Why we are called SUM, and what the names of our subsidiaries mean

Names are the first thing people learn about a business, and often the last thing its founders explain. At SUM, every name was chosen on purpose. Some of them are simple; a few are small puzzles. This post explains all of them, because the thinking behind the names is also the thinking behind the company.

Three founders, three initials

SUM began with three people: Sasindu, Udesh and Madhusha. Put their initials together and you get S + U + M.

The word works on a second level too. In mathematics, a sum is what you get when you add separate things together, and the Greek letter sigma (Σ) is the symbol for adding up a series. That is exactly what we wanted the company to be: separate skills, people and businesses that are worth more together than apart. It is why the Σ appears in our logo and why our tagline is everything is a collection.

SUM ENGINEERS: some engineers

Say "SUM Engineers" out loud and it sounds like some engineers. That is deliberate. Engineering today is rarely one discipline. A building needs architects, structural engineers and electricians, but it also needs networks and software. An app needs developers, but it may also need hardware and the people who install it.

SUM ENGINEERS is a group of specialists from different engineering fields, digital and physical, working on the same problems. The name is a reminder that no single engineer knows everything, but a team of the right ones can build almost anything.

SUM FRIENDS: some friends

Some friends is how many good things start. A beach clean-up, a weekend trip, a new project: they usually begin when a few friends decide to do something together.

SUM FRIENDS is built around that idea. It has a community side, with volunteer work such as cleaning beaches, and a commercial side, with SUM FRIENDS merchandise, group travel plans and team experiences. Both sides are about the same thing: what people can do when they show up for each other.

SUM KNGINES: knowledge engines

This is the name people ask about most. Kngines is short for knowledge engines.

An engine turns fuel into motion. A knowledge engine turns what one person knows into something many people can do. SUM KNGINES is our online learning platform, where people who have real, working knowledge of a subject share it as structured courses, and learners around the world can study at their own pace. The unusual spelling also makes the name easy to find and hard to forget.

SUM STUDIOS: a sum of studios

A creative project rarely needs just one skill. A book needs editing, design and printing. A film needs writers, camera crews, editors and sound. SUM STUDIOS brings those studios together under one name, from simple photo editing all the way to publishing books and producing films. It is a sum of studios in the most literal sense.

SUM THINGS: something

SUM Things sounds like something, which is what every shopper is looking for. SUM THINGS is our online marketplace, where people and businesses can buy and sell all kinds of products. Whatever you need, the goal is simple: there should be something for you.

Why the names matter

We could have given our subsidiaries plain, descriptive names. Instead, every name carries a small idea: engineers who work as a team, friends who act together, knowledge that keeps moving, studios that combine, and a marketplace with something for everyone.

Together they add up to SUM. And the most important term in that equation is the one we have not written yet: you. If you would like to work with us, learn with us or simply say hello, you can reach us at info@sum.lk.