13 September 2016 12:00 am
Taking the approach of Angel Investments to another level, Voltage230, a shark-tank style pitching opportunity for budding tech start-ups got underway at the recently held Disrupt Asia 2016. Hutch, Sri Lanka’s fastest growing 3G network, came on board to support the event as the Gold sponsor.
Five individual investors from industries such as technology, finance and telecommunications had lent their interest and expertise into turning this into a support platform for growing Sri Lankan entrepreneurs in the field of technology. Hutch Chief Executive Officer Thirukumar Nadarasa was a member of the elite panel of judges, giving valued feedback and advice on how best young entrepreneurs can improve on their go to market strategies.
Commenting on the stance that Hutch has taken with Voltage230, Nadarasa said, “Hutch believes in the great potential of Sri Lankan youth, particularly in the digital economy of the future. We are privileged to have been presented with the opportunity to be part of the esteemed panel of judges advising local start-ups in further commercialising their product to make them more ‘market ready’. This will in turn attract funding from angel investors to further grow their business and valuation. Hutch is pleased to be able to play a role in supporting local Sri Lanka digital start-ups with our deep experiences as a Fortune 500 global multinational.”
Voltage230 allowed start-up representatives to open the floor with a five-minute pitch aimed towards the panel of investors.
The pitch involved a breakdown of the start-ups intro, financial enforcement and how much of an investment the entrepreneur is hoping to achieve from any of the interested parties.
Eventually, the successful candidate was to be picked on the spot or be turned down, depending on the situation.