By Chirath Jayasinghe (Technopreneurship Club)
Two student teams from Trinity College made their mark at the Future Founder 2025 National Engineering Entrepreneurs Bootcamp, clinching 1st Place and 3rd Place titles in a fiercely competitive field. The competition, organised by the Sri Lankan Engineers in South Australia (SLESA) in collaboration with SLIIT, brought together the most promising student innovators from across Sri Lanka for a four-month online bootcamp focused on engineering entrepreneurship.
To most, the 23rd of March 2025 was just another ordinary day. However, unbeknownst to the vast majority of students milling about the school grounds, it marked the beginning of a remarkable journey for seven young Trinitians across two teams. A journey that would demand courage, perseverance, resilience — and the ability to rise in the face of failure.
The Future Founder 2025 programme aimed to foster a unique culture of youth-led innovation. With participation from over 50 schools, the competition quickly became a highly competitive arena. Each team was tasked with identifying a pressing societal challenge, then designing and refining a market-ready solution to present before a panel of investors.
Every submission had its own ingenuity, but this story belongs to the two Trinity teams who boldly rose to the challenge.
Team Trinity Syntax, comprising Master Yasas Senanayake, Master Disalana Jayasooriya, Master Shahrukh Fairooz, and Master Nilesh Sirirwardane, developed Traffix AI — a cutting-edge solution to the persistent issue of urban traffic congestion, especially in developing nations. Their product used artificial intelligence to offer scalable and intelligent traffic management systems.
Team TriXel, made up of Master Chaniru Senhas, Master Rehan Anandakumar, and Master Chirath Jayasinghe, tackled a very different problem: the environmental and financial cost of conventional printer ink. Their innovation, TeaTint, introduced a biodegradable, tea-based ink formulation that was both eco-friendly and cost-effective.
And so the work began.
Over four months, both teams immersed themselves in ideation, product development, testing, and refinement. Supported by expert mentorship from SLESA and guided by Trinity’s own innovation ecosystem, they advanced through multiple rounds — each step building toward the final showdown.
Then came the 13th and 14th of July.
The final pitch. Each team had just 15 minutes to make their case — to showcase their product and convince a panel of independent investors of its viability and relevance. It was intense, focused, and high-pressure. When it was over, all they could do was wait.
On the 19th of July, the teams travelled to the SLIIT campus in Malabe for the awards ceremony. The air buzzed with excitement and suspense as the results were announced.
Team Trinity Syntax’s Traffix AI earned the 2nd Runner-Up position and a cash prize of Rs. 75,000, earning praise for its innovative application of AI in public infrastructure.
Then came the big win.
Team TriXel was crowned Champions of Future Founder 2025, with TeaTint recognised for its originality, sustainability, and commercial promise. Their triumph was marked with a trophy, medals, and a cash prize of Rs. 150,000.
These achievements were not theirs alone. The teams express deep gratitude to the Principal, Rev. Fr. Araliya Jayasundara OSB, and the College Management Team for fostering an environment where innovation is encouraged. Special thanks are due to Mr. Wasana Dissanayaka, Director of TCCEI, whose efforts enabled Trinity’s participation, and to Mr. Chathura Subawickrama, Master-in-Charge of the Technopreneurship Club, for his unwavering support throughout.
They also recognise the guidance and mentorship of Trinity alumni Mr. Venura Wijesekara, Mr. Yasasvi Wijesekara, and Mr. Sheshan Abeysekara, whose expertise helped sharpen their ideas into real-world solutions.
It was a victorious group that returned to College that day — a group that proved, beyond doubt, that with creativity, resilience, and teamwork, even school students can innovate for impact.
