Why Sri Lanka is an ideal tech destination for Dutch companies
Dutch companies have chosen Sri Lanka after looking at the alternatives. Gapstars was founded in 2015 by Hugo Hemmen after his research into where to build software teams for European companies pointed to Sri Lanka. It now has 300+ people and supports 75+ companies. ICT Group, a Dutch technology company with 40+ years in automotive software, partnered with Inivos to scale its engineering capacity in Colombo.
- 300+
- people at Gapstars
- 75+
- companies supported by Gapstars
- 4.5 to 5.5
- shared working hours a day
3 companies connected to the Netherlands already build in Sri Lanka
GapstarsEmbedded engineering teams for Dutch scaleups including Otrium, and for Dual Inventive's railway safety systems used across the Netherlands.Read the story and sources
InivosPartner to ICT Automotive on embedded and electric vehicle software. The Netherlands Deputy Ambassador attended the launch in Colombo.Read the story and sources
Creative Software25 years of dedicated teams for Northern European clients.Read the story and sourcesWorking hours and time zones
Sri Lanka is 3.5 hours ahead of the Netherlands in summer and 4.5 hours ahead in winter. With a 9 to 6 day in both places you share 4.5 to 5.5 working hours every day, from 9am to early afternoon Dutch time.
What Dutch companies source from Sri Lanka
HealthtechRegulated health platforms and operations
Automotive techEmbedded, electric vehicle and connected car software
Fintech and capital marketsTrading, banking and wealth platforms
AIAI products, agents and data platforms
Enterprise software and ERPERP, integration and large product codebases
Semiconductors and embeddedChip design tools and device software
Logistics and travel techBooking, warehouse and supply chain systems
Govtech and public sectorPublic sector platforms and secure delivery
Finance and shared servicesAccounting, finance operations and shared servicesThree ways to start
Hire a few people
Use an employer of record or contractors. No local company needed. How it works
Take a dedicated team
A Sri Lankan company runs a team that works only for you. See companies
Open your own centre
Register a company and hire directly. Setup guide
Tell us who you need
We introduce Sri Lankan engineers, specialists or partner teams who have worked with companies from the Netherlands.
Common questions
Which Dutch companies build software in Sri Lanka?
Gapstars runs its largest engineering base in Colombo for clients such as Otrium and Dual Inventive, and ICT Group works with Inivos on automotive software.
What is the time difference between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka is 3.5 hours ahead in summer and 4.5 hours ahead in winter, giving 4.5 to 5.5 shared working hours a day.
Do Sri Lankan engineers travel to the Netherlands?
Gapstars regularly flies its Colombo engineers to client headquarters in Europe.