Monday Dec 15, 2025
Monday Dec 15, 2025
Monday, 15 December 2025 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Hatch, the nation’s award-winning startup hub and a driving force behind Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, is advancing its boldest initiative yet, the creation of the country’s first Innovation District in Colombo 01.
The vision was first introduced publicly during the Startup Nation 2025 launch event in March 2025, and reaffirmed at the program’s culmination on October 1, 2025, marking a defining moment for the nation’s innovation trajectory.
Since its founding in 2018, Hatch has operated on the belief that collaboration fuels innovation, and entrepreneurs are catalysts for economic growth. Over the past seven years, it has grown into the “center of gravity for all things startup,” offering opportunity, global connectivity, and a secure environment where founders can innovate and thrive. Today, a majority of Sri Lanka’s active entrepreneurs have been positively impacted through Hatch’s programs and services whether it’s an innovation event to its focused accelerator programs.
The forthcoming Hatch Innovation District is the next leap in this journey, an ambitious development set to empower over 3,000 entrepreneurs, SMEs, creators, and innovation-led businesses by 2027. Located in the heart of Colombo 01, the district will integrate co-working spaces, maker studios, corporate innovation labs, lounges, meeting rooms and dedicated facilities for public–private sector partners. This purpose-built environment will give founders and growing businesses access to the infrastructure, tools, and support needed to accelerate their ventures.
Guided by the core pillars of collaboration and innovation, the district’s ecosystem model connects startups with corporates, investors, policymakers, NGOs, and global development agencies. Complementing this network is a dedicated Founder and Investors Club designed to cultivate meaningful founder–capital relationships, and creative arts and culinary spaces that bring cultural expression into the heart of entrepreneurship, fostering a vibrant, multidimensional environment for innovation.
Hatch’s proven impact lays a strong foundation for this next phase: over 23 programs, over 400 startups supported, over 95% occupancy, and advancements in GreenTech, AgriTech, Clean Energy, FinTech, and AI-driven solutions. With regional expansions underway in South Asia, the UAE, and Singapore, Hatch is amplifying Sri Lanka’s footprint on the global innovation map.
Hatch Co-Founder and Director Jeevan Gnanam said: “The Innovation District is more than infrastructure, it’s a national commitment to empower founders, attract investment, and build an innovation economy shaped by entrepreneurship.”
As Sri Lanka accelerates toward a knowledge-driven future, the Hatch Innovation District stands as the next chapter of a journey ignited through Startup Nation 2025, and a beacon of opportunity for the region.
