Hatch expands to Bangladesh, Pakistan and Maldives

With the co-working space culture kick starting to evolve among local start-ups and entrepreneurs, Hatch, a Sri Lankan co-working space, start-up incubator and accelerator is collaborating with Bangladesh, Pakistan and Maldives.

Hatch was awarded the ‘Best Co-Working Space in the World’ at the Global Start-up Awards 2021. This is the first time a Sri Lankan or a South Asian organisation has secured this award.

On the sidelines of a media briefing held at the Hatch workspace in Colombo last Tuesday, Hatch Co- Founder, Nathan Sivagananathan told the Business Times that the approach of entrepreneurs locally in Jaffna and Colombo are unique. “The mindset of entrepreneurs in Colombo is looking at expanding into international markets while those in Jaffna are considering at expanding locally. Hatch is collaborating and expanding itself into markets such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Maldives to mentor some of the potential start-ups and entrepreneurs.”

Meanwhile Hatch CEO and Co-Founder, Brindha SelvaduraiGnanam during the briefing mentioned, “More than just a co-working space, we have done many industry pioneering programmes. We have access to international resources and more than 60 mentors at our space. It’s an inspiration to many who come here.”

“We are thankful that within three years, our vision and efforts to be a platform for entrepreneurship and innovation is recognised on a global stage. This is a reflection of the evolution, phenomenal growth and capacity of South Asia’s ecosystem of start- ups. The emerging start-up ecosystem in Sri Lanka is advanced, powerful, and is fostering the next generation of start- ups. The strength and resilience of any ecosystem lie with its community. Our appreciation goes out to all our partners, mentors and supporters who have contributed towards forging this vibrant ecosystem and placing Sri Lanka firmly on the map. Despite the challenges of the past years, we are hopeful for our journey ahead,” she added.

Collaboration is at the core of Hatch’s ethos. Hatch actively partners with several private sector organisations, Sri Lanka’s public sector as well as international agencies to incubate and accelerate the growth of the Sri Lankan start-ups and are now working with regional ecosystems to nurture talent and create market opportunities.

Hatch fosters an inclusive culture that is supportive and agile, innovating new opportunities, including creating pathways for underrepresented entrepreneur communities. Their commitment to this was demonstrated through the launch of Sri Lanka's first-ever women-focused accelerator programme ‘AccelerateHER’ during the World Entrepreneurship Week.