SLASSCOM’s ‘Hack Like a Girl 2.0’ and ‘Fast Forward 4.0’ celebrate female innovators

SLASSCOM Hack Like a Girl 2.0 (Hackathon for Women)

SLASSCOM Fast Forward 4.0 – Accelerator for Women

The Women Technopreneurs Forum of SLASSCOM made headlines once again with the thrilling conclusion of two landmark initiatives — Hack Like a Girl 2.0 and Fast Forward 4.0, both of which are redefining Sri Lanka’s innovation landscape by empowering the next generation of female tech founders.

At the grand finale of Fast Forward 4.0, five remarkable startups emerged as winners: Meribel, Ivena (Littoral), Ceylon Speechi, Electriquote, and Innosync. These visionary ventures captivated the judges’ attention with their innovative business models and market potential.

The winning startups will now receive valuable support designed to help them advance their growth. This includes access to targeted funding and expert guidance in areas such as strategy, legal, product development, and marketing. In addition, four selected ventures will benefit from personalised mentorship by an experienced venture capitalist, aimed at enhancing their readiness for investor engagement and market expansion. To further support their journey, two founders will also receive complimentary office space at GrandSpace, the event’s official Serviced Office Partner.

Fast Forward 4.0, now in its fourth year, is a flagship accelerator program tailored exclusively for female tech entrepreneurs. 

Running over two months, the program included expert-led sessions on product development, sales, finance, and pitch training, culminating in an exhilarating Demo Day held in Colombo that was a day of inspiration and innovation, ignited by a compelling keynote from Makers Global CEO Nevindaree Premarathne. A panel of industry leaders, Rajive Silva (Azend Technologies), Pulani Ranasinghe (Loons Lab), Samila Maddumage (GrandSpace), and Darshani Kaluarachchi (Seylan Bank) brought sharp insights and energy to the judging, spotlighting the game-changing potential of women-led startups in Sri Lanka.

In parallel, running from July to November 2024, Hack Like a Girl 2.0 empowered the nation’s brightest young women to tackle real-world challenges through technology. Centered around the theme “Innovating for a Better Tomorrow,” the hackathon took on critical issues in health, education, sustainability, tourism, and agriculture. Following three regional mini hackathons held across the North and East, Central, and Southern and Western provinces, the Grand Finale brought together 12 talented university teams to present their innovative tech solutions. 

The winning teams from Sabaragamuwa University, Vavuniya University, and IIT-KDU wowed the judges with solutions that included a mobile app for child health tracking, a smart cane for the visually impaired, and a tour guide app with built-in hotel reservations. These bold, purpose-driven innovations proved that the future of tech is not only female but it’s fearless as well.

The Grand Finale was judged by an expert panel, Shehan Selvanayagam (MD, Loops), Dr. Buddhima Subasinghe (NIBM), Dr. Kalpana Ambepitiya (KDU), and Abith Latiff (ICTA Sri Lanka). 

Both programs were made possible through the strong backing of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, with MAS Holdings stepping in as Platinum Sponsor for the hackathon and GrandSpace as Serviced Office Partner for Fast Forward.

Founded in 2020, the Women Technopreneurs Forum of SLASSCOM plays a vital role in achieving the national target of 1,000 new startups by 2030, growing from 14 to over 110 women-led ventures in just a few years. Through structured mentorship, financial support, and powerful industry partnerships, the Forum is building an ecosystem where women technopreneurs can truly thrive.