fluencr, a homegrown tech startup, is shaping the country’s digital economy by enhancing influencer and business collaboration. Recognized among the top 50 at the prestigious Dialog Innovation Challenge, fluencr is on a mission to streamline business and influencer collaborations, aligning with Sri Lanka’s broader digital transformation initiatives.

In an era where influencer marketing is a key driver of brand engagement, fluencr offers a data-driven platform that enables businesses to discover, connect, and collaborate with the right influencers. The platform simplifies campaign management from start to finish, providing seamless performance analytics and ensuring instant payments through an integration with Seylan Bank’s Mastercard payment solutions.

For influencers, fluencr enhances brand discoverability, making it easier to secure collaborations while automating insight sharing and campaign workflows. The added benefit of timely payments ensures creators can focus on what they do best—creating engaging content.

fluencr isn’t just another marketplace; it’s a potential local alternative to global platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. By offering an accessible and free-to-use platform, fluencr has the power to uplift Sri Lanka’s content landscape, creating new opportunities for businesses and creators alike.

Why Now? Why Fluencr

Booming Influencer Market: Since 2019, the global influencer industry has tripled in value, reaching $21.1 billion. Sri Lanka’s share currently stands at an estimated $17.2 million, showcasing immense growth potential.

End of Third-Party Cookies: With platforms like Meta and Google phasing out third-party cookies by 2025, businesses must rethink their digital marketing strategies. fluencr provides a viable alternative, leveraging influencer partnerships for direct audience engagement.

User-Generated Content (UGC) Dominates: Research shows that 93% of marketers believe UGC outperforms traditional ads, making influencer collaborations more crucial than ever.

Rising Influencer Trust: With 63% of Gen Z preferring influencer recommendations over conventional advertising, brands need to adapt to shifting consumer behaviors.

fluencr was not just engineered in theory—it was born out of real-world challenges. The founding team, comprising professionals with experience at top Sri Lankan companies such as Dialog, Cinnamon Hotels, and Daraz, understands the struggles businesses and creators face in the digital marketing landscape. Now, they’re on a mission to solve them.

Whether you’re a business ready to harness the power of influencer marketing or a creator looking to scale, fluencr invites you to be part of Sri Lanka’s digital future: https://fluencr.io

SriLankan Airlines has unveiled ‘Yaana,’ an AI-powered chatbot designed to enhance customer support and streamline passenger interactions.

Developed in collaboration with CodeGen International (Pvt) Ltd., Yaana utilizes advanced AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies to provide intelligent assistance for a wide range of inquiries.

Now live on SriLankan Airlines’ corporate website, the chatbot aims to deliver faster, more efficient, and personalized support to passengers worldwide.

Chamara Perera, Group Head of Information Technology at SriLankan Airlines, commented on this latest advancement in customer engagement technology stating, “Yaana features a generative AI virtual assistant powered by GPT-4 technology and is equipped with sophisticated retrieval capabilities to enhance customer interactions and efficiently address inquiries. The system also utilises a conversational AI framework and custom AI algorithms to deliver rapid, accurate, empathetic and contextually relevant responses. By cross-referencing multiple policy documents, real-time data sets, including flight schedules, Yaana ensures that passengers receive reliable, tailored information.”

Dimuthu Tennakoon, Head of Worldwide Sales and Distribution at SriLankan Airlines, expressed his enthusiasm about Yaana’s potential, stating, “Since going live, Yaana has handled close to 12,000 inquiries with remarkable efficiency, autonomously resolving 88% of them. Furthermore, with its scalability, we anticipate Yaana will manage five times the current volume. By providing 24/7 assistance, including real-time updates during disruptions, streamlined booking guidance and personalised support for complex queries, Yaana will significantly enhance customer service every step of the way.”

The chatbot will prove especially indispensable during unplanned flight disruptions, a common occurrence in the airline industry, by assisting passengers in swiftly finding alternative travel options.

Available globally, Yaana also has multilingual capabilities, making it accessible to SriLankan Airlines’ diverse, global customer base. 

For SriLankan Airlines, an airline committed to using technological advancements to elevate the travel experience for passengers, Yaana marks a significant milestone in its digital evolution.

With this launch, SriLankan Airlines reaffirms its commitment to being one of South Asia’s most innovative and customer-focused airlines. Experience Yaana firsthand by visiting www.srilankan.com 

Stasshani Jayawardena, daughter of Harry Jayawardena, has been appointed chairperson of Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence, and group companies Browns Beach Hotels and Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings.

“Ms. Jayawardena has over 15 years of experience in the management of companies under the guidance of her late father Deshamanya D H S Jayawardena,” the company said in stock exchange filing.

“She has been managing and providing strategic direction to Aitken Spence Group Companies including the leisure sector and carries with her a wealth of knowledge and experience which is imperative for the continuous growth of the Aitken Spence Group of Companies adhering to the vision of late Deshamanya D H S Jayawardena.”

Jayawardena is a graduate of St James’ and Lucie Clayton College and Keele University in the United Kingdom, Emeritus Institute of Management, Singapore and an Associate Alumni of University of Cambridge (Judges Business School), United Kingdom. 

Jayawardena also interned under US Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton and former US President Bill Clinton in 2003.

She is a Director of Melstacorp, Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka, Lanka Milk Foods (CWE), and serves as the Joint Deputy Chairperson and Joint Managing Director of Aitken Spence and Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings.