CCC’s ‘Spark iT’ Award Ceremony today
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) – one of the most renowned
institutions in the world will be reaching another milestone today by
completing 174 years of exemplary service to the business community in
Sri Lanka.
Coinciding this landmark day, in keeping with its constant
pro-activeness in empowering business improvement and activities towards
enhancing national economy, the CCC’s initiative of empowering budding
ICT entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka “Spark-iT Award ceremony will take place
today at 5 pm, in Earl’s Court, Cinnamon Lakeside.
Spark-iT is an initiative to award recipients with innovative
start-up platforms to empower ICT entrepreneurial developments across
Sri Lanka. CCC’s Spark-iT initiative will provide the ideal platform for
ICT entrepreneurs and help accelerate business through access to
potential private sector investors and expert guidance in developing
business plans. Spark iT will also give an opportunity to attract
funding to the budding ICT entrepreneurs, from amongst whom the top four
to ten business plans will receive an additional “investment award” of
Rs.1 million in cash/equity to action their business plans. In this
initial year, four such ICT plans will receive the coveted investment
award’ and being an annual award, the CCC expects the number of
recipients to increase in the coming years.
Great potential is seen in the ICT sector in Sri Lanka which has
achieved exponential growth in a short period of a decade. ‘Spark iT’
will further enable ICT entrepreneurial development through the
facilitation of expertise in areas of business development and financial
inclusion. Through ‘Spark iT’, aspiring entrepreneurs have the
opportunity to present new ideas and businesses, or new ideas for
existing businesses in taking their business to the next level.
The CCC is confident of providing the ideal platform for a good ICT
business idea to transform into a great business venture.
The innovative new platform will help to turbo-charge the start-up
ecosystem in Sri Lanka and is aimed at supporting ICT start-ups over the
next five years. Through this initiative, CCC and its members will
continue to extend ICT entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka an opportunity to
launch businesses aided by informative workshops with some of the
region’s top entrepreneurs, industry experts and business leaders.
All business proposals received have been evaluated by an evaluation
panel comprising of twelve well renowned ICT professionals and venture
capitalists’.
The architects of selected business plans were given the opportunity
to present their business proposals before a panel of ICT professionals
and elite potential investors, opening them up to multiple capital and
partner prospects.
This project of the Ceylon Chamber is supported by the ‘Event
Partner’ Venture Engine, ‘Strategic Partner’ SLASSCOM, ‘National
Partner’ ICTA, ‘Platinum Sponsor’ Etisalat, Sponsors’ – Microsoft, 99x
Technology, Orion City, hSenid, IFS, and Informatics.
In today’s event– Brandix, Dialog, John Keells, and MAS Holdings,
have come forward as the ‘Award Sponsors’ to the winning four, budding
ICT Entrepreneurs of 2013.’ |