Biography of Dinal Kurukulasooriya: Founder of Autochatic & Coachello- Entrepreneur
Biography of Dinal Kurukulasooriya:
Early Coding Passion
Dinal Kurukulasooriya’s story began at a young age, fueled
by a deep curiosity for technology. As a self-taught coder at the age of 15, he
started experimenting with programming languages and soon sold his first
software product when he was just 16 years old. This early entrepreneurial
spirit not only demonstrated his technical prowess but also highlighted his
ability to turn ideas into practical, marketable solutions. His passion for
coding became the foundation for a lifelong commitment to technology, innovation,
and entrepreneurship.
Academic Excellence in Mathematics
During his schooling at D.S. Senanayake College, Dinal stood
out for his academic excellence, especially in mathematics. He achieved
remarkable success in his advanced-level exams, ranking within the top 1% of
his peers. His love for numbers and problem-solving naturally led him to become
the Secretary of the Computer Science Society, where he further developed his
leadership and organizational skills. These academic achievements not only laid
a strong foundation for his technical capabilities but also nurtured his
leadership potential, shaping him into the entrepreneur he would later become.
A Strong Technical and Business Foundation
At University of Moratuwa, Dinal’s education was a blend of
technical rigor and business acumen. As a Computer Science and Engineering
major, he delved into advanced subjects such as machine learning,
bioinformatics, distributed systems, and data mining. He was also exposed to
key business disciplines, including organizational behavior and financial
accounting. This holistic approach to learning not only equipped him with deep
technical expertise but also a strong understanding of the business side of startups,
enabling him to balance both the development and strategic aspects of his
ventures effectively.
Toyota’s Reliable Rendering Engine
One of Dinal’s earliest professional achievements came when
he developed a rendering engine in C/C++ that was integrated into Toyota’s
vehicle dashboards. This project showcased his ability to create reliable and
scalable software solutions. The rendering engine has since powered millions of
Toyota vehicles, running without a reported crash, demonstrating its robustness
and Dinal’s commitment to high-quality, fail-safe solutions. This experience
marked the beginning of his career in creating high-impact technologies that
could serve global industries.
Venture Building with Yilt
In 2018, Dinal co-founded Yilt, a platform designed to
assist non-technical founders in building and scaling their startups. At Yilt,
he took on the role of Chief Technology Officer, where he applied his technical
knowledge to help over 10 startups transition from ideas to successful
businesses with multi-million-euro valuations. His responsibilities included
consulting with founders on product development, timeline management, and
budget optimization. His strategic approach enabled these startups to scale rapidly,
providing Dinal with invaluable experience in both startup growth and the
intricacies of working with non-technical entrepreneurs.
Success with Autochatic
Dinal’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to launch Autochatic,
a multilingual and context-aware chatbot builder, in 2018. The platform was
designed to streamline communication for businesses by offering an AI-powered
chatbot that could handle diverse languages and adapt to varying contexts. By
2020, Autochatic had processed over 10 million messages, solidifying its place
in the market. The platform's success attracted the interest of a telecom
company, which extended an acquisition offer in 2019. While discussions were
still ongoing, this move demonstrated the potential of Dinal’s ideas and his
ability to build market-leading products in competitive industries.
Scaling Akarsa Globally
In 2020, Dinal co-founded Akarsa, an AI-powered engine aimed
at improving the effectiveness of online profiles. Akarsa’s software empowered
users to optimize their online presence, helping them reach audiences more
effectively. By the end of its first year, the platform had successfully
acquired users from 75 countries, a testament to its global appeal. Dinal was
not only responsible for the product’s technical development but also led the
company through its fundraising stages, securing investment to fuel further
expansion. Akarsa’s success reinforced his ability to build AI-driven platforms
that addressed real-world needs at a global scale.
Innovation at Entrepreneur First
In 2021, Dinal joined Entrepreneur First as a Founder in
Residence, where he explored new startup ideas and connected with other
talented innovators. This period was a valuable time for Dinal to broaden his
entrepreneurial knowledge and gain exposure to new industries and technologies.
His time at Entrepreneur First helped him refine his approach to building tech
startups and solidified his commitment to identifying market gaps and creating
solutions that could scale globally. The connections he made during this time
would go on to fuel his next big ventures.
Biography of Dinal Kurukulasooriya: Founder of Autochatic & Coachello# Entrepreneur#AI-powered coaching platform#AI-powered chatbot builder#startup
Transforming Leadership with Coachello
As co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Coachello,
Dinal is currently leading the development of an advanced AI-powered leadership
coaching platform. The goal of Coachello is to provide businesses with the
tools to foster leadership skills through integrated coaching experiences. This
platform is already being used by unicorns and Fortune 500 companies,
underlining the widespread appeal of Dinal’s innovative solutions. By utilizing
AI to enhance leadership coaching, Coachello promises to revolutionize how
organizations approach leadership development, making it more accessible and
effective.
Impactful Work at Artefact
At Artefact, Dinal worked as a consultant and was
responsible for architecting data ingestion pipelines that drastically improved
data visualization speed. The new system he designed increased data processing
capabilities by over 100 times, significantly reducing latency and improving
stability, even when handling over a terabyte of data. Dinal’s work at Artefact
involved diagnosing and fixing inefficiencies in existing systems, which led to
a 50% reduction in development time for new features and bug fixes. This
achievement highlights his problem-solving capabilities and his ability to lead
teams in creating optimized, high-performance systems.
A Visionary in Technology and Entrepreneurship
Dinal Kurukulasooriya’s career is a testament to his passion
for technology and his drive to create impactful solutions. From coding at 15
to building global AI-driven platforms, his journey showcases his relentless
pursuit of innovation. Through his ventures, Dinal has proven that success is
not just about building products, but about creating lasting value that
addresses real-world challenges. His ability to bridge the gap between
technology and entrepreneurship has made him a visionary in his field, inspiring
future generations of tech entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams and push the
boundaries of what’s possible.
Timeline for story
Age 15: Dinal started coding and experimenting with
programming languages.
Age 16: Sold his first software product, marking his
entrepreneurial debut.
During School: Excelled in mathematics and became Secretary
of the Computer Science Society.
University of Moratuwa: Studied Computer Science &
Engineering with a focus on both tech and business.
Early Career: Developed a reliable rendering engine for
Toyota’s vehicle dashboards.
2018: Co-founded Yilt to help non-technical founders scale
startups.
2018: Launched Autochatic, a multilingual AI-powered chatbot
builder.
2019: Autochatic attracted acquisition interest from a
telecom company.
2020: Co-founded Akarsa, an AI-powered engine to improve
online profiles.
2021: Joined Entrepreneur First as a Founder in Residence.
Present: Co-founded Coachello, an AI-powered leadership
coaching platform.
At Artefact: Worked as a consultant, optimizing data
ingestion pipelines and improving system performance.
