A schoolboy dream that grew into a digital HR powerhouse with a global footprint
Colombo, Sri Lanka [7 October]: Microimage, a pioneering force in digital innovation, marked its 30th anniversary on 20 September, celebrating a remarkable journey from humble beginnings to global impact.
What began in 1992 as the Microimage Hobbyists Club – comprising a group of passionate schoolboys from Ananda College – has today evolved into a cutting-edge technology company with a presence in over 20 countries.
The Microimage Board – comprising Group CEO Harsha Purasinghe, Director Suren Rupasinghe, and Director Damindu Jayaweera – joined teams from MiHCM Và Futura on 20 September to celebrate this milestone, reflecting on a legacy built on integrity, innovation, and a passion for creation.
“What a journey it has been. From a humble hobbyist club, we never imagined in our wildest dreams that one day it would grow into a global multinational, powering HR tech and digital solutions across markets. This transformation is a testament to the power of vision, resilience, and relentless innovation,” said Purasinghe.
“We are deeply grateful to all our past and present employees, our clients who believed in us and gave us opportunities from the very beginning, and our partners who helped us scale to where we are today.”
From its early days developing Sinhala fonts during the DOS-to-Windows transition, Microimage has consistently been at the forefront of innovation.
Its first breakthrough, Helawadana, enabled Sri Lankans to type on Windows in Sinhala and became the company’s seed capital, funding its transformation into a business software provider.
Over the decades, Microimage has consistently aligned itself with major technological shifts:
- 1994–1998: Sinhala fonts and the DOS-to-Windows transition
- 1998–2000: Time & Attendance and Payroll software during Sri Lanka’s apparel boom
- 2000–2008: Web-based HRIS and Unicode Sinhala innovations
- 2004: Birth of perhaps the first complete enterprise grade broadcast automation solution for radio stations – mStudio, which powers all the leading radio networks in Sri Lanka and some of the notable networks in Southeast Asia.
- 2004–2005: Local language SMS for feature phones, winning the GSMA Asia Innovation Award
- 2005–2006: DEWN, the world’s first GSM-based Disaster & Emergency Warning System with global commendation at GSMA World Awards
- 2008 onwards: Ventured into broadcast video solutions through its subsidiary, Futura Tech Labs
In 2007, Microimage restructured into two focused entities: MiHCM, specialising in digital HR solutions, and Futura, driving innovation in broadcast and digital technologies.
MiHCM was born out of Microimage’s vision to help organisations transition from traditional HR systems to fully digital platforms. Following three years of dedicated platform engineering, MiHCM emerged as a pure cloud-native digital HR technology solution and now empowers more than 1,000 companies across 20+ markets, supported by a robust network of strategic partners.
MiHCM is now a global Microsoft solutions partner for Data & AI and Digital App and Innovation and works closely with Microsoft offices across many regions. Futura Tech Labs, meanwhile, powers nearly all radio networks in Sri Lanka and has expanded its broadcast solutions to Malaysia, Brunei, and beyond.
Today, Microimage has global offices and ventures in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, with a strong partner network in over a dozen countries, and as it enters the AI era, Microimage continues to reimagine the future of work and technology.
