Uber Springboard 2025 concludes; five local startups to Hyderabad

UBER, the international ride-hailing and delivery platform, recently held the second edition of its Uber Springboard initiative.

- By SaFNa MALIK

This program aims to support Sri Lankan entrepreneurs through mentorship, guidance, and international exposure.

Partnering with the Technology Ministry’s Department of Digital Economy, this year’s edition saw more startups participating, building on the success of last year.

Five startups were chosen from over 25 Sri Lankan ventures this year after a competitive process involving Uber’s leadership and external experts.

These selected startups are now set to be onboard on an all-expense-paid exposure tour to Hyderabad, India, a key tech hub, for a dedicated mentorship experience at Uber’s Tech Centre of Excellence.

The five selected startups are:

mAnyBang: A digital banking marketplace.

PayMedia: A Fintech company providing payment solutions.

Helios P2P: A peer-to-peer lending platform.

Articom.io: An agentic AI platform that helps businesses build.

Ceylon Speechie: A MedTech venture offering speech therapy services for children.

The mentorship program is set to cover key areas such as product development, growth strategy, fundraising, and team building. This initiative is part of Uber’s ongoing commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s startup ecosystem.

Addressing the audience, Uber Head of Public Policy, India and South Asia, and Government Relations Sanjay Chadha stated that the Uber Springboard winners gain a unique chance to network in Hyderabad, a high-tech city in India, which hosts global giants, industry leaders, investors, and incubators, including T-Hub, Microsoft, and Google.

He said, noting the opportunity for exposure, as well as many startups from India and beyond. Chadha also highlighted the strong support from the Digital Economy Ministry, which helped bring the Uber Springboard initiative to life.

“Uber began as a small idea to move people more efficiently and safely,” Chadha stated, “Fifteen years later, now we’re helping others bring their big ideas to life.”