Key Takeaways
- • Nepal's first private equity association, the Nepal Private Equity Association (NPEA), was formally incorporated on December 15, 2020, as a non-profit entity with six founding members including Accelerator Nepal, One to Watch, Business Oxygen (WLC Ventures), Team Ventures, Dolma Advisors, and True North Associates.
- • The NPEA was established to consolidate Nepal's fragmented alternative investment ecosystem by providing institutional representation, formal engagement channels with government agencies and regulators, and a unified platform for private equity and venture capital stakeholders.
- • One to Watch received UKAID support to drive the conceptualization and incorporation of the association, signaling international institutional backing for Nepal's emerging private capital sector.
- • Suman Joshi chairs the founding board, with Siddhant Pandey, Bidhya Baridhi Sigdel, Anupam Man Chhantyal, and Tenzin Sonam Gonsar serving as board members.
- • Nathanael Bevan, Head of Economic Development Team at the British Embassy Kathmandu, indicated the association will strengthen Nepal's investment climate, support firm productivity, and contribute to broader economic growth by formalizing engagement between private capital and policy institutions.
Summary
Nepal's private equity and venture capital community has formed its first industry association to standardize and promote alternative investment activities across the country. The Nepal Private Equity Association (NPEA), incorporated as a non-profit organization on December 15, 2020, represents a watershed moment for formalization of the sector, which has operated as a collection of independent firms and service providers without unified institutional representation.
The NPEA's six founding members—Accelerator Nepal, One to Watch, Business Oxygen (WLC Ventures), Team Ventures, Dolma Advisors, and True North Associates—collectively represent the breadth of Nepal's emerging private capital ecosystem. One to Watch notably received UKAID support to lead the conceptualization and incorporation work, demonstrating international development finance interest in formalizing Nepal's alternative investment market. The association's founding board is chaired by Suman Joshi, with board positions held by Siddhant Pandey, Bidhya Baridhi Sigdel, Anupam Man Chhantyal, and Tenzin Sonam Gonsar.
According to Nathanael Bevan, Head of Economic Development Team at the British Embassy Kathmandu, the association addresses a structural gap in Nepal's investment infrastructure. "This initiative will provide the growing private equity/venture capital sector in Nepal with much needed representation, as well as a formal engagement platform with government agencies and regulators," Bevan stated. Beyond advocacy, the NPEA is expected to create a more progressive investment climate that enables member firms to scale operations and increase productivity, with potential spillover effects for broader economic growth.
The timing of the association's formation reflects accelerating activity in Nepal's alternative investment space. In recent years, private equity funds, venture capital providers, and ancillary service providers—including legal counsel, business incubators, and accelerators—have increasingly invested in Nepali businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. The establishment of a formal association consolidates these fragmented efforts and creates institutional infrastructure for policy engagement, professional development, market intelligence sharing, and ecosystem collaboration that characterizes mature private capital markets.
The NPEA's six founding members—Accelerator Nepal, One to Watch, Business Oxygen (WLC Ventures), Team Ventures, Dolma Advisors, and True North Associates—collectively represent the breadth of Nepal's emerging private capital ecosystem. One to Watch notably received UKAID support to lead the conceptualization and incorporation work, demonstrating international development finance interest in formalizing Nepal's alternative investment market. The association's founding board is chaired by Suman Joshi, with board positions held by Siddhant Pandey, Bidhya Baridhi Sigdel, Anupam Man Chhantyal, and Tenzin Sonam Gonsar.
According to Nathanael Bevan, Head of Economic Development Team at the British Embassy Kathmandu, the association addresses a structural gap in Nepal's investment infrastructure. "This initiative will provide the growing private equity/venture capital sector in Nepal with much needed representation, as well as a formal engagement platform with government agencies and regulators," Bevan stated. Beyond advocacy, the NPEA is expected to create a more progressive investment climate that enables member firms to scale operations and increase productivity, with potential spillover effects for broader economic growth.
The timing of the association's formation reflects accelerating activity in Nepal's alternative investment space. In recent years, private equity funds, venture capital providers, and ancillary service providers—including legal counsel, business incubators, and accelerators—have increasingly invested in Nepali businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. The establishment of a formal association consolidates these fragmented efforts and creates institutional infrastructure for policy engagement, professional development, market intelligence sharing, and ecosystem collaboration that characterizes mature private capital markets.
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