What TEDxColombo does

TEDxColombo is an independently organized, nonprofit TED event based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, founded in 2011 under license from TED Conference LLC. The organization hosts annual TED-style conferences that combine live speakers with curated TED Talk videos to spark discussion and connection among local audiences. It serves a horizontal audience of professionals, students, entrepreneurs, and changemakers in Sri Lanka who seek international-caliber ideas and networking, and it operates a small core team of about seven directors plus volunteers responsible for curation, event production, creative direction, marketing, and administration.

The organization's product surface spans multiple event formats: the flagship annual TEDxColombo event (most recently "MADness" 2025 at Nelum Pokuna and the announced "The Fractured Paradox" 2026), TEDxWomen and TEDxYouth programs, TEDxColomboLive viewing events (e.g., 2024), and a TEDx South Asia Regional Organizer Workshop that positions TEDxColombo as a regional hub within the broader TEDx organizer community. Supporting programs include a Speaker Application Program accepting submissions in English, Sinhala, and Tamil with a mandatory multi-month speaker coaching commitment, and a Partnership Program offering tiered sponsorships. Talks produced are distributed globally through TED.com and the TEDx Talks YouTube channel, and the organization maintains an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

Commercially, TEDxColombo is funded through one-time event ticket sales (distributed via BoxOffice.lk) and a multi-tier corporate sponsorship stack covering Main, Innovation, Educational, Venue, Refreshment, Ticketing, Media, Photography, and Marketing partners. Sponsors exchange cash and in-kind contributions for brand visibility and association with the TEDx brand. The organization holds a TEDx trademark license, operates as a community-driven entity with no parent company or external investors, and is headquartered in Colombo with events held at venues such as Monarch Imperial and Nelum Pokuna.

Name

TEDxColombo

Legal name

TEDxColombo

Website

https://tedxcolombo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TEDxColombo is a nonprofit, independently organized TEDx event founded in 2011 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It hosts annual TED-style conferences and viewing events featuring live speakers and curated TED Talks, serving Sri Lankan professionals, students, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, and operates as a regional hub for South Asian TEDx organizers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conference and Event Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Lectures & Speaker Series (MPAGACAI), Abstract, Speaker & Session Management Systems (THAHAFAI)

Keywords

• TED-style conferences
• Live speaker events
• Speaker coaching programs
• Community event organizing
• Idea-sharing conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Ticketing: Ticket sales for TEDxColombo annual events including TEDxColombo 2023, 2025, 2026 and TEDxColomboLive events. Student discounts available.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Partnership with various companies who sponsor events in exchange for brand visibility and association with the TEDx brand. Multiple partnership tiers available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TEDxColombo hosts independently organized TED-licensed conferences in Colombo, Sri Lanka, combining live speakers trained in the standard 18-minute talk format with curated TED Talk videos to spark discussion and connection. It runs multiple event formats (annual main events, TEDxLive viewing events, TEDxWomen, TEDxYouth) and supports speakers through a minimum three-month coaching program, while also convening South Asian TEDx organizers.

Product overview

TEDxColombo operates as a self-organized event series under TEDx license, offering multiple event formats including main TEDxColombo annual events, TEDxWomen, TEDxYouth, and TEDx Live viewing events. The organization also runs a South Asia Regional Organizer Workshop for TEDx community collaboration. Supporting programs include a Speaker Application Program accepting applications in three languages with mandatory speaker coaching, and a Partnership Program for strategic sponsorships. Events feature live speakers trained in the standard 18-minute TED format combined with curated TED Talk videos to spark deep discussion and connection in Sri Lanka.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TEDxColombo Annual Conference Flagship independently organized TEDx conference held annually in Colombo, Sri Lanka, featuring live speakers trained in the standard 18-minute talk format alongside curated TED Talk videos, with ticketed public attendance and a 3+ month speaker coaching program.
• TEDxColomboLive Live viewing event that broadcasts TED conferences in real-time to local audiences in Colombo, combining real-time screening of TED talks with community discussion.
• TEDxWomen TEDx program focused on women-led ideas and perspectives, organized as part of the global TEDWomen initiative.
• TEDxYouth Youth-focused TEDx events designed for younger audiences, run as part of the global TEDxYouth program.
• TEDx South Asia Regional Organizer Workshop Two-day regional workshop convening TEDx organizers from across South Asia to collaborate on best practices, processes, and frameworks for running TEDx events, hosted by TEDxColombo.
• TEDxColombo Partnership Program Sponsored partnership offering for organizations to align with TEDxColombo as Main, Educational, Innovation, or Media partners in exchange for brand visibility and association with the TEDx brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 events held over 15 years demonstrating sustained operational track record and community engagement.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• SyscocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Partner for TEDxColombo 2023, providing sponsorship support for the annual event. Sysco is a technology company in Sri Lanka.
• AmrakmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational Partner and Refreshment Partner for TEDxColombo events. Amrak is an educational institution/company supporting the event.
• John Keells ITmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInnovation Partner for TEDxColombo 2023, supporting innovation-focused programming and initiatives.
• BoxOffice.lkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Ticketing Partner for TEDxColombo, providing online ticket sales platform for event attendees.
• MailchimpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmail Marketing Partner providing email marketing platform services for TEDxColombo communications.
• RichardsonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOutdoor Advertising Partner providing outdoor advertising services for event promotion.
• E-Maan DigitalmajorTechnology or IntegrationWeb Development Partner responsible for designing and developing the TEDxColombo website.
• Taihsin PhotographyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhotography Partner and Design Partner for TEDx South Asia Regional Organizer Workshop, providing photography and design services.
• Asia BroadcastingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio Partner for TEDxColombo 2023, providing radio broadcast coverage and promotion.
• Temple Grounds CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee Partner providing coffee refreshments for TEDxColombo 2023 attendees.
• HardTalkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPR Partner for TEDxColombo 2023, providing public relations and media relations support.
• Superflat StudiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign Partner for TEDxColombo 2023, providing creative design services.
• Monarch ImperialcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue Partner and venue host for TEDxColombo 2023 and Day 2 of South Asia Regional Workshop. Luxury dining and convention center in Colombo.
• Illy CaffeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee Partner for TEDxColomboLive 2024, providing premium coffee products.
• Il GelatominorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood Partner for TEDxColomboLive 2024, providing gelato and refreshments.
• Nelum PokunacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue Partner for TEDxColombo 2025 and 2026 events. Premier cultural and event venue in Colombo featuring world-class facilities.
• WSO2majorTechnology or IntegrationVenue Partner for TEDx South Asia Regional Organizer Workshop in 2023. Technology company founded in 2005, enabling digital transformation for enterprises.
• New WireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline Media Partner for TEDxColombo 2023, providing online media coverage.
• Likuid BusinessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost Space Partner for TEDxColombo 2023, providing additional venue space.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• TEDxMumbai: South Asian TEDx event operating under the same TEDx license with comparable format, ticket sales model, and corporate sponsorship structure. Directly comparable for South Asian market dynamics, audience scale, and partnership economics.
• TEDxLondon: One of the most established independently organized TEDx events globally, offering the same core product (live speakers, TED Talk video curation, sponsor partnerships) at significantly larger scale. Useful benchmark for TEDx operational maturity and partnership economics.
• The Moth: Storytelling-focused live event series with curated speakers, global chapters (Moth StorySLAMs in multiple cities), and ticketed local events combined with broadcast/podcast distribution. Closely comparable in community-driven local chapter model with global content aggregation.
• Creative Mornings: Global chapter-based talk series featuring one speaker per local event, with city-level volunteer organizers and sponsor partnerships. Operates an analogous chapter-license model similar to TEDx, with comparable scale, format, and audience composition.
• PopTech: Ideas and innovation conference featuring curated speakers and small-group discussions around technology and social impact. Comparable in curated-speaker format, small-audience interactive design, and thought-leadership positioning, though at smaller scale than TEDxColombo.
• TEDxSingapore: Another independently organized TEDx event in Asia, operating under the same TEDx license framework with similar event format (live speakers, 18-minute talks), sponsorship tiers, and speaker coaching model. Directly comparable in scope and operational mechanics, though in a more developed sponsorship market.
• TEDxDhaka: Bangladesh-based TEDx event operating under identical TEDx license terms with the same 18-minute talk format, speaker coaching pipeline, and partnership tiers. Comparable for South Asian emerging-market dynamics and similar regulatory/cultural context.

Broad incumbents

• SXSW (South by Southwest): Major multi-format conference and festivals operator featuring keynotes, panels, and curated talks across technology, music, and film. Comparable in curated-speaker intellectual content format but operates at vastly larger scale with global sponsor ecosystem.
• Aspen Ideas Festival: Major ideas-focused conference featuring curated speakers across disciplines, with global audience reach and corporate sponsorship model. Comparable in intellectual/ideas positioning and speaker-coaching-intensive format, though at substantially larger scale.
• TED (TED Conference): The parent organization whose brand and license TEDxColombo operates under. TED runs the flagship annual conference, licenses the TEDx program globally, and controls TED.com content distribution — providing the platform and brand framework within which TEDxColombo operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tedxcolombo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7IxpmoRy9iE_G6WUSuQuZw
• Facebookfacebook.com/TEDxColombo
• Instagraminstagram.com/tedxcolombo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tedxcolombo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TEDxColombo