The Birth of Upbold
In 2009, after the civil war, Vakeesan saw a computer for the first time at the Chettikulam School camp. Vakeesan's father promised to buy a computer if Vakeesan passed the Grade 5 scholarship, and Vakeesan did—by just two points.
Three years later, Vakeesan got the first laptop, but mostly used it for gaming. After the A/L exams, with only two passes, Vakeesan realized that more effort was needed. Vakeesan joined Yarl IT Hub Uki, learned full-stack development, and landed an internship in Colombo for just 10,000 LKR a month. Coming from a lower-middle-class family, Vakeesan couldn't afford to move to Colombo, but when COVID-19 hit, remote work became an option, and Vakeesan could complete the internship from home.
After COVID, many companies shifted to hybrid work models. Vakeesan still couldn't afford to move to Colombo, so freelancing was the next step. In the beginning, the earnings were only 1,000 or 2,000 rupees, with long nights spent getting the work done.
Two months later, Vakeesan suddenly landed five website projects, all with tight deadlines. Realizing the workload was too much to handle alone, Vakeesan hired two people to help. That same night, Vakeesan designed a logo, picked a name, and started the company. And just like that, Upbold was born—out of hard work, determination, and the belief that something better was possible.
