Gapstars, a leading Sri Lankan software development and IT talent partner serving more than 75 European enterprises and scale-ups, has been ranked fourth in the technology industry at the Great Place to Work Sri Lanka 2026 awards.
The recognition marks one of three Great Place to Work achievements secured by Gapstars this year. The company also received the Great Place for Young Talent award and earned its ninth consecutive Great Place to Work certification.
Commenting on the achievement, Hugo Hemmen, Founder and CEO of Gapstars, said the fourth-place ranking among certified technology companies reflects the organisation’s focus on creating a world-class workplace for its teams.
“Being ranked fourth in the technology industry, against every certified tech company in the country, says something specific: that the teams we build for our partners are being developed inside a genuinely world-class environment,” he said.
“We work with leading European companies who trust us for top engineering and finance talent, and this ranking is proof that trust is well placed,” Hemmen added.
The Great Place for Young Talent award recognises Gapstars’ continued investment in early-career professionals, providing structured support and opportunities for employees to develop into roles involving client ownership and international exposure from the outset.
Phillipa Bowerbank, Head of People & Culture at Gapstars, highlighted the company’s structured approach to employee development.
“Growth here isn't left to chance. Every performance review comes with a skills-gap-based learning goal, not a generic template, and that structure is a big part of why young professionals choose to build their careers here,” she said.
Gapstars also continues to engage and develop its next generation of technology and finance professionals through a range of initiatives. These include Gapstars Academy, which links performance reviews with skills-gap-based learning goals; the biweekly Data and AI Guild, which helps engineers stay up to date with emerging technologies; and FinCircle, which supports finance professionals in keeping pace with evolving compliance and reporting standards.
The company’s annual Hackathon also provides cross-functional teams with an opportunity to collaborate and develop solutions beyond their usual areas of responsibility, further supporting innovation, learning and professional growth.
NCE to Lead Sri Lankan Exporters’ Delegation to India to Explore New Market Opportunities
The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) is inviting exporters, manufacturers, aspiring exporters and businesses seeking to expand into the Indian market to join an overseas exporters’ delegation to New Delhi and Mumbai from September 24 to October 1, 2026.
India remains one of Sri Lanka’s most important trading partners and offers significant potential for expanding Sri Lankan exports. In 2025, Sri Lanka’s exports to India grew by 17.2% to approximately USD 1.04 billion, up from USD 881.6 million in 2024. This positive momentum has continued into 2026, with exports increasing by 36.16% to USD 688.47 million during the first six months of the year.
With a population of more than 1.4 billion and a rapidly expanding consumer and business economy, India presents substantial opportunities for Sri Lankan companies across a wide range of sectors. These include tea, rubber and rubber-based products, coconut products, spices, apparel and textiles, food and beverages, gems and jewellery, electrical and electronic products, ICT and BPM services, logistics, manufacturing, and other value-added products and services.
Opportunities also extend beyond traditional merchandise exports, with potential for joint ventures, investment partnerships, contract manufacturing, distribution arrangements, technology collaboration and integration into Indian and wider regional supply chains.
Sri Lankan exporters also benefit from the India–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA), which has provided preferential market access since 2000. In 2025, around USD 634 million, representing 61.3% of Sri Lanka’s total exports to India, were shipped under the ISFTA framework.
Against this backdrop, the NCE considers the current period an ideal opportunity for Sri Lankan businesses to engage directly with the Indian market. The Sri Lankan Government is also continuing discussions with India to strengthen bilateral economic and trade relations, including efforts to improve market access and deepen economic cooperation.
The delegation to New Delhi and Mumbai is expected to provide participating businesses with opportunities to explore new markets, establish business connections and identify potential partnerships, while gaining a deeper understanding of the opportunities available within India’s large and diverse economy.
Gapstars Ranked Fourth Among Sri Lanka’s Tech Companies in Great Place to Work 2026, Securing Two Additional Awards
