Connect with us

Business

HERCapital by Hatch: Pioneering gender smart funding in Sri Lanka

Published

on

1st row from left: Zara Mandviwalla Akbarally - Barrister-at-law, Hayley Evans - CEO of Surge Global, Sonia Dandona Hirdaramani - Personal Investor (ex-Morgan Stanley), Shehara Jayawardana - Joint Managing Director of McLarens Group of Companies 2nd row from left: Niloo Jayatilake - CEO/Director of Softlogic Invest, Nathan Sivagananathan - Co-founder of Hatch, Brindha Selvadurai-Gnanam - Co-founder/Director of Hatch

Gender disparity within the entrepreneurial world is a globally prevalent problem, often stemming from the underrepresentation of women in the labour force and leadership positions. This imbalance in diversity is mainly seen in markets with no gender-smart funding, which makes gender a key component in their program.

The lack of gender diversity at the firm level and the unavailability of gender-smart support structures are persistent hurdles faced by women entrepreneurs throughout the region.

Globally, the finance gap between women-led MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) and those led by men have shown to be a whopping $ 1.2 trillion. This can be attributed to the significant underrepresentation of women among investment decision-makers at private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) firms, board representation, and leadership positions.

Moreover, research into the South Asian market has shown that as of 2019, only 45% of firms have a strategy to improve gender diversity in emerging markets, leading to female participation in ownership only being 18%, with only 9.3% of women holding board positions and only 9% of PE and VC funding going into female-led companies; leaving these companies underfunded.

Sri Lanka is no different from the rest of the region, with the lack of an investment ecosystem for female entrepreneurs, leading to only 25% of the country’s entrepreneurs being women, despite women representing majority of the population, accounting for 52%.

Seeing this lack of diversity and the need for a gender-smart funds, Hatch has now introduced HERCapital, Sri Lanka’s first-ever gender-smart funding scheme. The goal of the scheme is to create a better ecosystem for local women entrepreneurs and help increase gender diversity in PE/VC pipelines.

The basis of the scheme will take a strategic approach to investing in entrepreneurs, by taking into consideration gender-based factors throughout the investment process, to advance gender equality and better inform investment decisions.

Such schemes can be seen growing in popularity, with 58.6% of international fund managers choosing to invest through a gender lens. A similar trend was also seen in Asia, with 70% of the active investment vehicles established after 2017, being done through a gender lens.

Hatch’s HERCapital fund aims to pioneer a similar gender-smart funding scheme in Sri Lanka and will empower early-stage startups through a well-structured program that includes mentorship and financial support. The fund will address existing gender inequalities through investment and support more women-led businesses while continuing to champion equal representation within the start-ups funded.

The fund’s gender balance comes from the adoption of practices such as gender analysis, gender due diligence, deal origination, deal structuring, etc, which help promote a more gender-balanced fund.

From the concept to scaling through commercialization, the fund will empower early-stage startups through a well-structured program that includes both mentorship and financial support.

These entrepreneurs will be offered seed funding of USD 25,000 per startup for 5%-20% equity, alongside other benefits such as a 12-week structured program with trainings and workshops, an opportunity to pitch to local and regional VC’s, one-on-one mentoring with dedicated mentors, connections to global accelerator platforms, and free access to Hatch co-working space.

HerCapital is set to have 2 cohorts per year and 10 startups per cohort, with an estimated fund size of USD 1 million, out of which USD 500K will be allocated for seed funding and the other USD 500K for follow-on funding respectively.

The fund will also focus on encouraging disruptive innovations in products, technology, and business models in several areas. These include Agriculture, Education, Health, Energy, Sustainability, IoT, Payment, SaaS, Digital, and MarketPlace.

Based on available market data, HerCapital is expected to increase step-up valuation for companies by 1.64 times, per year in valuation by 5.5%, and profitability by 15%.

The fund has also brought on six industry disruptors to back it as its investment committee, five of whom are women entrepreneurs themselves. They include Sonia Dandona Hirdaramani, Personal Investor (ex-Morgan Stanley), Hayley Evans, CEO of Surge Global, Shehara Jayawardana, the Joint Managing Director of the McLarens Group of Companies, Niloo Jayatilake, the CEO/Director of Softlogic Invest, Zara Mandviwalla Akbarally, Barrister-at-law, and Hatch’s very own Co-founder/Director, Brindha Selvadurai-Gnanam.



Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Business

Constituent Change in the S&P Sri Lanka 20 Index

Published

on

The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) announces the following change in S&P Sri Lanka 20 index constituents made by S&P Dow Jones Indices at the 2026 Mid-Year rebalance.

The exclusion and inclusion as announced by S&P Dow Jones Indices, effective from 22nd June 2026 (after the market close of 19th June 2026) are presented below.

The S&P SL 20 index includes the 20 largest companies, by total market capitalization, listed on the CSE that meet minimum size, liquidity and financial viability thresholds. The constituents are weighted by float-adjusted market capitalization, subject to a single stock cap of 15%, which is employed to reduce single stock concentration.

The S&P SL 20 index has been designed in accordance with international practices and standards. All stocks are classified according to the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®), which was co-developed by S&P Dow Jones Indices and MCSI and is widely used by market participants throughout the world.

To be eligible for inclusion, a stock must have a minimum float-adjusted market capitalization of 500 million Sri Lankan rupees (Rs), a six-month median daily value traded of Rs 0.25 million and have positive net income over the 12 months prior to the rebalancing reference date. For information, including the complete methodology, please visit: www.spindices.com

Effective from 22nd June 2026 the stocks in the S&P Sri Lanka 20 in alphabetical order are as above.

Continue Reading

Business

Teejay Group navigates industry headwinds with financial strength and strategic focus

Published

on

Teejay Lanka Chairman Ajit Gunewardene and CEO Pubudu De Silva

The Teejay Group recorded revenue of LKR 60.04 billion during the period, reflecting a 10% year-on-year decline, primarily due to continued softness in global textile demand. This performance was largely impacted by reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States, intensified pricing pressures across key markets, and the resulting decline in volumes, all of which collectively weighed on topline growth.

Group Gross Profit declined by 36% year-on-year to LKR 5.02 billion, mainly attributable to lower production volumes, underutilization of plant capacity, sustained pricing pressures, and an unfavorable product mix. Together, these factors adversely affected margin performance amid a challenging operating environment.

The Group reported a Profit After Tax (PAT) of LKR 54.7 million, representing a 98% year-on-year decline. This was primarily driven by higher rupee-denominated costs and non-recurring items, provision for doubtful debts, and restructuring costs associated with right-sizing initiatives.

Ajit Gunewardene, Chairman of the Teejay Group said, “The year was marked by persistent global demand softness and pricing pressures, which impacted results. Despite this, we focused on operational efficiency, cost discipline, and strengthening our financial resilience. These actions position the Group to navigate ongoing uncertainty while remaining committed to long-term value creation for our shareholders.”

Despite these near-term challenges, the Teejay Group continues to maintain a strong financial position, supported by disciplined working capital management and a robust liquidity base. As at 31 March 2026, cash and cash equivalents stood at LKR 8.3 billion, while the Group’s net asset base increased by 3% year-on-year to LKR 32.4 billion, reinforcing the resilience of its balance sheet.

Continue Reading

Business

Fairfirst celebrates 7 years of supporting the Sri Lanka Police K9 Unit

Published

on

Fairfirst Insurance has once again partnered with the Sri Lanka Police K9 Unit, continuing its support for the seventh consecutive year. This partnership reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to giving back to the community.

Through this initiative, Fairfirst will provide comprehensive insurance coverage for the highly trained canines attached to the Sri Lanka Police K9 Unit. These dogs play a critical role in supporting police operations across the country, assisting with crime detection, narcotics investigations, search and rescue missions, and public safety efforts.

As a company that believes business should create a meaningful impact beyond insurance, Fairfirst remains committed to initiatives that support communities and recognise the vital contributions of those who help keep society safe. This shared commitment to protection and responsibility continues to drive the company’s long-standing partnership with the Sri Lanka Police K9 Unit.

Commenting on the continued partnership, Ravishankar Wickneswaran, CEO of Fairfirst Insurance, said, “It is a privilege for us to continue supporting the Sri Lanka Police K9 Unit for the seventh consecutive year. These dogs serve the country with incredible discipline and loyalty, often in challenging situations. Supporting their wellbeing is one small way for us to give back, and it reflects the FairfirstWay of standing by those who protect and serve our communities every day.”

Fairfirst looks forward to continuing this partnership and contributing to the wellbeing of the Sri Lanka Police K9 Unit in the years ahead.

Continue Reading

Trending