“If you take a group of people with the right equity incentives and organize them in a startup, you can unlock human potential in a way never before possible.”
— Bill Gross, The Single Biggest Reason Why Start-Ups Succeed, TED, 2015.
The Industrial Management Science Students’ Association (IMSSA) aims to provide dynamic platforms for individuals who have the passion to do better in the ever evolving plethora of opportunities lying in front of them. The HackX 9.0 Grand Finals is a major event organized by the IMSSA that provides a dynamic platform for Sri Lanka's brightest young minds to showcase their innovative startup concepts. This renowned inter-university startup challenge, now in its ninth edition, was centered on the theme of "Sustainable Innovation".
The final event was held on the 29th September 2024 at Ideamart, Dialog Axiata PLC, where 15 exceptional teams from leading universities across Sri Lanka pitched their groundbreaking ideas.
- CeylonMusk Studios - University of Sri Jayewardenepura
- Code9 - University of Sri Jayewardenepura
- CtrlShiftCode - University of Moratuwa
- DavinciDreamers - University of Kelaniya
- Denkers - University of Kelaniya
- Design 100 - Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT)
- Hack Masters - Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT)
- InnovaTech - Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT)
- Team CodeCrafters - Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
- Team Hydrolink - University of Moratuwa
- Team KernelPanic - University of Moratuwa
- Team moveMate - Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT)
- Team Vanguard - Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
- Tech Trios - University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Zenhance - University of Kelaniya
Competing in front of a panel of esteemed industry experts, these undergraduates demonstrated unparalleled creativity of the youth, embodying the spirit of entrepreneurship.
- Mr. Hiranya Samarasekera - Country Head and Senior Vice President of Engineering at CODICE
- Mrs. Amaya Jayasuriya - Manager of Business Consulting at Evonsys
- Mr. Malinda Rathnayake - Senior Manager of Platform Business at Dialog Axiata PLC
- Mr. Azhar Ameer - Lead Technical Consultant at Creative Software
- Mr. Sajith Silva - R&D Director for Sri Lanka at Pagero
Their expertise brought invaluable insights and constructive feedback to the finalists, fostering a learning environment.
The finals concluded with a spectacular awards ceremony recognizing the standout performances.
- Champion - Team InnovaTech - Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT)
- 1st Runner-Up - Team KernelPanic - University of Moratuwa
- 2nd Runner-Up - Team moveMate - Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT)
- Most Innovative Team (Powered by CODICE) - Team Vanguard - Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
- Most Popular Team (Powered by Ideamart) - Team DavinciDreamers - University of Kelaniya
- Instagram Challenge Winner (Powered by Creative Software) - Team moveMate - Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT)
The event emphasized innovation’s role in solving real world challenges sustainably. HackX 9.0 connected undergraduates with industry leaders, fostering networking, mentorship, and the realization of bold ideas. More than a competition, it celebrated ingenuity, collaboration, and the potential of Sri Lanka’s youth.