Last Updated on September 7, 2026 by TMB
Sri Lanka will hold its first-ever fintech festival in November to highlight the country’s potential position in the global fintech sector and establish Sri Lanka as a major hub in the international fintech market. Themed “Building Capacity and Creating Opportunities to Scale Sri Lanka’s Digital Future,” the festival is organized by the Fintech Forum in Sri Lanka, along with the country’s Ministry of Digital Economy.
According to a press release, Fintech Forum Sri Lanka Chairman Channa de Silva described the festival as a landmark moment for the nation. The chairman explained that the festival directly publicizes the forum’s plan to earn its position as a respected brand in Sri Lanka’s fintech ecosystem, while ensuring economic value is achievable. Channa de Silva also said the goal is for the Sri Lankan fintech market to access international investment and related opportunities.
The Inaugural Festival
The event is scheduled for the 2nd and 3rd of November at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s largest city and its executive and judicial capital. Also a major commercial hub, Colombo will host the best minds in fintech and banking, along with policymakers, investors, and technology partners. International network organizations in the fintech sector will also be present to discuss acceleration and innovation plans, as well as encourage financial inclusion.
According to FinTech Forum Sri Lanka director Dr. Kanishka Weeramunda, Sri Lanka has a reliable digital payments framework that already works. The event aims to show the rest of the world that this framework exists and, hopefully, to attract investment and talent.
The festival’s opening day will feature a CEOs Night, an event that will be strictly by invitation. The evening event is planned for about 120 major stakeholders, including bank and fintech CEOs, advisory board members, several sponsors, government officials, and other invited speakers. On the second day, the main event, the festival will host the Sri Lanka FinTech Expo, with expert speakers across several panels discussing potential actions to spur the Sri Lankan fintech ecosystem.
The Expo expects a full day of networking among more than 500 participants, along with a FinTech and Solution Provider Exhibition. The event will then end on Day 2 with a FinTech Night, a reception that will include the FinTech Awards. While participants will need tickets to attend and participate, the FinTech Night will be open only to participants with Night-Only tickets.
Boosting Sri Lanka’s FinTech Field
Although Sri Lanka’s fintech market has achieved some success, a report suggests one of the industry’s major problems is population. According to Conrad Dias, the Vice Chairman of Fintech Forum Sri Lanka, expanding to other markets is important.
“If our fintechs can operate in one of the countries in Africa, for example, they could access a market of around 200 million people. That is almost 10 times Sri Lanka,” Dias said.
Dias has also said the challenge is scaling, not innovation.
