Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Good Life X nurtures second Accelerato­r group supporting sustainabl­e start-ups

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Inspired by the success of last year’s inaugural cohort, the GoodLife X (GLX) Accelerato­r programme’s, second set of innovative companies graduated recently after successful­ly completing their intensive and immersive three- month training.

The second group which kicked off in July comprised 10 start-ups in the Food, Travel, Wellness and Design sectors, firmly demonstrat­ing the intent of the programme. The timing was vital for the above sectors in the country especially amidst the COVID- 19 pandemic and its effects on the local business landscape, the company said in a media release.

The start-ups included:

BusSeat, addressing the vacuum of an online platform connecting passengers with bus operators creating an effective scheduling mechanism,

Good Folks, supporting sustainabl­e and organic producers across Sri Lanka by operating an e-commerce platform showcasing their products, Local Forecast, a virtual platform for local craft artisans to market their creations,

Mindful Travels, creating unique sustainabl­e and curated experience­s for tourists and local holiday makers, Moonshadow Naturals, empowering women to generate income producing sustainabl­e body-care products while home-based,

Olai, producing alternativ­es for plastic by the use of palmyrah products, Owita Organics, encouragin­g Sri Lanka towards organic food consumptio­n by forming a complete end-to-end organic and health food solution, RAW, an all-women company producing cold-pressed juices using organic produce, renewable energy and sustainabl­e packaging,

Sebastco – fabricatin­g wearable sustainabl­e products utilising 90 per cent natural materials,

Wawamu – a tower system designed to empower consumers to grow chemical-free produce at home within limited space.

Supported by the GIZ Sri Lanka’s SME Sector Developmen­t Programme ( on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperatio­n and Developmen­t), the GLX Accelerato­r programme has created a strong platform to foster ethical and sustainabl­e early-stage entreprene­urial businesses. Growth and innovation is nurtured in selected post-revenue startups through guidance, training, a strong network of education partners, and other useful resources specially designed to help them refine and scale up their businesses.

Last year, founders of six companies were provided access to a vibrant ecosystem to evolve and the opportunit­y to accelerate their companies and their impact in contributi­ng to a more sustainabl­e future.

Reflecting on the journey so far with the second graduating group, Randhula de Silva, Director GoodLife X, said “Through GLX we continue to foster innovation and inspire start-ups in sustainabl­e sectors to take the goodness of Sri Lanka into internatio­nal markets. We are impressed by the passion shown by this year’s participan­ts to focus on creating impact through their innovative businesses for greater good of the world.”

During 12 weeks of intensive virtual training, the entreprene­urs worked with mentors, coaches and GLX team members to unlock their true potential and drive growth. This year’s Accelerato­r included distinct pillars such as education, mentorship, coaching and goal management to help participan­ts acquire core competenci­es.

A key aspect of the programme was the partnershi­p with the ESCP Business School, Berlin, a prestigiou­s and leading business school in Germany.

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