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2016 wasn’t exactly a great year. It was the year we lost many beloved celebrities and Donald Trump becoming President of the United States. It was a year so bad that it became a meme. Yup, 2016 wasn’t exactly great.
Yet despite all the sad moments we witnessed, the march toward progress continued. In 2016 we saw the rise of virtual reality, a rocket land on a barge in the sea, and live streaming became mainstream. Globally, the tech industry achieved many great things in 2016. But even locally, the Sri Lankan tech industry had its fair share of big moments in 2016.
As 2017 dawns on us and we hope it’ll be a better year. So, in celebration of this New Year, we decided to take a look back. A look back at some of the biggest moments we witnessed in the Sri Lankan world of tech.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”throwback-container”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”January” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”70039″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]NETFLIX WENT GLOBAL AND CAME TO SRI LANKA
At CES 2016, Reed Hastings – Cofounder and CEO of Netflix took the stage. He announced that Netflix would open it doors to the world. Thus, we saw Netflix expand its service by launching in 130 new countries. Sri Lanka was among those countries.
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KAAWO BECAME A FINALIST AT THE GLOBAL MOBILE INNOVATORS TOURNAMENT
Kaawo by Mogo Solutions from Sri Lanka just became one of the finalists of The Global Mobile Innovators Tournament. This was a competition organized by IBM in partnership with 4YFN and four global telecommunications companies.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”70040″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”February” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”64884″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]THE OPENING OF THE SEA-ME-WE 5 UNDERSEA INTERNET CABLE
SLT together with 15 international telecommunication operators formed a partnership to build the SEA-ME-WE 5 internet cable. In February the landing station for this new cable was opened. Thus, Sri Lanka got a new pathway to the internet.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE SAW THE FIRST SRI LANKAN APP TO REACH 1 MILLION DOWNLOADS ON THE PLAY STORE
MobiTV became the first ever Sri Lankan app to reach 1 Million downloads via Google’s Play Store. Built by the team at Bhasha, the app allows you to view all Sri Lankan local TV channels on your android device. Of course, hitting one million downloads was by no means an easy task.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”64938″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65102″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]10 STARTUPS REPRESENTED SRI LANKA AT 4YFN
ICTA’s Spiralation programme took 10 Sri Lankan startups and put them in the spotlight at 4YFN 2016. 4YFN is is one of the biggest aspects of the Mobile World Congress. It’s a business and networking platform for the global startup community.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]SRI LANKA LEFT ITS MARK AT THE MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS 2016
Sri Lanka won big at the Mobile World Congress this year. Kaawo beat 1200 startups to make it to the finals of the Global Mobile Innovators Tournament. Dialog also won an award at the Global Mobile Awards for its Selfcare app.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65158″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65125″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]GLOBAL STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS COME TO SRI LANKA
The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards is an international program that aims to support student entrepreneurs. In 2016, the program came to Sri Lanka for the first time. This initial program kicked off with 18 applicants.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]CROWDISLAND WAS BORN
We saw the launch of Sri Lanka’s first crowdfunding platform. This platform was Crowdisland. But this wasn’t your typical crowdfunding platform. Crowdisland is Sri Lanka’s first equity crowdfunding platform. Its aim is simple: to connect startups with investors.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65209″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65234″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]THE LAUNCH OF PAYABLE
We saw the launch of PAYable. A product of CBA Solutions that wants to help small and medium sized businesses support credit and debit cards. While there were similar solutions before, PAYable had a noticeable difference. It was not tied exclusively to any particular bank.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”March” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65318″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]GCDL SEASON 10 KICKS OFF ESPORTS FOR 2016
The Gamer.LK Clans DOTA 2 League is the biggest online DOTA 2 league of Sri Lanka. In 2016, it returned for its 10th season and kick-started the local eSports calendar. GCDL Season 10 brought many new faces, new rosters, and new plays to the local scene while it undoubtedly brought us a lot of thrilling entertainment.
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SAMSUNG LAUNCHES THE GALAXY S7 AND S7 EDGE IN SRI LANKA
Hot on the heels of another Mobile World Congress Samsung yet again launched their flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in Sri Lanka at a gala event held at the Galle Face Hotel. We also saw a demo of the Gear VR and the Gear S2 smartwatch.
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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65473″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65598″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]GOOGLE MAPS STREET VIEW LAUNCHED IN SRI LANKA
It was in late 2014 when we first heard that Google would be bringing Street View to Sri Lanka. Two years later, we saw it launch in Sri Lanka and find that 90% of Sri Lanka had been mapped.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]HARIN FERNANDO ANNOUNCES THAT STRIPE IS COMING TO SRI LANKA
Hon. Minister Harin Fernando announced the conclusion of fruitful discussions to facilitate the entry of Stripe to the Sri Lankan market. Initially it was said that Stripe would be operational within 2-3 weeks. However, we’ve yet to see Stripe in Sri Lanka.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65668″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”April” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65729″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WSO2 PREDICTED THAT DONALD TRUMP WOULD WIN THE US ELECTIONS
Back when the US Presidential Election was happening, the folks over at WSO2 built an AI to monitor and predicted the results of the US election: As an April Fool’s Joke, they said that Trump would win. How very right they were.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE LEARNED ABOUT RAMA AND ITS ROLE IN SRI LANKA’S DIGITAL STORY
We met Chamath Palihapitiya who introduced Rama to us. He also shared what it’s role would be in Sri Lanka’s digital story. The goal of Rama is simple: to bring quality internet access to the underserved people of the world.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65848″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”65987″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]THE CHANGES IN VAT ALSO AFFECTED OUR INTERNET BILL
In March we saw the VAT increase 11%-15%. It also affected new areas like telecommunications. This meant that your internet and phone calls became more expensive. This was initially passed improperly. However, it returned only a few months later when the 2017 budget was passed.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”May” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66000″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE SAW THE WINNERS OF MICROSOFT IMAGINE CUP SRI LANKA 2016
One of the biggest events in the Microsoft calendar for a student. Imagine Cup sees countless students from all four corners of the globe participate as teams. they compete to use technology and creativity to solve global problems. Of course, we saw a few talented teams from Sri Lanka.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE COULD GET ANYTHING WITH NICNAC
NicNac, an app used to run errands was launched for iOS users, and operated in the whole of Colombo area.Think of it as a customer happiness platform where you are able to receive a lot more than what you’re offered with traditional delivery services.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66021″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66098″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]A SRI LANKAN INVENTED A SOCK THAT COULD SAVE FEET FROM DIABETES
Pasindu Lugoda, a Ph.D. student in the University of Nottingham Trent, is the leading scientist in a groundbreaking new technology. This technology is a sock that can put a stop to foot amputations in diabetic patients.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]A SRI LANKAN WAS AMONG THE FINALISTS AT THE GSEA GLOBAL FINALS
Buddhika Jayawardhana from the University of Moratuwa and the founder of Siplo was selected to represent Sri Lanka at the GSEA Global Finals. From there, he went on to become one of the top five GSEA global finalists.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66218″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66258″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]SRI LANKA WON BIG AT INTEL ISEF 2016
Sri Lanka won five awards at the Intel International Science Engineering Fair 2016. This is the world’s largest high school science & research competition. Approximately US$ 4 million was awarded. Some of that went to three talented students from Sri Lanka.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE LIVE BLOGGED GOOGLE I/O EXTENDED LK 2016
Readme-live on May 18, 2016
Google I/O is the event for everything related to Google. But what if you can’t make it to San Francisco? Well that’s why you have the Google I/O Extended programme. This year Google I/O Extended LK was held at SLECC, where we camped for a night and live blogged everything that we saw.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66271″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66294″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]THE FLOODS HAPPENED AND EVERYONE PITCHED IN TO HELP, EVEN THE TECH INDUSTRY
In May, Sri Lanka suffered a series of severe floods from heavy rainfalls. Many affected by the floods had become displaced. Seeing this tragedy unfold, everyone decided to their part and help out. Of course, that included the tech industry as well.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]PAYHERE WAS LAUNCHED IN SRI LANKA
It would be an understatement to say that many of the local payment gateways we have are challenging to use. To help solve this problem, Dhanika Perera – the founder of Bhasha launched a new venture. That venture was PayHere. A startup hoping to solve the problems with online payments in Sri Lanka.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66385″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66440″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE SAW THE NEXT GENERATION OF SRI LANKAN INNOVATORS
To produce a generation of innovators and inventors, Hasith Yaggahavita wanted to create a space where kids are encouraged to be creative with technology. Initially, he was building it for his kids. But then he opened it up to other kids. Thus, KidsIgnite was born.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”June” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66560″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE SAW SOME PRETTY COOL IDEAS AT ANGELHACK COLOMBO 2016
In 2016 the world’s biggest hackathon, AngelHack came to Sri Lanka. saw 15 teams take part and hacking over the weekend to bring their solutions to life. The winners at this local hackathon would go on to Silicon Valley and make Sri Lanka famous.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]THE KANDY IT/BPM WEEK HAPPENED
The Kandy IT/BPM week held host to some of the most influential personalities in the industry. It kicked off with the Future Careers Program. This was followed by the Kandy BPM Conference and an Entrepreneurship Workshop. It concluded with the Kandy IT Conference.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66691″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66764″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]DIALOG CONDUCTED SOUTHEAST ASIA’S FIRST 4.5G TEST
Sri Lanka joined 20 other nations that have 4.5G Internet.This was confirmed by a successful test by Dialog. What does this mean for us? It means we get faster internet. 1 Gbps download speeds on LTE is how much faster your internet can be.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]STARTUP WEEKEND JAFFNA HAPPENED
Startup Weekend is a global phenomenon. In June 2016, Sri Lanka held its first Startup Weekend. This was Startup Weekend Jaffna. Over the course of a single weekend, we saw a group of individuals become friends and go on to transform simple ideas into startups.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”66989″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”July” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67027″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE SAW SOME AWESOME IDEAS AT THE YARL GEEK CHALLENGE JUNIOR SEASON 5
The Yarl Geek Challenge Junior is aimed at school students who are interested in using IT to solve daily problems. It’s at competitions such as this that we are reminded of the potential and creativity of today’s youth to create innovative solutions to old problems.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]THE FIRST SEEDSTARS COLOMBO WAS HELD
Seedstars’ objective until August 2016 was to pick out regional talent in Asia. This included Sri Lanka as well. So for the first time, we saw Seedstars Colombo. Here we saw a a few startups making passionate pitches. All of them hoping to win the chance at pitching for $1 million and network with investors and mentors from around the world.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67062″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67131″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]FLIPBEATS BY HSENID WON BIG AT THE WORLD SUMMIT AWARDS 2016
Flipbeats,won the Award for World’s Best Digital Content in the Entertainment & Lifestyle category at the World Summit Awards 2015. FlipBeats was yet again selected as the winner for the same award in 2016.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE GOT TO CATCH ‘EM ALL WHILE PLAYING POKEMON GO
It all started with a notification, saying that Pokemon GO, was officially launched. Soon we were going on daily adventures to become Pokemon masters. To be the very best like no one ever was. For a childhood dream of ours had became a reality.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67096″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67277″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]SRI LANKA’S FIRST TECH REALITY TV SHOW WAS LAUNCHED
Sirasa TV in partnership with Mobitel, launched Sri Lanka’s first ever technology based reality TV show: Kotiyak Vatina Adahasak. The program saw inventors from around the country in any age category participate in a reality television show.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE WERE IN KANDY FOR ACES CODERS V6.0
After a tiring train and tuk journey we arrived at the University of Peradeniya. This was the home of ACES Coders, which is one of the biggest coding competitions in the country. As with prior years, ACES Coders 6.0 was an intense competition that lasted the whole weekend.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67326″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67401″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]SRI LANKA SHONE BRIGHT AT THE IMAGINE CUP FINALS
Team BitMasters, was at Microsoft’s Redmond campus representing Sri Lanka at the Microsoft Imagine Cup Global Finals. Team BitMasters left the Redmond campus having won 2nd place under the Innovation category at the Imagine Cup 2016 Finals.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”August” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67498″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE SAW SOME PRETTY COOL THINGS AT DISRUPT ASIA 2016
Disrupt Asia was a massive celebration of the entrepreneurship and the Sri Lankan startup ecosystem. The conference lasted only one day, but it featured so many amazing sessions. In fact, we couldn’t write all of it in a single article.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE SAW THE FIRST MERCANTILE ESPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP
A dream of all working professionals in the IT sector finally came true. The first ever Mercantile eSports Championship in Sri Lanka was held. Many top companies in Sri Lanka took part. Some of them had teams so well prepared that they were wearing jerseys printed just for the event.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67650″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67696″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE PLAYED WITH PUPPIES ALL DAY LONG THANKS TO UBERPUPPIES
To mark International Homeless Animals Day, Uber and Embark introduced UberPUPPIES. This saw Uber drivers delivering puppies to your doorstep and giving you a chance to play with them as well. We also learned how to go about adopting puppies. Hopefully, we’ll see more more puppies being shared this year.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]HUTCH JOINED FORCES WITH DIALOG WITH IDEAMART
Hutch signed a partnership with Ideamart where the partnership would give 5,000 Ideamart application developers access to Hutch’s Network Infrastructure. In doing so, Ideamart developers expanded their applications and services to Hutch’s subscriber base.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67714″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67744″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE WITNESSED THE BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE AT TEDXCOLOMBO 2016
Sundays are usually the day that one would sit back, sip a cup of coffee and relax. But this Sunday was different. This was a change. One could even say that it was a blueprint for a change. For it was the day that we finally saw TEDxColombo 2016 come to life. Once again we saw a series of amazing speakers share amazing ideas.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE SNUCK INTO DIALOG’S BBG CABLE LANDING STATION
It was perhaps a day like all others. We were told that we would be visiting one of Dialog’s data centers. Little did we know, it was a lot more than just a visit to a data center. It was a visit to the landing station of Dialog’s BBG undersea cable.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67830″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67855″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]THE PRESIDENT’S WEBSITE WAS HACKED
Once again, we saw a government website hacked and defaced in 2016. This time it was the President Maithripala Sirisena’s official website. The hackers attacked the website for two consecutive days. Eventually the hackers were found with one of them being a teenager.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”September” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67922″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]UBER ADDED CASH AS A PAYMENT METHOD
In an unexpected move, Uber introduced UberCash. In doing so, today you are able to pay for your Uber ride with cash or your credit/debit card. This also meant that you can now sign up for Uber without sharing your credit/debit card details.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]MOBITEL ACQUIRED ECHANNELING FOR LKR 733 MILLION
eChannelling facilitates over 700,000 appointments per year. In 2016 we saw Mobitel make a bid worth Rs. 733 Million to acquire eChannelling. In doing so, Mobitel bought a 87.6% stake of the company.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”67972″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”68159″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA WANTED TO REGULATE E-COMMERCE
Minister of Finance, Ravi Karunanayake revealed that the government is planning to regulate businesses operating in the e-commerce sector. We spoke with a few leaders in the local e-commerce industry and got their thoughts.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]THE WORLD CELEBRATED INSTAMEET 14; SO DID WE
A group of complete strangers descended upon the Kollupitiya market. They arrived at the market for #WWIM14SriLanka. However, this small meetup evolved into a journey. One documented with stunning pictures by our local Instagram community.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”68329″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”68461″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE ATTENDED THE FIRST INTER-SCHOOL ESPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP IN SRI LANKA
The first ever Inter-School eSports Championship opened the doors for students to compete in one grand arena. Students from over 50 schools took part in various titles. All of them, aiming to take the trophy back home.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”October” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”68570″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]KATHA TRANSFORMED INTO SHORTKAST
At the start of the year, we met the entrepreneurs that had build Katha. Essentially, it was Twitter or Snapchat but for voice. Only 10 months later, we saw Katha transform into ShortKast. This is a new product, which takes lessons from Katha. ShortKast is set to launch in early 2017.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]STARTUP WEEKEND COLOMBO HAPPENED
It all started as a simple idea in Boulder, Colorado. Since then Startup Weekend has exploded into a global phenomenon. In October we saw the second Startup Weekend to take place in Sri Lanka. And it was only four months after we saw the first such event.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”68617″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”November” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”68891″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]HYPEHASH MADE SRI LANKA FAMOUS
AngelHack was a global competition. It had many hackathons under its umbrella across the world. We had one in Sri Lanka, where we saw HypeHash win. After extensive training, there were flown out to San Francisco for the AngelHack Global Demo Day. There they made Sri Lanka famous.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]SLIIT CODEFEST 2016 HAPPENED
SLIIT Codefest 2016 was one of the biggest events on the calendars of many students. This event was one open for all tertiary and school students. We saw a hackathon, network security challenges, Internet of Things and a grand quiz during our time at the competition.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”68940″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”68960″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WSO2 LAUNCHED A STARTUP INCUBATOR
2016 was the year we saw WSO2 launch its own startup incubator program. The program which was called Hatchery, would see WSO2’s solution architects work as CTO’s at startups. The goal of these new CTO’s is to help solve any technical problems the startups have.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE SAW INFOTEL 2016
It’s known as the premier ICT exposition in South East Asia. For three whole days, the tech industry took over BMICH. This was Infotel 2016. As with previous years, we saw a salad of stalls across Infotel showcasing everything the IT industry has to offer.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”69029″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”69058″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE SAW STUDENTS IN GRADE 8 BUILD THEIR OWN ROBOT
Imagine a world where schools encouraged students to use the internet as a learning tool. In such a world it might be common to see things like Project Dextra. This was a robotic car built by a few students with no help other than the internet and their creativity.
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A three day hackathon in Jaffna. Two weeks later, a grand finale in Colombo. This was the Yarl Geek Challenge Season 5. One of the most famous hackathons in Sri Lanka. In 2016, we saw its 5th Season take place. Once again, we saw a salad of great ideas at this hackathon up north.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”69286″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_custom_heading text=”December” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”69587″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]KANCHAYUDHA TOOK THE SRI LANKAN GAMING INDUSTRY TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Locally built and inspired by Sri Lankan history. 2016 was the year we saw the Sri Lankan gaming industry level up with the release of Kanchayudha. This locally built video game has raised the bar for all future Sri Lankan game developers.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE WITNESSED SOME EPIC BATTLES AT SLCG 2016
For the 9th consecutive year, we saw the biggest celebration of gaming in Sri Lanka. Over the course of three days, gamers from across the island fought valiantly on the digital battlefields for glory and honor. This was SLCG 2016.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”69613″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”69648″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]AFTER MONTHS OF WAITING, POKEMON GO WAS LAUNCHED IN SRI LANKA
After almost five months without access to the game due to a geoblock, Pokémon GO officially launched in Sri Lanka on the 14th of December. Our journey in the world of Pokémon has resumed. But this world has changed since we last visited it.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE TOOK PART IN COLOMBO COMIC-CON
Colombo Comic-Con was one of the biggest celebration of geek culture in 2016. It celebrated everything from comics to anime to movies to cosplay. Over the course of three days, geeks from all walks of life descended upon BMICH. Many of them cosplaying as their favorite characters.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”69829″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”69881″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]THE FIRST TECH EVENT IN KILINOCHCHI HAPPENED: STARTUP WEEKEND VANNI
Over the course of a single weekend, they brainstormed, hacked and transformed ideas into startups. This was Startup Weekend Vanni – the first ever tech event to take place in Kilinochchi.
Read More >>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator style=”shadow” border_width=”2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”throwback” width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]WE MET UP WITH AN AMAZING COMMUNITY AT #TWEETUPSL6
Once upon a time, it was a small niche event. Today #TweetupSL has grown into one of the most anticipated social events on the calendar in Sri Lanka. After a break, this year we finally saw: #TweetupSL 6.
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