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BuiltList vs StartupSL: which Sri Lankan startup directory is right for you?
BuiltList, Sri Lanka's startup and product directory, and StartupSL are both places where Sri Lankan startups can be listed. They are not the same kind of site.
StartupSL (startupsl.lk) is the national online platform for startups in Sri Lanka. It is operated by ICTA, the government's ICT agency. BuiltList (builtlist.space) is an independent directory of products, AI agents, and bots built by Sri Lankans. Every BuiltList submission is reviewed by a person before it goes live.
Short answer: list on both. StartupSL is linked to government programmes. BuiltList gives your product a public page that people can find, search, and upvote. Browse startups in Sri Lanka.
| Feature | BuiltList | StartupSL |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Independent, built in Sri Lanka | ICTA, the government's ICT agency |
| What it lists | Products, AI agents, and bots built by Sri Lankans | Tech startups and ecosystem partners |
| Size | 145 approved products and 3 AI agents/bots (October 2026) | 953 startups on its homepage (archived 12 April 2026) |
| Cost to list | Free | Free to register (per ICTA) |
| How a listing goes live | A person reviews every submission | Founders register on the platform |
| Who can be listed | Any product built by Sri Lankans, at any stage | Startups; procurement preference applies to startups incorporated for more than 6 months and less than 5 years |
| Government benefits | None | Preference in small government software bids, plus finance, partnership and market-access schemes |
| AI agents and bots | Yes, with setup guides | Not listed as a category on the pages we checked |
| Discovery features | Ask AI search, upvotes, leaderboard, monthly roundups | Search by category, startup stage, and funding stage (per ICTA) |
| Startup ideas | Ideas section that links each idea to founders building nearby | Not offered on the pages we checked |
| Account needed | Yes, sign in to submit | Yes, registration |
What StartupSL does well
StartupSL has official backing. ICTA describes it as its flagship platform for the Sri Lankan startup ecosystem.
Being on StartupSL can bring real benefits. Its homepage says bids for application software estimated under Rs. 2 million are called only from startups published on StartupSL. It also lists financing schemes, partnerships with professional bodies, and priority in government market-access programmes.
It is also the largest dedicated Sri Lankan startup list we checked. Its homepage showed 953 startups in the snapshot archived on 12 April 2026. startupsl.lk returned 502 Bad Gateway on 26 October 2026, so that count has not been rechecked live.
What BuiltList does well
BuiltList is built around products, not company registration. Each listing has a public page with a tagline, a description, the founder, and a link.
BuiltList is smaller than StartupSL. As of 26 October 2026 it lists 145 approved products. SaaS is the largest category (57), then Other (18), Education (15), Marketing (12), and Finance, Dev Tools and Open Source Projects (10 each). Browse SaaS, fintech, AI companies, and edtech.
- Reviewed listings. A person checks every submission.
- Products and AI agents. You can list a website, a mobile app, an AI agent, or a bot. See agents and bots.
- Ask AI search. Visitors can search the directory in plain language.
- Ideas. The Ideas section rates startup ideas for Sri Lanka and shows founders already building nearby.
- Monthly roundups. Every month gets its own page of newly approved products, such as October 2026.
Which should you use?
Use StartupSL if you want to be on the government's national register and qualify for its programmes and procurement preference.
Use BuiltList if you want a reviewed product page that customers, other founders, and AI search tools can find.
Most founders should do both. They reach different readers, and listing on one does not affect the other. See how all five directories count startups.
Submit your product to BuiltList. You need to sign in.
Questions
Is BuiltList the same as StartupSL?
No. StartupSL is the national startup platform operated by ICTA. BuiltList is an independent directory of products, AI agents, and bots built by Sri Lankans.
Is it free to list on BuiltList and StartupSL?
Yes. Listing on BuiltList is free, and ICTA says registration on StartupSL is free for founders.
How long does BuiltList take to approve a listing?
Every BuiltList submission is reviewed by a person. You need to sign in to submit.
Why is StartupSL's startup count bigger than BuiltList's?
They count different things. StartupSL counts registered startups, while BuiltList counts products that a founder submitted and BuiltList approved, which was 145 in October 2026.
Can I list my AI agent or bot?
On BuiltList, yes. AI agents and bots have their own section with setup guides, and you can submit one at builtlist.space. You need to sign in.
Is startupsl.com the Sri Lankan StartupSL?
No. startupsl.com is a startup platform for Sierra Leone. Sri Lanka's national platform is at startupsl.lk.