Techstars Startup Weekend Zahira Colombo Online debuts

Teams working at Startup Weekend

Startups are all about innovation, disrupting the existing system, creativity and solving problems. In a world turned upside down with the ongoing pandemic, the need for innovation is more than ever before to help the Sri Lankan economy recover. 

Techstars Startup Weekend is the perfect catalyst for innovative thinkers and people that want to learn about entrepreneurship to gather together and create effective solutions. With this in mind, the Old Boys Association of Zahira College is organising a Startup Weekend. This is a free online event from 10-12 September that is open to all members of the public. 

Techstars Startup Weekend Zahira Colombo Online is a three-day program where aspiring entrepreneurs can experience what it’s like to create a startup in 54 hours. The platinum sponsor of the event is Bristol Institute. 

During the event, participants will have the chance of meeting some of the very best mentors for early-stage entrepreneurs, investors, and startup co-founders. Over the years, several Startup Weekends have taken place across various locations in Sri Lanka, such as Jaffna, Colombo, Trincomalee, Kandy, Galle, and more, with Zahira College being the latest organiser of such an event.

Fathhi Mohammed, a principal organizer of Startup Weekend Zahira, stated: “Business landscape is changing in a rapid space due to digitalisation. Despite these changes, especially local businesses and entrepreneurs lack an understanding of the process of digitalisation.” 

With the upcoming Startup Weekend, the Old Boys Association of Zahira College hopes to find solutions to bridge this gap and inspire young entrepreneurs to pursue their startup ventures. By providing them with the exposure that comes with such a program, the hope is that these individuals and groups might support the nation’s economic growth. To understand what happens at a Startup Weekend, it all begins on a Friday evening where participants meet fellow innovators, pitch ideas, and form teams. On Saturday, with the support of mentors and facilitators, they work towards building a prototype product. Finally, on Sunday, they pitch their prototype products to a panel of judges and a winner is decided.  Through the hard work of the organising committee, the event has been modified to accommodate a virtual format in light of the pandemic, while still offering the invaluable learning’s of the entrepreneurial experience. Over the course of 54 hours, participants of Startup Weekend Zahira will have the opportunity to not only connect with likeminded individuals through the team-building process but also learn from some of Sri Lanka’s innovative thinkers who disrupted their respective industries, such as the main guest speaker for the event Bhatiya Jayakody, who will be imparting his wisdom with the aspiring entrepreneurs.

“We are thankful to the OBA of Zahira College and Bristol Institute for their generous support that will enable future entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to receive this excellent experiential learning opportunity from Techstars Startup Weekend,” added Techstars Startup Weekend Community Leader and a principal organiser of Startup Weekend events in Colombo Ayami Wanasinghe.

Startup Weekend is for innovative thinkers to come together, create new ideas, and use what they learnt to build world-class businesses. Some examples include Zapier (US), Carousell (Singapore) and Agenda Edu (Brazil). 

Startup Weekend Zahira will be held with similar ambitions, to find the young minds or experienced professionals who can drive the economy forward with their disruptive thinking. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in the programme. All those interested can register through the web link https://tinyurl.com/uxm5esaz.

  Participants at Startup Weekend