The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce forms ‘CCC Council for Startups’

Standing from left: Spa Ceylon Co-founder Shalin Balasuriya, BoV Capital Managing Partner and Chairman of the Council Prajeeth Balasubramaniam, , Good Market Co-Founder and Managing Director Achala Samaradivakara, Hatch CEO and Goodlife Accelerator Director Randhula de Silva, nCinga CEO Imal Kalutotage, and Lanka Impact-Investment Network Founder and Chairman Chandula Abeywickrama

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently established the CCC Council for Startups under the guidance of its National Agenda Committee on Entrepreneurship Ecosystem. The inaugural meeting was held on 28 September. 

Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in stimulating sustainable economic growth and fostering prosperity of nations. Entrepreneurship contributes to the creation of wealth, generation of new jobs, improvement of standards of living, promotion of innovations and many more areas of societal development. It is the responsibility of the private sector to contribute towards the creation of such an ecosystem.

The newly established Council for Startups strongly believes that entrepreneurs can accelerate the process of economic development through the efficient utilisation of unutilised natural resources, human resources and capital. The creation of a sound startup ecosystem that addresses current impediments and challenges is the need of today. It is with this intention that the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has envisaged the formation of the CCC Council for Startups.

The eight-member committee of the Council encompasses entrepreneurs, accelerators/incubators, financiers, investors and other eco system players. BoV Capital Managing Partner Prajeeth Balasubramaniam, representing investors, was appointed as the Chairman of the Council. SLINTEC CEO Heminda Jayaweera, nCinga CEO Imal Kalutotage, Good Market Co-Founder and Managing Director Achala Samaradivakara, and Spa Ceylon Co-founder Shalin Balasuriya represent entrepreneurs; Hatch CEO and Goodlife Accelerator Director Randhula de Silva represents accelerators/incubators; and Lanka Impact-Investment Network Founder and Chairman Chandula Abeywickrama represents other ecosystem players in the inaugural committee of the Council. A nominee of the Sri Lanka Banks Association will represent the financers. 

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Centre for SMEs and Chamber’s Economic Intelligence Unit will be closely supporting the council through input and services to the members of the council. Services such as business advisory facilities and professional business development services to improve performance, facilitating market and business linkages, assistance to resolve regulatory barriers faced by startups and SMEs together with Policy Advocacy, Economic and Sector Reports, and Macroeconomic Presentations, are such services respectively.