Dr. Cornelius Boersch, a seasoned investor with three decades of experience in frontier markets, brings his expertise to Sri Lanka. Having identified similar dynamics across various developing economies, Dr. Boersch, or “Dr. Conny” as he’s known, first visited Sri Lanka in October 2021. Through Mountain Lion Ventures, alongside partners Asad Sultan and Love Yadav, he became one of the earliest global tech investors to focus on Sri Lanka’s post-pandemic recovery.
Despite recent economic challenges, Mountain Lion Ventures has made significant investments in Sri Lanka. Their portfolio spans nearly a million US dollars and includes prop-tech, electric mobility, gender-focused funding initiatives, and an AI platform for the hospitality industry.
Returning to Sri Lanka for a two-day visit, Dr. Conny and Love Yadav started their journey at Hatch Works, a hub for local startups. While acknowledging Sri Lanka’s current economic struggles, Dr. Boersch urged against pessimism and encouraged a forward-looking approach.
He then met with several companies already backed by Mountain Lion Ventures. Liwe Communities, a prop-tech platform transforming gated communities, and Sling Mobility, an innovative electric vehicle Energy-as-a-Service solution, particularly impressed Dr. Boersch. He believes Sling Mobility has the potential to become Sri Lanka’s first “unicorn,” a startup valued at over a billion dollars.
Dr. Boersch’s whirlwind 36-hour visit included meetings with various startups across diverse sectors like food and beverage, health tech, and more. This extensive engagement highlights his dedication to supporting Sri Lanka’s burgeoning digital ecosystem. Mountain Lion Ventures pledges to continue investing in promising Sri Lankan startups, fostering international market access, and securing funding for these innovative enterprises.