Sri Lankan tech startups and scale-ups gathered at the EDB (Export Development Board) on February 20 for an awareness session organised by the Export Services Division of the EDB.
The session was designed to provide local tech businesses with market entry strategies for Europe, with a focus on leveraging Berlin’s startup ecosystem.
Chairman and CEO of the EDB, Mangala Wijesinghe outlined the importance of global market expansion for Sri Lanka’s ICT sector, encouraging startups to seize international opportunities and expand their horizons. The session featured, CEO of the AsiaBerlin Forum Marten Rauschenberg as the keynote speaker. Rauschenberg shared valuable insights on how Sri Lankan tech startups can navigate the European market, particularly focusing on the opportunities within Berlin’s startup ecosystem.
Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Germany and Ambassador to the AsiaBerlin Forum, Manori Unambuwe also contributed to the event.
During the panel discussion, she shared her expertise to strengthen bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Germany, offering valuable insights on how Sri Lankan startups can leverage Asia-Berlin to forge meaningful connections.
Key highlights of the session included:
• Market entry strategies for Europe where attendees learned how to navigate the complexities of entering the European market, including regulatory considerations, funding opportunities, and best practices for establishing a presence in Berlin.
• Leveraging Berlin’s startup ecosystem, here the session explored the advantages of Berlin’s dynamic and innovative environment, home to a network of investors, policymakers and business leaders.
• Expanding business networks with AsiaBerlin officials where participants had the opportunity to engage with AsiaBerlin officials, building essential connections that could help propel their businesses to new international heights.
Among the objectives of the session was to create networking opportunities with influential figures of the AsiaBerlin Forum. AsiaBerlin, supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, serves as a vital platform to foster collaboration and innovation between startups, investors and policymakers across Asia and Berlin.
