Dessina.co: Three Moratuwa Undergrads Rewriting the Rules for Engineering Startups
Meet the team behind Dessina.co — Navindu Karunarathna, Dilshan Salpadoru, and Rusiru Mendis. All three are engineering undergraduates at the University of Moratuwa, and together they are quietly rewriting the rules for how engineering startups operate in Sri Lanka.
Started While Still Studying
Dessina began in late 2023, while the founders were juggling one of the toughest engineering degrees in the country.
The company enables engineering startups and businesses to outperform beyond their core expertise. In just over two years, these 24-year-olds have built something that few would expect at this stage of their journey.
Taking the Non-Core Work Off Founders’ Hands
What truly sets Dessina apart is how they work.
The team handles the non-core operations for their clients — marketing, HR, CRM, cybersecurity, and content. That allows engineering founders to focus on what they do best: engineering.
And they do it all exceptionally well. Their impact has elevated the Sri Lankan engineering startup ecosystem to a new level.
The logic behind the model is sound. Technical founders are often strongest at building the product and weakest at everything surrounding it. Rather than asking them to become marketers or HR managers, Dessina takes that layer off their plate entirely.
Engineering Discipline, Business Execution
The team tackles problems head-on, engineers practical solutions, and seamlessly connects technical precision with business execution.
That combination is unusual. Deep engineering training on its own does not guarantee commercial sense, and entrepreneurial drive on its own does not guarantee rigour. Dessina’s work reflects both.
Still in Their Early Twenties
The most impressive part is the context in which all of this has been achieved.
The founders are still studying. They are still in their early twenties. They are still building while carrying the weight of a demanding degree programme.
It raises an obvious question — what will they achieve once they go full-time?
Work That Speaks for Itself
Startups are often viewed through a critical lens of analysis and scrutiny. Dessina stands out as an exception.
Their work speaks louder than any pitch deck ever could.
For anyone watching the startup Sri Lanka space, this is what the next generation of Sri Lankan engineering innovation looks like — young, technically strong, and building real results before they have even graduated.
