Free program prepares 200 students for careers in Digital Finance

• Finnovation Lab 2025 launches as Sri Lanka’s flagship FinTech education initiative, offering fully-funded training and career development pathways to university students

Sri Lanka is strengthening its push to become a regional hub for financial technology with the launch of Finnovation Lab 2025, a structured, no-cost training program for 200 university students across the country. Designed as the educational arm of the Sri Lanka FinTech Summit 2025, the initiative provides participants with hands-on experience, mentorship, and professional development in digital finance technologies.

At a time when the country is navigating post-crisis recovery and investing in economic modernisation, Finnovation Lab offers a timely mechanism to build national capacity in FinTech. With full financial support, the program is accessible to students regardless of income level or location, removing barriers to participation and talent discovery.

Sri Lanka’s FinTech sector continues to face structural constraints. Key challenges include limited digital adoption, slow regulatory alignment with emerging technologies, fragmented collaboration among stakeholders, and a lack of skilled professionals trained in both local and international market environments.

Finnovation Lab is structured to address these issues directly. Through applied learning, knowledge-sharing with domain experts, and exposure to current tools and systems, the program equips students to enter the workforce with practical expertise and contextual understanding.

 “We are at a crucial stage in the evolution of Sri Lanka’s digital economy,” noted a member of the organising team. “This program is built to accelerate the readiness of a new generation of professionals who can contribute meaningfully to the sector.”

Participants can select from one of three specialised career pathways:

Track A: Blockchain, AI, and global trends

Students gain exposure to distributed ledger technologies, cryptocurrency regulations, and AI applications in finance. The track is delivered by industry practitioners including blockchain developers and data science professionals.

Track B: Regulatory compliance and risk management

Designed in collaboration with legal and compliance experts, this track focuses on financial regulation, risk mitigation, and operational controls in regulated institutions.

Track C: Financial innovation and inclusion

This track offers experience in digital banking, microfinance, and investment product development, with contributions from product heads, fintech founders, and portfolio managers.

Each track integrates both theoretical training and real-world application, ensuring that participants develop practical skills relevant to current market demands.

Finnovation Lab goes beyond academic instruction. Students are given opportunities to present research and policy recommendations to panels of regulators, industry leaders, and investors. These engagements create pathways for proposals to inform national FinTech policy, operational improvements, and startup funding decisions.

By creating channels for student work to influence live systems, the program positions participants as contributors to Sri Lanka’s digital transformation — not just observers.

The program begins with an intensive in-person workshop on 2 September at the HNB Head Office Auditorium. This is followed by a calendar of continuing education events, networking sessions, and follow-up workshops aligned with upcoming FinTech industry activities.

Alumni will also gain access to a dedicated network for career support, internships, mentorship, and leadership opportunities across the FinTech ecosystem.

The program is intended not just to deliver training, but to build an enduring pipeline of skilled professionals equipped to serve financial institutions, startups, and public sector agencies.

How to apply

Applications are now open via www.srilankafintechsummit.com. The process includes a review of academic background, a written essay on motivation and interest in FinTech, and a technical aptitude component depending on the selected track. Information sessions are being held across university campuses, with faculty coordinators assisting students through the application process.

For students aiming to build careers in FinTech, this is a structured entry point into one of the fastest-growing sectors in the economy. Applications are currently being accepted, with a limited number of placements available.