Falling Walls Lab Colombo 2026: Sri Lanka’s Young Innovators Take the Stage

Falling Walls Lab, a global pitch competition that provides a platform for young researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to present their breakthrough ideas in just three minutes, was held in Sri Lanka for the first time this year. The event was organised by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in collaboration with the University of Colombo.
Falling Walls Lab Colombo 2026 took place on 26^th May 2026 at the Mini Auditorium 1, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. The event was jointly organised by the DAAD Regional Office New Delhi, the DAAD Sri Lanka Office, and the University of Colombo. Coordination on behalf of the University was undertaken by the International Office and the Innovation and Start-up Incubator, with the support of the Faculty of Medicine.
The programme commenced with opening remarks by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Indika Mahesh Karunathilake, who welcomed participants, guests, and members of the jury panel. He also presented certificates of appreciation to the jury members in recognition of their valuable contribution to the competition. Mr Arthur Rapp, Jury Chair and Director of the DAAD Regional Office New Delhi, addressed the audience on behalf of DAAD and provided an overview of the Falling Walls Lab concept. The event featured an engaging afternoon of presentations, with each pitch followed by questions from the jury and the audience. Following a competitive round of presentations, three outstanding participants emerged as winners.

1^st Place – Melissa Aluwihare (University of Colombo) “Breaking the Wall of Delayed AMR Detection”
2^nd Place – Ramlah Mohamed Kamal (University of Colombo) “Breaking the Wall of Bladder Cancer Diagnosis”
3^rd Place – Vinushayini Ravichandran (University of Kelaniya) “Breaking the Walls of Health Hazard by Microplastics from Tea Bags”

Further, the Audience Choice Award was won by Chalindu Yohan from the Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT) for “NOVALITH – Breaking the wall of maternal and fetal death”. The winner, Melissa Aluwihare, will represent Sri Lanka at the Falling Walls Lab Global Finale in Berlin, where she will compete alongside winners from Labs held across the world. The Jury panel for the event consisted of,

Mr Arthur Rapp, Jury Chair and Director, DAAD Regional Office New Delhi
Dr Indunil Piyadigama, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo
Dr Iroja Caldera, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo
Dr Lishani Wijewardene, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences & Technology, University of Ruhuna
Mr Martin Klose, Chief Delegate, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka

Dr Asanka Sayakkara, Director of the Innovation and Start-up Incubator, played a key role in the shortlisting of applicants, ensuring a strong and diverse pool of finalists for the competition. On the day of the event, student volunteers from the University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC) assisted in the smooth conduct of the programme, while the UCSC Music Circle provided entertainment. The Falling Walls Lab Colombo 2026 reflects the University of Colombo’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship while highlighting its strong partnerships and active engagement with international academic and research networks.