Dhanika Perera

About

Dhanika Perera is a Sri Lankan tech entrepreneur, digital innovator, and the Founder & CEO of Bhasha, a homegrown technology company behind some of Sri Lanka’s most impactful digital platforms. He is best known for founding Helakuru, Sri Lanka’s most widely used Sinhala-first digital platform, which has grown from a simple keyboard innovation into a nationwide Superapp empowering millions of Sri Lankans. Through the Helakuru ecosystem, he introduced Esana, HelaPay, HelaRoo, and HelaGo, expanding digital access across everyday services such as news, payments, content, and mobility, making technology more inclusive and locally relevant. In parallel, he also founded PayHere, Sri Lanka’s first Central Bank–approved aggregated online payment gateway, built to empower local businesses. Today, PayHere enables thousands of startups, SMEs and enterprises to seamlessly accept online payments, supporting the country’s transition toward a more digitally enabled economy. With nearly 15 years of entrepreneurial experience, Dhanika’s work has consistently focused on solving real-world problems through locally relevant technology—helping drive Sri Lanka’s digital inclusion, cashless payments adoption, and citizen-centric digital services. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science & Engineering from the University of Moratuwa and an MBA from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. His journey from engineer to entrepreneur began while still an undergraduate, driven by a passion to make technology accessible to everyday Sri Lankans. Dhanika’s contributions have earned him numerous local and international recognitions, including the mBillionth South Asian Award, e-Swabhimani, NBQSA, and multiple honors as an Emerging Entrepreneur, ICT Leader, and Most Innovative Entrepreneur. He was also recognized by the Government of Sri Lanka for his role in advancing the country’s digital transformation and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.