Kapruka.com
Sri Lankan e-commerce company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kapruka.com (CSE:KPHL)[5] is a Sri Lankan e-commerce company headquartered in Nugegoda, Colombo. Founded in 2002 by Dulith Herath, it operates online retail platforms serving domestic and expatriate Sri Lankan customers. Kapruka is listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange and has subsidiaries in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.[6]
| Kapruka.com | |
| Company type | Public |
| CSE:KPHL.N0000 | |
| ISIN | ISIN: LK0482N00006 |
| Industry | E-commerce |
| Founded | February 7, 2002, in Nugegoda, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Founder | Dulith Herath |
Area served | Sri Lanka, International |
| Services | |
Number of employees | 240 (2025) |
| Subsidiaries |
|
| Website | www.kapruka.com |
| Footnotes / references [1][2][3][4] | |
History
Kapruka was incorporated on 7 February 2002 as Lanka Dot Info (Pvt) Limited under the Companies Act of Sri Lanka.[7] Initially, the company operated remotely from the United States, processing limited weekly orders for Sri Lankan expatriates before expanding operations to Sri Lanka.[8] The company launched with an initial capital of under US$1,000.[7]
On 7 January 2005, the company was renamed Kapruka Dot Com (Private) Limited and was re-registered under the Companies Act No. 07 of 2007 on 29 July 2008. The name “Kapruka” is derived from a Sinhala word meaning “wishing tree”.[9][8]
In 2021, Kapruka became a public limited company under the name Kapruka Holdings Limited, raising LKR 505.5 million through an initial public offering, with 80% of shares retained by the founder.[10][11][12][13] It commenced trading on the Colombo Stock Exchange on 7 January 2022 and was renamed Kapruka Holdings PLC in April 2022.[5][14]
For the fiscal year 2025, Kapruka reported revenue of approximately LKR 1.65 billion and a net loss of LKR 142.37 million.[6][15][13]
Operations
Kapruka operates an online retail platform selling groceries, clothing, electronics, and gifts. It manages warehousing, inventory, and delivery operations.[16]
By the early 2020s, the company had partnerships with over 500 brands and employed around 240 people.[15] Kapruka supports Sri Lankan sellers in cross-border sales on platforms including Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Walmart. Its Kapruka Global Shop platform allows local customers to purchase goods from international retailers.[7][15]
Additional platforms include Partner Central, which integrates third-party sellers without holding all inventory,[17][18][19] Kapruka B2B for bulk purchases,[20] and Soldout.lk, a platform for secondhand goods.[21] The company has added additional payment options, including Apple Pay and cryptocurrency.[22][23][24] Its logistics operations include Grasshoppers, a cloud-based last-mile delivery network operating through regional hubs and freelance distributors.[9][25][26]
Kapruka has expanded into food and beverage with the coffeehouse chain Java Lounge[27][28] and grocery delivery services such as Superbox.[29]
Controversies
In September 2017, Herath advocated stricter regulation of small e-commerce parcels imported through platforms such as Alibaba and eBay, drawing criticism for potentially affecting competition.[30][31]
In March 2020, Sri Lanka’s Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) raided Kapruka.com during the COVID-19 pandemic, alleging that some essential items were priced above government-set maximum retail prices.[32][33] Herath issued a public apology for the pricing errors and stated that corrective measures were being implemented to prevent future discrepancies.[34][35] Kapruka refunded approximately LKR 1.5 million to affected customers.[36][37]
In May 2020, customers reported that some Mother's Day gifts sold by Kapruka were of low quality, including spoiled and near-expired products.[38]
Recognition
Kapruka and Herath have received several awards, including:
- 2010: Sri Lankan Entrepreneur of the Year[39]
- 2011: National Business Excellence Award[39]
- 2013: Asia Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award (Enterprise Asia)[39][40][41]
- 2017: Sri Lankan Entrepreneur of the Year[39]
- 2017: CSSL ICT Leader of the Year[39]
- 2017: Eisenhower Fellowship[42][43]
- 2018: Asia Pacific Retail Entrepreneur of the Year (Enterprise Asia)[44]
The company has also been recognised by the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society, the International Trade Centre, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.[45][46]