Kapruka.com

Kapruka Holdings PLC
Kapruka.com
Company typePublic
CSE:KPHL.N0000
ISINISIN: LK0482N00006
IndustryE-commerce
FoundedFebruary 7, 2002 (2002-02-07), in Nugegoda, Colombo, Sri Lanka
FounderDulith Herath
Area served
Sri Lanka, International
Services
Number of employees
240 (2025)
Subsidiaries
  • Kapruka E-commerce (Pvt) Limited
  • Kapruka USA LLC
  • Kapruka UK Global Ltd
  • Techroot Pvt Ltd
  • Kapruka Productions Pvt Ltd
Websitewww.kapruka.com
Footnotes / references
[1][2][3][4]

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]

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]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kapruka Holdings PLC Financials". StockAnalysis. Archived from the original on March 2, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  2. ^ "Kapruka Holdings PLC Annual Report 2024/25". MarketScreener. March 1, 2026. Archived from the original on March 2, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  3. ^ "Kapruka FY 2024/25 Annual Report PDF" (PDF). Kapruka Blog. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  4. ^ "Kapruka Holdings Employees". StockAnalysis. Archived from the original on March 2, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  5. ^ a b "Company Profile - CSE 2025". www.cse.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  6. ^ a b "Kapruka Holdings PLC (COSE:KPHL.N0000) Stock Analysis". StockAnalysis. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  7. ^ a b c "Sl's largest locally owned e-com giant, Kapruka reflects on upcoming IPO". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  8. ^ a b "The man behind the wishing tree: Dulith Herath and Kapruka". ReadMe. 2014-05-28. Archived from the original on 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  9. ^ a b Akthar, Fari (2019-09-18). "Dulith Herath's take on entrepreneurship". Kapruka blog. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  10. ^ "Sl's largest locally owned e-com giant, Kapruka reflects on upcoming IPO". The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  11. ^ Lahiru, Neville (2021-12-07). "Kapruka is gearing up for an IPO too, with LKR 505.5 mil target". ReadMe. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  12. ^ "Kapruka IPO Prospectus" (PDF). Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  13. ^ a b "Kapruka Holdings PLC — Annual Report 2022/23" (PDF). Colombo Stock Exchange filings. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  14. ^ "Kapruka Holdings Limited debuts trading on the CSE". Lanka Business News. 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  15. ^ a b c "The Innovation Issue – Sri Lanka's Biggest Online Retailer Takes More Slices of the "On-Demand" Economy". echelon.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  16. ^ "Kapruka: Your One-Stop Online Shopping Destination in Sri Lanka". 2026-01-22. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  17. ^ "Kapruka launches Partner Central portal". www.lankatalks.com. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  18. ^ "Kapruka launches platform "partner central"". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  19. ^ "Kapruka to launch marketplace for local brick, mortar sellers". The Morning. 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  20. ^ "Kapruka to play a dominant role in B2B e-commerce marketplace". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  21. ^ "Kapruka Founder and Chairman Dulith Herath". The Morning. 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  22. ^ Yadav, Ankita (2021-10-11). "Sri Lanka's e-commerce platform Kapruka to introduce crypto payments". Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  23. ^ Tassev, Lubomir (2021-10-10). "Sri Lanka's E-commerce Platform Kapruka to Introduce Crypto Payments". Bitcoin News. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  24. ^ "Kapruka, first e-commerce platform in Sri Lanka to accept Apple Pay". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  25. ^ "Aavishkaar strikes second deal in Sri Lanka". VCCircle. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  26. ^ "A Homegrown Delivery Model Driven by Technology". Island of Ingenuity. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  27. ^ "Anuradha Herath: Leading Sri Lanka's Coffee Revolution with Java Lounge". 2024-10-02. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  28. ^ "Anuradha Herath Managing Director and the Pillar of Strength of Java Lounge". www.lw.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  29. ^ "Introducing SUPERBOX.lk: Sri Lanka's first ever end-to-end fully-integratedonline supermarket". www.lankabusinessnews.com/. 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  30. ^ "Young leaders show the way for 2018 Budget". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  31. ^ "Kapruka Founder Dulith Herath Censured Online For 'Anti-Free Market' Comments At Pre-Budget Forum". Archived from the original on 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  32. ^ "CAA now open for SMS complaints". The Morning. 2020-03-29. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  33. ^ "CAA raids e-platform for selling essential items over fixed price". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  34. ^ Niroshani, Dhanushika (2020-04-15). "Kapruka chairman apologises for overpricing some items". Agamya News. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  35. ^ "Govt., private sector struggling to balance supply-demand equation". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  36. ^ "Kapruka refunding clients to tune of Rs 1.5mn". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  37. ^ "CAA cracks the whip on online sellers: Fixed prices announced". Times Online - Daily Online Edition of The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  38. ^ "Kapruka In Hot Water Again For Selling Low-Quality Mother's Day Gifts Including Spoiled And Near-Expired Products". Archived from the original on 2020-05-14. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  39. ^ a b c d e "Kapruka.com – APEA Sri Lanka Hall of Fame 2018". Enterprise Asia. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  40. ^ "Kapruka.com's Dulith Herath bags top Asia Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  41. ^ "Kapruka.com's Dulith Herath bags top Asia Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  42. ^ "Eisenhower Fellows". www.efworld.org. Archived from the original on 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  43. ^ "Kapruka CEO's Eisenhower Fellowship brings wealth of knowledge to Sri Lanka's e-commerce eco-system". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  44. ^ "Kapruka's Dulith Herath presented 'Asia Pacific Retail Entrepreneur of the Year' award". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  45. ^ "Kapruka founder Dulith Herath addresses UN World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  46. ^ "Kapruka brings fame and honor to Sri Lanka with UN recognition". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
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