I-Cube Business Incubation demo day

KATHMANDU: Nepal Communitere’s I-Cube Business Incubation programme hosted its first demo day in the Capital on Friday.

The event showcased five companies that were incubated and supported for a full year in Nepal Communitere. This was accompanied by the launch of Nepal’s first ever seed investment fund, ‘Safal Seeds’, which is geared towards early-stage Nepali start-ups looking for investments worth Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. Potential investors who attended the event showed their support by pledging an investment of Rs one lakh to Rs two lakh each.

Three registered firms also pitched for seed investments — 8byte Creative Studio’s app Kopila is catered towards maximising preschoolers’ potential; Around the Corner Restaurant offers a green escape from the pollution and noise of Kathmandu Valley; and Orange Ball takes care of pest problems.

Two engineering student teams also showcased their ideas — NovaTech and Light Up. I-Cube, which is a two-year DFID/UKAID sponsored programme, represents the three key pillars for the success of start-ups — to innovate, iterate and incubate their business.