About Me
Ishan Wijewardana
I am a tech entrepreneur and investor with a career spanning healthcare, consulting, and start-up ventures.
My goal is to share commentary on my experiences across business and finance. My thoughts are my own and any comments I make should be taken with a grain of salt.
Career Overview
I began my career as a Medical Doctor and Scientist, qualifying with an MBBS and BSc Hons in Biochemistry and Immunology from St. George’s Hospital Medical School, in 2014. During this time, I contributed to peer-reviewed research and presented at scientific conferences.
I then worked as a Management Consultant from 2015 to 2018 advising executive leadership at national health systems and providers on initiatives that improved operating performance and patient care delivery.
In 2018 I switched to tech and since then have been scaling venture backed businesses, as a data driven digital marketer: Firstly at Kokoon Technology and then Bakkali.
Kokoon Technology, was an innovative sleep-focused start-up that combined IoT and machine learning to help users fall asleep more easily. Kokoon raised close to $10 million in venture funding including from investors such as Blackfinch and secured a successful partnership to Philips in 2022.
Bakkali is a thriving online marketplace for rare ethnic groceries, catering to diverse communities. It was backed by Silicon Valley investors such as Hustle Fund, and is still operational today.