LIRNEasia

What LIRNEasia does

LIRNEasia is a non-profit policy think tank incorporated under the Sri Lanka Companies Act in 2004 and headquartered in Colombo, with a regional mandate spanning South and Southeast Asia (operating in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines and South Korea). Its mission is to catalyse policy change through evidence-based research on digital infrastructure, ICT access and technology governance, with a stated pro-poor, pro-market orientation and focus on removing barriers to digital inclusion for underserved populations. The organisation runs a portfolio of research programmes and data platforms — most prominently AfterAccess (described as the most comprehensive dataset on mobile and internet access in the Global South, with nationally representative samples including SMEs and persons with disabilities), the Data, Algorithms and Policy (DAP) research team, the multi-country D4D Asia data-governance project, the Asia AI4D Observatory (launched February 2026), regional networks such as CPRSouth, and thematic initiatives on future of work, education and disability inclusion. Technology is applied to social-science methods (nationally representative surveys, NLP for South Asian languages such as Sinhala, hate-speech and speech analysis, interactive D3 data visualisations) rather than shipped as commercial infrastructure. LIRNEasia does not sell commercial products or services; it is funded primarily by international development research grants from donors including the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and disseminates outputs free of charge to policymakers, regulators, service providers, media and policy intellectuals across the region.

Name

LIRNEasia

Legal name

LIRNEasia

Website

https://lirneasia.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LIRNEasia is a Sri Lanka-headquartered, non-profit digital policy think tank that conducts evidence-based research on ICT access, data governance and responsible AI across South and Southeast Asia, funded primarily by IDRC and FCDO grants and serving policymakers, regulators and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF), Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

Keywords

• ICT policy research
• Digital infrastructure research
• Policy think tank
• Data governance research
• Responsible AI policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Donor Funding: LIRNEasia operates as a non-profit entity incorporated under the Sri Lanka Companies Act, funded primarily through international development research grants from organizations such as the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LIRNEasia is a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank that conducts policy-relevant research on digital infrastructure, data governance, and technology issues across the Asia Pacific. The organization produces research reports, policy briefs, datasets (notably the AfterAccess dataset), and policy recommendations targeting government policymakers, regulators, service providers, and media. It also trains policy intellectuals and provides short-term advisory assistance on request.

Product overview

LIRNEasia is a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank active across the Asia Pacific. Rather than offering commercial products, LIRNEasia's offerings consist of research programs, data platforms, and policy initiatives. Key offerings include: AfterAccess (comprehensive dataset on ICT access in the Global South), the Data, Algorithms, and Policy (DAP) research team, the D4D Asia project on data governance, and the Asia AI4D Observatory on responsible AI. The organization also maintains D3 Visualizations for presenting research data, organizes CPRSouth regional conferences, and runs initiatives like EmpowerED Asia for education technology and FutureWorks Asia for future of work research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AfterAccess The most comprehensive dataset on access to and use of mobile phones and the internet in the Global South, including nationally representative samples of SMEs and persons with disabilities.
• Data, Algorithms, and Policy (DAP) Research team combining computer science, quantitative methods, and qualitative ground truth research to examine data from millions of people to inform government policy.
• D4D Asia (Harnessing Data for Democratic Development) Multi-country project creating knowledge about data governance ecosystem tensions, gaps, and evolution across South and Southeast Asia.
• Asia AI4D Observatory Policy and innovation network on responsible AI launched in February 2026 to support Asia's capacity to design, govern, and scale responsible AI.
• CPRSouth Regional network and conference series for communication policy researchers in the Asia-Pacific region.
• EmpowerED Asia Research initiative focused on technology for inclusive education across Asia.
• D3 Visualizations Interactive data visualizations showcasing research findings and data from LIRNEasia's research projects.
• FutureWorks Asia Research initiative examining the future of work and workers in the context of increased digitization in the Asia Pacific.

Quantifiable outcome

• Contributed towards removal of barriers to access to digital technology for people of Asia
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Asia AI4D Observatory Partners (East-West Management Institute, JustJobs Network, EngageMedia)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026A three-year initiative launched in February 2026 to support Asia's capacity to design, govern, and scale responsible AI by generating actionable evidence, fostering regional learning and networks, and informing inclusive AI policies and regulations.
• UNDP Regional Innovation CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Commissioned LIRNEasia to produce the Ocean of Change megatrends report examining policy documents and research to project the next decade for South and Southeast Asia.
• Vihara Innovation NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Design and innovation focused partner hosting an accelerator lab for assistive technology solutions for persons with disabilities in India.
• Centre for Policy Research (India)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaboration partner for examining digital platforms and whether women are benefiting from them in India.
• World Resources Institute (India)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in research collaboration examining digital platforms and gender dimensions of platform work in India.
• Indian Institute of Human SettlementsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Academic partner in research collaboration on digital platforms and gender in India.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Research ICT Africa: Africa-focused ICT policy and regulation think tank producing primary survey research on access and use, with a structure and donor base closely comparable to LIRNEasia's emerging-markets, evidence-driven model.
• Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) / Web Foundation: Global coalition focused on affordable internet access and digital inclusion policy in emerging markets, producing regional research and advocacy outputs directly comparable to LIRNEasia's inclusion agenda.
• Association for Progressive Communications (APC): Network of civil-society organisations working on ICTs for development, digital rights and internet governance — closely aligned with LIRNEasia's policy-research-plus-capacity-building posture.
• IT for Change: India-based digital rights and development think tank working on data governance, platform regulation and digital public infrastructure — overlapping thematic territory and regional geography with LIRNEasia.
• Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), India: India-based think tank conducting research on internet governance, digital rights and emerging technology policy — a comparable South Asian ICT policy research organisation.

Broad incumbents

• GSMA: Global mobile industry association that funds and publishes substantial policy and inclusion research in emerging markets, including Asia, often commissioning and convening the same donor and government stakeholders as LIRNEasia.
• ITU (International Telecommunication Union): UN specialised agency for ICTs that produces authoritative global policy research and statistics on connectivity and digital inclusion — overlapping with LIRNEasia's evidence base for Asia-Pacific policy work.
• ITU-D & World Bank Digital Development: World Bank's digital development practice produces flagship connectivity and digital inclusion data products used by many of the same Asian policymakers LIRNEasia targets, and competes for the same donor-funded research briefs.

Emerging players

• ICRIER (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations): India-based economic policy think tank with a growing digital economy and platform regulation portfolio — relevant peer given LIRNEasia's collaboration on the State of India's Digital Economy report.

Regional players

• Digital Rights Foundation (Pakistan): Pakistan-based digital rights and policy organisation conducting research and advocacy on online safety, platform governance and inclusion — a regional peer working in one of LIRNEasia's priority geographies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lirneasia
• Facebookfacebook.com/lirneasia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lirneasia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about LIRNEasia