Kimbula Kithul
Founder – Chanchala Gunawardana
Company Bio
Kimbula Kithul was founded with the vision to create a global, premium opportunity for the wrongfully long-undervalued uniquely Lankan product of pure kithul syrup.
Pure kithul is low-GI, smoky-sweet and vegan, lending itself to diverse culinary and drink possibilities and is well-aligned with future forward food concerns of health and sustainability.
Today, Kimbula is also looking beyond kithul - building a Kimbula Kitchen of products united by their distinctly Lankan flavours, sustainably harvested, all while keeping farmer visibility, dignity and fair trade at the center.
How did participating in Venture Engine help accelerate your business?
Right before I applied to VE, I was struggling to bridge the gap between my vision and my reality - I felt stuck making small gains in the local space. I was looking for help to build a framework to make things really work. When I was told that VE wasn’t just for tech, I decided why not. Those pitching rounds were the first time I articulated my vision, and got the tools to frame and assess my business critically. The speaker sessions were the first time I got to see the language and scope with which a room full of primarily tech concepts got to hear. It was much more ambitious than the language I heard in social entrepreneurship and it gave my ambition confidence to show. I think more than anything VE validated my dream and gave me fuel. The journey after that has taken longer than perhaps if I was tech, but that foundation was essential to keeping me driven, and pushing me to pursue all the opportunities that followed.
Learn more: www.kimbulakithul.com
