About – SkilledUp Life
66,000+
Volunteers
148
Countries
215+
Startups helped
5+ yrs
In operation
Our story
Born to give everyone an equal footing.
SkilledUp Life began with a simple observation: talented people everywhere need real experience to move their careers forward, and early-stage tech startups everywhere need skilled help they can not yet afford. Both problems solve each other.
So we built a platform where the two meet on fair, transparent terms. Volunteers contribute their skills to real tech startups solving real problems, and walk away with demonstrable experience, references and a global network. Tech Founders extend their runway and build capable teams for the price of a subscription.
It's a genuine win-win, and it's open to anyone, from anywhere.
Experience is the currency
Demonstrable work with real companies beats another certificate, every time.
Fair by design
Strict rules (no exploitation allowed) keep volunteering voluntary, transparent and valuable for both sides.
Borderless by default
Talent and opportunity should not be limited by geography. Ours never are.
Our mission
To give every tech entrepreneur and every professional an equal footing to start, grow and accelerate, no matter where they are in the world.
The team
Solo Tech Founder led. Bootstrapped.
For sixteen years (2004 to 2020), our Founder lacked the capital to build sizeable teams to fully realise the true potential of tech startups he built. He built and operated SkilledUp Life solo before bringing on others to help.
Manoj Ranaweera
Founder & CEO
Serial tech entrepreneur and the driving force behind SkilledUp Life, setting the vision and building the community from the ground up.
Asinsala Silva
Core Platform Engineering
A constant presence keeping the platform operations running smoothly day to day, alongside Manoj.
66,000+
Powered by Volunteers
We practice what we preach. SkilledUp Life is built and operated by our own Volunteers (SkilledUp Lifers) at operational, management and leadership level.
We remain our most demanding customer, having helped well over 600 Volunteers gain experience and skills to accelerate their careers directly through us. Some have gone on to land jobs with prestigious blue chips such as Lenovo and Cap Gemini.
How we are organised
Seven Volunteer teams keep it all moving.
The core team is supported by seven functional teams, each by Volunteers building real experience and skills. Most of our tech startup customers adopt a similar structure, albeit Volunteer acquisition.
- Builds and maintains the SkilledUp Life platform: engineering, design, QA and product management.
- Engineering · Design · QA
- Grows awareness and reach through content, social media, SEO, video and brand while driving Volunteer and Tech Startup signups.
- Content · Social · SEO
- Brings tech startups onto the platform and helps them subscribe and succeed.
- Outreach · Conversion
- Supports Tech Founders and Volunteers so everyone extracts maximum value from SkilledUp Life.
- Support · Onboarding
- Recruits, onboards and cares for the Volunteer team, and keeps the agreements fair.
- Recruitment · People
- Builds relationships with Accelerators and Education Providers to widen access and opportunity.
- Accelerators · Education
- Introduces the benefits of SkilledUp Life and drive Volunteer sign ups.
- Community · Growth
Join us
How to join the SkilledUp Life Volunteer team.
Want to help build SkilledUp Life itself while gaining real experience and skills? Our own Volunteer Opportunities are posted on the platform, just like any other tech startup. Here's how to apply.
See our open Volunteer Opportunities →
Sign up as a Volunteer
Create your free Volunteer account on the SkilledUp Life platform.Build your Volunteer profile fully
Complete every field, including the optional ones. A full, honest profile is what gets you shortlisted. No shortcuts. More comprehensive you are, the luckier you get.Find our current opportunities
Visit app.skilledup.life/company/skilleduplife to see SkilledUp Life's live Volunteer Opportunities.Apply to your best-fit role
Apply to the Volunteer Opportunity most aligned with your chosen career path, and tell us why in your own words.
Be part of the movement.
Whether you join our team or volunteer with another tech startup, your next step starts the same way, create your account.