of the industry – a gap the Lost Ingredients Lab program aims to bridge.