Friday Dec 13, 2024
Friday Dec 13, 2024
Thursday, 1 August 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
PickMe, Sri Lanka’s homegrown technology driven mobility solutions network, has recently acquired Yamu, the ‘go to’ website/app for informative details on wining and dining among other things across Sri Lanka.
The acquisition marks a new chapter not only for PickMe and YAMU but also the food culture within the country.
Commenting on the acquisition YAMU Founder Indrajit (Indi) Samarajiva said: “YAMU has been close to PickMe since they started and I can’t think of a better place for us to end up. PickMe is, in my opinion, the only true startup in Sri Lanka – one that has achieved explosive growth and continues to expand. Especially with their relatively new food delivery product, PickMe Food, we think PickMe and YAMU prove to be a great fit for each other.”
The acquisition will enable YAMU to gain access to more data and work as a medium to connect diners with restaurants both virtually and physically through PickMe’s ride hailing and delivery services.
This makes YAMU’s content platform more powerful and influential. Furthermore, one example of the countless benefits that patrons of both platforms will enjoy as a result of the integration of YAMU and PickMe, would be that should PickMe Food have a new restaurant onboard, customers would be able to read a bit more about the said restaurant on the YAMU platform, thus helping them make their decision well thought out.
As a potent content platform from inception, YAMU continues to grow its content platform, currently reaching over 325,000 users per month, reading over 615,000 pages.
“In the recent weeks our traffic has been growing increasingly, which we attribute to the need to look for newer and more exciting cuisines. Even in the face of adversity, it is important that Sri Lankans continue to go out, eat and drink together. As we say, YAMU, KAMU, BOMU. This is vital to get our economy going again, and to continue the great culture we have, which also attracts tourists. YAMU is proud to tell that story and PickMe has given us full backing to expand,” revealed Samarjiva. Samarajiva will continue to lead YAMU as the Head of Operations and the editorial team will continue to edit and manage the content platform.
Commenting on the acquisition, PickMe Founder Chairman Ajit Gunewardene said: “YAMU is renowned for its unbiased, honest content. Following the acquisition, that core aspect will remain the same. YAMU will continue to be a trusted source of information on dining out just as PickMe is the trusted source of solutions in terms of mobility.”
The combination of PickMe and YAMU promises an exciting time ahead for food in Sri Lanka. According to YAMU, the number of restaurants in Sri Lanka has grown exponentially within a few years from a few to over a thousand.
In the past few years, home cooks and small businesses have begun to offer inspired cuisine as well as simple goodies such as ice cream or short eats.
The next few years will usher in an explosion of non-traditional food options to Sri Lanka, enabled by platforms like PickMe and YAMU.
