(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) –Elzian Agro, an innovative precision agriculture company from Sri Lanka, has been selected as a finalist in the World Bank Youth Innovation Challenge, recognized for its cutting-edge water solutions tailored to address new climate challenges. Chosen from over 1,600 entries spanning 95 countries, and more than 300 impressive applications from 63 countries, Elzian Agro has earned a spot among the top 40 finalists in this prestigious contest.
The challenge, organized by the World Bank’s Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE), aims to gather support from donors, governments, foundations, private sector companies, NGOs, and young people to create programs that increase productive employment for youth.
Leading Elzian Agro is co-founder Lilan Dayananda, recently listed on Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30 Asia.” He, along with the rest of co-founders Pankajan Satkunam, Tharindu Priyankara, and their exceptional team, bring a diverse set of skills and knowledge to the table. This enables them to deliver comprehensive support to farmers through a sophisticated monitoring and decision-support system with integrated automation. Their IoT monitoring system provides precise environmental weather and soil data, designed primarily for industrial and agricultural use. Additionally, their automation system, which includes both hardware and software, effectively manages irrigation and other agricultural activities.
Elzian Agro has also been honored as one of the top ten youth-driven social enterprises at the Global-South Development Expo 2022 by the United Nations Youth Envoy’s Office, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and UNDP Youth Co:Lab. The company has also been featured in the Commonwealth Youth Awards in 2022 and recognized as one of the top 100 meaningful businesses in 2023 by Ernst & Young (EY), Hogan Lovells Global Law Firms, Babson College, and the Meaningful Business Community.
