Hatch

Hatch is a Sri Lankan coworking and startup-support brand established in 2018 by Jeevan Gnanam, Brindha Selvadurai-Gnanam, and Nathan Sivagananathan. Its activities combine flexible workspace, incubation, acceleration, mentorship, educational programming, and business-development assistance for entrepreneurs and early-stage companies. The organization is headquartered in Colombo and has also operated a branch in Jaffna, giving it a presence beyond the capital’s principal commercial district. Hatch’s flagship Colombo facility occupies a restored six-story Edwardian building at 14 Sir Baron Jayatilaka Mawatha, formerly known as Prince Street, in the Colombo Fort area. The building dates from approximately 1910 and had previously been associated with commercial and government uses, including Harrisons & Crosfield and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry. Before Hatch’s involvement, the structure had fallen into poor condition and was being used as a warehouse. The founders renovated it while retaining elements of its historic character, including the building’s height, courtyard, natural-light features, and visual connections between floors. The facility was officially launched on January 24, 2019. At launch, it was described as a 60,000-square-foot space designed to accommodate more than 1,000 people and over 115 startups. Rather than functioning solely as a desk-rental business, Hatch positioned the site as a collaboration and innovation hub where founders, investors, mentors, corporate partners, and other ecosystem participants could meet and work. Hatch’s startup programs have covered multiple sectors and founder groups. Its reported portfolio includes 18 incubator and accelerator programs that engaged more than 700 Sri Lankan startups. Programs cited in connection with Hatch include AccelerateHer, developed with the U.S. Department of State to support women founders; HatchX, described as Sri Lanka’s first fintech accelerator and developed with the Lankan Angel Network, the Ford Foundation, and the Fintech Association of Sri Lanka; and GoviLab, an agri-technology accelerator created with Sarvodaya. These programs address different barriers to entrepreneurship, including access to capital, regulatory knowledge, technical skills, market development, and founder networks. The organization also provides workshops covering strategy, operations, business development, product design, technology, growth, public relations, branding, and talent management. Its business-support services have included assistance with import and export documentation, accounting, statutory audits, and income-tax matters. This broader service mix enables Hatch to support companies not only during ideation and product development but also as they formalize operations and pursue growth. Hatch received international recognition in 2021 when it won the Global Startup Awards’ Best Co-Working Space in the World category. The award was reported as the first time a South Asian coworking space had received that distinction. Hatch therefore occupies a dual position in Sri Lanka’s business landscape: it is a physical workplace and community brand, but also an intermediary that connects entrepreneurs with education, mentors, investors, public-sector stakeholders, and international partners. Available reference material does not establish a corporate parent, public listing, ownership structure, or a complete account of its current geographic footprint.

Hatch was founded in Sri Lanka in 2018 by Jeevan Gnanam, Brindha Selvadurai-Gnanam, and Nathan Sivagananathan. The founders sought to create more than a conventional office-rental operation: Hatch was conceived as an environment where entrepreneurs could access workspace, networks, mentorship, practical knowledge, and structured support while building early-stage companies. The central physical expression of this idea became Hatch’s Colombo facility at 14 Sir Baron Jayatilaka Mawatha in Colombo Fort. The property, formerly known as Prince Street, occupies an important location in the city’s historic commercial district. The six-story Edwardian building was constructed around 1910 and had previously housed organizations including Harrisons & Crosfield and the Foreign Ministry. By the time the founders encountered it, the building had deteriorated substantially and was being used as a warehouse. Its condition presented a major renovation challenge, but the founders considered its historic structure and central location valuable assets. Hatch restored and adapted the building for contemporary entrepreneurial use while preserving aspects of its original identity. The redesigned space incorporated natural light, an inner courtyard, and a layout that allowed occupants to see between levels, creating a more open and connected environment. The facility was formally launched on January 24, 2019. It was described at launch as covering 60,000 square feet, with capacity for more than 1,000 people and accommodation for over 115 startups. Its Colombo Fort address placed the organization within easy reach of businesses, public institutions, investors, and other participants in Sri Lanka’s commercial ecosystem. As Hatch developed, its role expanded from providing physical workspace to organizing structured programs for startups and entrepreneurs. Reference material attributes 18 incubator and accelerator programs to Hatch, with participation from more than 700 Sri Lankan startups. These initiatives addressed different stages and sectors of company development. AccelerateHer focused on women founders and was developed with the U.S. Department of State. The program combined capacity funding, workshops, mentorship, and international networking. HatchX concentrated on financial technology and was created with the Lankan Angel Network, with support from the Ford Foundation and a strategic partnership with the Fintech Association of Sri Lanka. It was presented as Sri Lanka’s first fintech accelerator and sought to improve connections among startups, investors, and financial regulators. GoviLab applied a similar ecosystem-building model to agriculture and was launched with Sarvodaya to encourage sustainable agri-technology innovation. Hatch supplemented its accelerator work with educational workshops in subjects such as strategy, operations, product design, technology, growth, public relations, branding, and talent management. It also offered practical business-development services, including assistance with import and export documentation, accounting, statutory audits, and income-tax matters. These services reflected an understanding that Sri Lankan startups may need help with administrative and regulatory capabilities as much as with ideas, technology, or financing. The organization’s model also included a second location in Jaffna, extending its reach within Sri Lanka. Through its physical sites, programs, and partnerships, Hatch became a visible intermediary in the country’s startup ecosystem. Its international profile increased in 2021 when it received the Global Startup Awards’ Best Co-Working Space in the World award. The recognition was reported as the first such win by a South Asian coworking space. The available material identifies Hatch as an active Sri Lankan coworking, incubation, and entrepreneurship-support organization. It does not provide enough information to establish a formal parent company, ownership structure, public-company status, current executive roster beyond the named founders, or a definitive account of all later programs and locations.

• 2021

  Global coworking award

  [1]Hatch (Sri Lanka)en.wikipedia.org

  Hatch wins Best Co-Working Space in the World at the Global Startup Awards.

• 2019

  Colombo Fort facility launches

  [1]Hatch (Sri Lanka)en.wikipedia.org

  Hatch officially opens its 60,000-square-foot Colombo facility on January 24, presenting a restored historic building as a coworking and startup hub.

• 2018

  Hatch is founded

  [1]Hatch (Sri Lanka)en.wikipedia.org

  Jeevan Gnanam, Brindha Selvadurai-Gnanam, and Nathan Sivagananathan establish Hatch in Sri Lanka.

A Sri Lankan innovation hub that combines coworking, startup acceleration, founder education, mentorship, and practical business services in one ecosystem.

• Coworking and innovation hub · 2019

  Hatch Colombo

  Hatch’s principal Colombo facility is a restored six-story historic building in Colombo Fort. It provides coworking capacity, startup community space, meeting and collaboration areas, and a setting for workshops, mentoring, accelerator activity, and ecosystem events. At its 2019 launch, the site was described as covering 60,000 square feet and accommodating more than 1,000 individuals and over 115 startups.

• Women-founder accelerator

  AccelerateHer

  AccelerateHer is a Hatch program designed for female founders. Developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, it combines capacity funding, curated workshops, mentorship, and access to a broader international network. Its purpose is to help women entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses and overcome common gaps in capital, skills, visibility, and market access.

• Fintech accelerator

  HatchX

  HatchX is a financial-technology accelerator associated with Hatch and described as Sri Lanka’s first fintech accelerator. It was developed with the Lankan Angel Network, supported by the Ford Foundation, and strategically partnered with the Fintech Association of Sri Lanka. The program focuses on connecting fintech startups with investors, ecosystem partners, and financial regulators.

• AgriTech accelerator

  GoviLab

  GoviLab is an agriculture-technology accelerator launched with Sarvodaya. It supports innovation related to sustainable agriculture and applies Hatch’s broader incubation model to a sector with significant economic and social importance in Sri Lanka.

• Education and founder development

  Entrepreneurship workshops

  Hatch conducts workshops addressing strategic, operational, technical, commercial, and organizational needs. Subject areas cited include strategy, operations, business development, product design, technology, growth, public relations, branding, and talent management.

• Startup administrative support

  Business-development services

  Hatch supports startups with practical operating requirements, including import and export documentation, accounting services, statutory-audit assistance, and income-tax support. These services are intended to help young companies professionalize their administration and prepare for scale.

1. 1Hatch (Sri Lanka)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hatch official websitehatch.lk