Prashikshan Nepal concludes iSprout national demo day

KATHMANDU: Prashikshan Nepal concluded the National Demo Day of iSprout — the National Student Seed Fund Challenge on Sunday. The event marked the end of a one-month entrepreneurial programme for student-led and early-stage startups from across Nepal.

The day brought together student ventures, investors, mentors and ecosystem partners to showcase refined business ideas, validated models and growth strategies. Ten student-led teams pitched to a panel of investors and industry experts, initiating early-stage investment discussions and receiving strategic feedback.

Participating teams represented diverse sectors and included EFT, which is digitising Nepal’s tailoring industry; Digital Piggy, a goal-based savings platform; UrbanFinder, a platform for urban housing discovery; Bhumi Drishti, a land risk assessment service; Schoolaya, a SaaS platform for school operations; Dronacharya, a decision-support system for exam evaluation; Flex Hire, a flexible hiring platform; Shashan Robotics and Infotech, promoting STEM education; Rahatam, an AI-powered HRMS and recruitment solution; and FreshKart, a digital marketplace connecting farmers, wholesalers and buyers.

Prominent investors and ecosystem leaders attended, including Umesh Kumar Gupta of IEDI, Santona Malakar of Safal Seeds, Niraj Khana of Antarprerana, CA Sunil Budhathoki and Binay Khadka, alongside partners such as E-Startup Nepal and with support from Revamp Nepal. The programme was backed by a seed fund pool of approximately Rs 50 million, developed in collaboration with investment forums including NBAC and Invest Circle.

Over the month, teams took part in orientation sessions, shortlisting rounds, workshops, mentorship engagements and pitch-refinement training to build skills in business modelling, investment readiness and pitch delivery. The programme, conducted in collaboration with Techspire College, aims to bridge academia, industry and investment to nurture entrepreneurial talent.

Organisers said the National Demo Day opens pathways for potential funding, continued mentorship and deeper ecosystem engagement for the participating startups, reinforcing iSprout’s goal of empowering Nepal’s next generation of entrepreneurs.