The special Startups of The Year 2024 Winners Interview series is a celebration of all this year’s Tech Champions. You’ve earned it! The HackerNoon community can’t wait to learn more about your journey!
Tell us about your startup
Altrium was founded in 2022 by a group of software engineers frustrated by the persistent gap between technology and real business needs. We built Altrium to cut through that noise, focusing only on software that truly matters, eliminating wasteful processes from day one.
Our team is our strength. We’re not about hierarchy; we’re about openness, boldness, and respect. Our engineers don’t just code; they lead projects, drive strategy, and take ownership from start to finish.
Our goal isn’t just growth, it’s connecting talented people with opportunities that change lives, whether in Colombo or New York. We build software that shapes the future, and our culture ensures everyone who joins Altrium can truly thrive.
Tell us how your startup is changing the world
We’re reshaping how software is built, making it smarter, simpler, and aligned with real human needs.
In 2023, we saw the power of Generative AI and dove in headfirst, not just following trends, but training our teams, hiring specialists, and launching products people actually needed. We worked with FinTech leaders to explore how AI can transform payments, partnered with visionary startups reimagining insurance technology with Generative AI, and contributed to Sentiva, the AI-native HRMS set to change the HR landscape.
But beyond tech, Altrium is fundamentally about people. By tapping into talent from all around the world, we’ve connected brilliant minds to global opportunities, overcoming skepticism and biases along the way. Today, Altrium’s story proves that meaningful change in tech starts with genuine investment in people and ideas that matter.
What sets you apart from the competition?
We’re different because we obsessively align technology with real, measurable business impact.
- We don’t say yes to everything; just projects where we can make a real difference, which has earned us 100% client retention.
- We invest deeply in our people, with structured mentorship programs (Catalyst, Elevate, Elite) designed to build leaders, not just employees.
- We maintain disciplined, sustainable growth through the Profit First Method, achieving a 45% CAGR.
- We give back, dedicating 1% of our top-line revenue to education, healthcare, and sustainability efforts in underserved communities.
In short, we don’t just deliver software. We build lasting partnerships based on clarity, trust, and results.
What does it mean for you to win this title?
This is more than an award, it’s validation of the trust our clients place in us and the hard work our team does every day. Being named The Best Startup of the Year in New York by HackerNoon proves that doing meaningful, disciplined work truly resonates, even in an industry filled with noise.
We feel honored, motivated, and ready for what comes next.
What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to set out for this mission?
Our team isn’t just talented, they’re genuinely passionate. From Colombo, Sri Lanka, to New York, United States, our technologists care deeply about the work they do, driven by clarity, curiosity, and grit.
We’ve deliberately built a culture where everyone feels empowered. Instead of bureaucracy, we have mentorship. Instead of rigid roles, we have opportunity. Our structured programs help people grow technically, professionally, and personally.
Being recognized as a “Great Place to Work” two years running confirms we’re onto something special. An environment where innovation thrives because people are supported and empowered every step of the way.
Looking back, what milestone was the biggest turning point for your startup?
Our big turning point came in 2023 when we fully embraced Generative AI. It wasn’t an impulsive move, it was a strategic bet on training, specialized hiring, and responding to real client demand.
This shift led directly to award-winning projects, major client wins, and the rapid development of Sentiva, an AI-native HRMS that’s set to reshape the HR landscape. We also built an AI assistant for the payment industry that went from idea to global innovation award winner in just two months.
These milestones proved we could scale fast without compromising our core values, reinforcing our identity as genuine tech innovators.
What’s one valuable lesson you learned this year that you’d pass on to other startups?
Clarity matters more than speed.
This year taught us the power of slowing down to truly understand our purpose. By saying no to distractions and doubling down on our core strengths—enterprise software, Generative AI, and UX- we achieved stronger partnerships, higher client retention, and clearer growth.
You don’t need to chase every opportunity, just the right ones.
How do you envision your industry evolving in the coming years, and how will your startup stay ahead?
The future of enterprise software isn’t static; it’s adaptive. Soon, software will learn, grow, and evolve alongside users.
We’re staying ahead by investing deeply in specialized expertise, continually training our teams in AI, and pushing clients to think long-term.
We also believe geography shouldn’t limit talent. Our team, stretching from Sri Lanka to the United States, proves world-class tech innovation can come from anywhere.
How do you or your company intend to embrace the responsibility of this title in 2025?
Winning gives us visibility, and we’re determined to use it wisely. We’ll spotlight not just the software we build, but how we build it:
- Empowering tech talent from around the world on the global stage.
- Increasing CSR efforts in education and health.
- Sharing openly how disciplined, value-driven building creates genuine, sustainable success.
This award is a chance to amplify thoughtful, meaningful work, and we intend to make it count.
What goals are you looking forward to accomplishing in 2025?
In 2025, we’re focused on meaningful, sustainable growth. Our priorities are:
- Expanding our global footprint by partnering with forward-thinking clients.
- Deepening our expertise in AI and enterprise software to solve real business challenges.
- Building high-performing teams that share our passion for innovation and quality.
- Strengthening our impact initiatives, especially in education and environmental sustainability.
For us, growth isn’t just about numbers. It’s about creating value for our clients, our people, and the communities we’re part of.
How have recent tech changes and global events affected your startup and industry?
2024 was a validation of our core approach. Budget pressures and tight deadlines forced the industry to seek partners, not just vendors. Our disciplined, outcome-first model proved valuable amid uncertainty.
We leaned into AI-native solutions to help clients achieve more with fewer resources. Our distributed team model proved resilient, adapting seamlessly despite market volatility.
While others chased trends, we stayed focused on delivering genuine value, and that made all the difference.
We would love your feedback on HackerNoon as a tech publication! How has your experience been with us?
It’s genuinely refreshing. HackerNoon creates real space for thoughtful conversations, authentic founder stories, genuine tech insights, and no hype. This award is another example of the authenticity we’ve come to appreciate. It’s been great sharing our journey here.
Any words of wisdom you’d like to share with us?
- Empower your people – trust inspires innovation.
- Innovate with integrity – stay true to your values.
- Quality always beats quantity – choose meaningful work.
- Embrace change – feedback fuels growth.
- Financial discipline empowers creativity.
That’s the Altrium approach, and we’re sticking to it.
About HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year
Startups of The Year 2024 is HackerNoon’s flagship community-driven event celebrating startups, technology, and the spirit of innovation. Currently in its third iteration, the prestigious Internet award recognizes and celebrates tech startups of all shapes and sizes. This year, over 150,000 entities across 4200+ cities, 6 continents, and 100+ industries will participate in a bid to be crowned the best startup of the year! Millions of votes have been cast over the past few years, and many stories have been written about these daring and rising startups.
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