agriBusiness Startup Weekend
Overview :
As a part of agriBusiness BootCamp 2017, Nepal’s first Agribusiness Startup Weekend Kathmandu was organized by Nepal Entrepreneurs Hub on 7-9th April 2017, at SAP Falcha, Kathmandu.It followed the proven model of Startup Weekend where everyone pitched their startup idea and received feedback from their peers. Teams formed around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote) which was then taken to a 54-hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekend concluded with final presentations in front of judging panel which constituted of entrepreneurs and business experts.
Meet, Pitch & Team Up
The first day of agriStartup Weekend initiated with a brief introduction from the facilitator of agriBusiness Startup Weekend Mr. Brijendra Rochan Joshi (Co–Founder, NEHUB). Mr. Suman Shakya (Consultant, World Bank Group) then presented on “What Pitch Really Was” and how one must present in a limited time (60 secs).
After Mr. Shakya’s presentation the stage was handed over to Mr. Anil Chitrakar. Mr. Anil Chitrakar (social entrepreneur) recognized as one of the 100 “Global Leaders for Tomorrow” at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 1993 and the co-founder of Himalayan Climate Initiative) gave a brief presentation about possibilities that could develop our nation.
The pitching session soon followed and all the participants pitched their ideas within a minute. Participants voted for the best ideas excluding theirs and a cross functional team was formed. The environment was enthusiastic and filled with innovative mindsets. The first day of the weekend ended with the selection of Top 10 ideas.
| S.No | Startup Idea | Ideator |
| 1 | Goat Cheese Farming | Sarthak Lohani |
| 2 | Sitake Mushroom Farming | Anupama Aryal |
| 3 | Banana Wine Production | Suresh Simkhada |
| 4 | Step Up Agriculture Processing Center | Santosh Pathak |
| 5 | Professional Bee-Keeping at Baitadi | Tarka Raj Panta |
| 6 | Taja Fruit Ripening center | Sabin Dahal |
| 7 | Kiwi Farming | Anil Bhattarai |
| 8 | Morringa Production | Sandeep Raut |
| 9 | Ecoplates | Bidur Koirala |
| 10 | Tatopani Ko Rosemary | Usha Thapa |
Learn & Work
The second day of agriBusiness startup weekend was devoted in preparation of final presentation and mentoring from the mentors. Resource person having an expertise in different domains of business were also there to help the participants. Mentors came in throughout the day for the mentoring session.
Present & Choose
The final day of the agriBusiness Startup Weekend was focused on the preparation of the presentation. Participants had to pitch their idea in front of the juries at the evening. All ten teams worked thoroughly with their team members and resource persons visiting the available mentors. A mock presentation session was held by NEHUB in preparation for the Final Pitching.
The final session of agri Startup Weekend was the main event which was moderated by Mr. Brijendra Rochan Joshi. Sharing his valuable experiences, Mr. Joshi gave words of encouragement to all the teams and wished them the best. The jury members of the finale were:
- Mr. Sunil K.C (CEO, NMB Bank)
- Mr. Pradip Maharjan (CEO at AEC, FNCCI)
- Mr. Gagan Pradhan (Managing Director, Himalayan Java).
The program finally ended with the announcement of finalists for the agricultural boot camp 2017. The 5 finalists those were able to present their ideas and stand out in the evaluation criteria were Mr. Brijendra Rochan Joshi then handed the floor to Mr. Sunil KC for the closing remarks.
Mr. KC described the overall atmosphere of the agriBusiness startup weekend and praised that all teams and participants were quite hardworking and had independent thoughts. He further thanked the organizing committee in conducting a wonderful program comprising of people from across the country.
The following teams were awarded by the esteemed jury members.
- Professional Beekeeping at Baitadi
- Tatopani ko Rosemary
- Eco-Plates
- Step Up Agriculture Processing Center
- Taja Ripening Center
Led by Mr. Tarak Raj Pant 55 years old resident from Baitadi, Professional Bee Keeping centre plans to commercialize and produce organic honey in Baitadi. Mr. Pant envisions to replace traditional beehives and modernize it. He also plans to promote Baitadi as a key center for Honey production. This idea plans to produce honey infused with medicinal and other aromatic herbs and packet in sachets. Me Tark Raj Pant has knowledge in local medicinal and religious herbs. Honey from Baitadi has its unique flavor and quality which can be used as a competitive advantage over other products. Idea Lead: Mr. Tarka Raj Pant Team Members:Mr. Saban Kumar KC, Mr. Dhiren Rai & Mr. Laxman Singh Rokkaya
43 years old Mrs. Usha Devi Thapa is the team leader for Tatopani ko Rosemary.Tatopani ko Rosemary revolves around the idea of producing rosemary, a herb with tremendous health benefits in Sindupalchowk region and distribute it to restaurants around Kathmandu valley. Not only to distribute rosemary to restaurants in kathmandu, Mrs. Thapa also plans to make oils, performs and other edible spices out of it. Tatopani Ko Rosemary’s idea is to process (washing, drying) Rosemary and supplying it to its target markets. The target market for the product are restaurants around Nepal and China. Having established connections in China they plan to sell rosemary through their personal connection. Idea Lead: Usha Thapa Magar Team Members: Mr. Sadandanda Subedi, Ms. Nilima Shrestha, Mr. Hemanta Thapa Magar
Eco Plates.Co invisions to produce utensils from BetelNut“Supari” beetlenut to produce different disposable utensils. Beetlenut is abundantly found in the Terai region of Nepal especially in Jhapa.. They plan to bring out environment friendly utensils and substitute the traditional plastic utensils that are widely used in restaurants around Kathmandu. Utensils made from Betel – Nut are environment friendly, affordable, durable and disposable. Moreover it is recyclable and it follows the golden rule of Reduce, Recycle & Reuse. Idea Lead: Bidur Koirala Team Members: Mayank Dhakal
Step Up Agriculture Processing Unit is focused on post harvesting vegetable, processing it and distributing it. Processing of vegetables include blanching and freezing, drying etc.Working under the participatory approach Step Up Agricultural Processing Center plans to replace the stereotype “Sukutis” found in markets and produce “Sukutis” with dried Cauliflower, Cabbage & Brinjal. Idea Lead: Mr. Santosh Pathak Team Members:Mr. Sundar Raut, Ms. Hritika Johi, Mr.Arun Gupta
Through the use of modern technology, Taja Fruit Riping Center plans to cultivate fruits and vegetables without the use of chemical fertilizers. The key focus of Taja Fruit Riping centre would be to produce a higher quality of fruits and vegetables and distribute it to markets. The work done by Taja Fruit Riping Center would align with their vision of “Promoting Healthy Eating Habits amongst Nepalese”. Taja Fruit Ripening Center plans to establish processing centre, package and distribute fresh fruits and vegetables. Idea Lead: Mr. Sabin Dahal Team Members: Mr. Nabin Paudel, Mr. Raju Ramtel
Judges
The Java Man of Kathmandu, Mr. Gagan Pradhan was born and raised in Kathmandu. Having keen interest in hospitality, he graduated from William Blue School of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Management, Sydney Australia. With bags of experience he returned home and established Himalayan Java. Mr. Pradhan can also be credited for initiating coffee culture in Nepal. A true entrepreneur that ticks every box of entrepreneurship Mr. Pradhan is your Third Judge.
The Java Man of Kathmandu, Mr. Gagan Pradhan was born and raised in Kathmandu. Having keen interest in hospitality, he graduated from William Blue School of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Management, Sydney Australia. With bags of experience he returned home and established Himalayan Java. Mr. Pradhan can also be credited for initiating coffee culture in Nepal. A true entrepreneur that ticks every box of entrepreneurship Mr. Pradhan is your Third Judge.
Meet Mr. Pradip Maharjan an avid traveler and a food lover. Mr. Maharjan a graduate in Masters in Economics from Tribhuvan University & Development Management from Asian Institute of Management is the CEO of Agriculture Enterprise Centre under Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce & Industries. Having had the experience of working as a senior Officer in Herbs Production & Processing Co Ltd, Winrock International, Mr. Maharjan was appointed as the CEO of AEC / FNCCI in the year 2010.
Meet Mr. Pradip Maharjan an avid traveler and a food lover. Mr. Maharjan a graduate in Masters in Economics from Tribhuvan University & Development Management from Asian Institute of Management is the CEO of Agriculture Enterprise Centre under Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce & Industries. Having had the experience of working as a senior Officer in Herbs Production & Processing Co Ltd, Winrock International, Mr. Maharjan was appointed as the CEO of AEC / FNCCI in the year 2010.
An inspirational figure to all aspiring bankers, Mr. Sunil KC (CEO NMB Bank Nepal) entered the banking sector 27 years ago. Having started his banking career as an assistant in Standard Chartered Bank of Nepal, Mr. KC now heads NMB Bank which has 72 branches and 57 ATM’s across Nepal. Appointed as CEO of NMB Bank in Chaitra 1st 2073, Mr. KC previously held the post of deputy CEO in the Bank. A pioneer in advocating The Triple Bottom Line (Profit, People & Planet) in Nepalese Financial System, Mr. KC is a firm believer of reaching out to people in needs. He also heads the campaign “Ek Ghar Ek Khata initiated by NMB Bank Nepal.
An inspirational figure to all aspiring bankers, Mr. Sunil KC (CEO NMB Bank Nepal) entered the banking sector 27 years ago. Having started his banking career as an assistant in Standard Chartered Bank of Nepal, Mr. KC now heads NMB Bank which has 72 branches and 57 ATM’s across Nepal. Appointed as CEO of NMB Bank in Chaitra 1st 2073, Mr. KC previously held the post of deputy CEO in the Bank. A pioneer in advocating The Triple Bottom Line (Profit, People & Planet) in Nepalese Financial System, Mr. KC is a firm believer of reaching out to people in needs. He also heads the campaign “Ek Ghar Ek Khata initiated by NMB Bank Nepal.
Mentors
Rahul is the Head of Product Design with One97 Communications Limited where he drives the product and design strategy for consumer mobile and web products viz Paytm. Rahul has vast experience of over 12 years in the design space ranging for digital to print media. Rahul is also the Founder of Videopind (a One97 Incubated company) and is responsible for the User Experience/Interaction Design of the product across all platforms.
Rahul is the Head of Product Design with One97 Communications Limited where he drives the product and design strategy for consumer mobile and web products viz Paytm. Rahul has vast experience of over 12 years in the design space ranging for digital to print media. Rahul is also the Founder of Videopind (a One97 Incubated company) and is responsible for the User Experience/Interaction Design of the product across all platforms.
Mr Umanga is management philosopher. A serial entrepreneur who started off with his first venture in 1991, Umanga believes in the promise of individual-responsibility. Umanga has over 10 years of work experience in investment banking, management consulting and ventures capital in over 6 countries. An alum of United World College, Brandeis University and University of Southern California, he began his career in New York (Salomon Smith Barney & Towers Perrin). Since 2010, he has been heading a social initiative “केही गरौं” with a mission of enabling individuals to become change-agents.
Mr Umanga is management philosopher. A serial entrepreneur who started off with his first venture in 1991, Umanga believes in the promise of individual-responsibility. Umanga has over 10 years of work experience in investment banking, management consulting and ventures capital in over 6 countries. An alum of United World College, Brandeis University and University of Southern California, he began his career in New York (Salomon Smith Barney & Towers Perrin). Since 2010, he has been heading a social initiative “केही गरौं” with a mission of enabling individuals to become change-agents.
Sushama Sharma is the first woman President of the Rotary Club of Kasthamandap in its over four decade history. She is also Retail Head of Institutional Banking with NBM Bank. A woman who believes in living to the fullest, she has left no stone unturned in exploring her potential.
Sushama Sharma is the first woman President of the Rotary Club of Kasthamandap in its over four decade history. She is also Retail Head of Institutional Banking with NBM Bank. A woman who believes in living to the fullest, she has left no stone unturned in exploring her potential.
Sunita has been working in agriculture sector to address the challenges faced by farmers since last 6 years. Sunita’s expertise is in agriculture communication, and developing agriculture value chain ecosystem. Her organization provides a unique platform for any agro aspirants to become an entrepreneur .
Sunita has been working in agriculture sector to address the challenges faced by farmers since last 6 years. Sunita’s expertise is in agriculture communication, and developing agriculture value chain ecosystem. Her organization provides a unique platform for any agro aspirants to become an entrepreneur .
Bibek Shrestha is an enterprise and value chain development expert who has worked with national and international development organisations. Bibek has more than a decade of professional experience especially in enterprise and value chain development, inclusive business, Technical Education and Vocational Training, multi-stakeholders dialogue facilitation and capacity development of GOs, NGOs at local and national levels, commodities associations, District Chamber of Commerce and Industries and farmer organisations. His work has involved analysis, design, result based planning and management, monitoring & evaluation and reporting of inclusive economic development and private sector promotion projects. His developed expertise focuses on market based agri-business development, tourism and vocational training. Bibek also has strong coordination skills and has existing networks with key private stakeholders and local/regional/national government institutions.
Bibek Shrestha is an enterprise and value chain development expert who has worked with national and international development organisations. Bibek has more than a decade of professional experience especially in enterprise and value chain development, inclusive business, Technical Education and Vocational Training, multi-stakeholders dialogue facilitation and capacity development of GOs, NGOs at local and national levels, commodities associations, District Chamber of Commerce and Industries and farmer organisations. His work has involved analysis, design, result based planning and management, monitoring & evaluation and reporting of inclusive economic development and private sector promotion projects. His developed expertise focuses on market based agri-business development, tourism and vocational training. Bibek also has strong coordination skills and has existing networks with key private stakeholders and local/regional/national government institutions.
Mr.Damber Khanal , a graduate of Information Technology in Agriculture from Singapore, shared a similar vision. Both of them wanted agricultural reform. Together, they founded R&D innovative solutions in order to bridge the gap between the consumers and the farmers. Some of the other Ventures of Mr. Dambar Khanal are Krishak ra Pravidhi ( Agriculture Magazine), R&D Green Mart ( Fresh Vegetable Market), Krishi Udhyamsala ( Agriculture School) and R&D Farms ( Farm)
Mr.Damber Khanal , a graduate of Information Technology in Agriculture from Singapore, shared a similar vision. Both of them wanted agricultural reform. Together, they founded R&D innovative solutions in order to bridge the gap between the consumers and the farmers. Some of the other Ventures of Mr. Dambar Khanal are Krishak ra Pravidhi ( Agriculture Magazine), R&D Green Mart ( Fresh Vegetable Market), Krishi Udhyamsala ( Agriculture School) and R&D Farms ( Farm)
Ritu Pradhan Malla is SEMS point person and Sr. Investment Manager at BO2 . Completed her Masters in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Webster University, Thailand in 2009. She has six years of experience in the banking industry of Nepal where she has worked with leading commercial banks in Nepal like Standard Chartered Bank Nepal Limited and Laxmi Bank Limited. She has Competencies in relationship management, credit risk management, credit portfolio management, business development & knowledge about SMEs in Nepal.
Ritu Pradhan Malla is SEMS point person and Sr. Investment Manager at BO2 . Completed her Masters in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Webster University, Thailand in 2009. She has six years of experience in the banking industry of Nepal where she has worked with leading commercial banks in Nepal like Standard Chartered Bank Nepal Limited and Laxmi Bank Limited. She has Competencies in relationship management, credit risk management, credit portfolio management, business development & knowledge about SMEs in Nepal.
Binoy Sharma is the Director of HURDEC Pvt. Ltd. Mr. sharma has Completed MBA from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He has different experiences in different areas like livelihoods, Micro-enterprise and value chain. Similarly, he has also experience in Project/Program appraisal and evaluation.
Binoy Sharma is the Director of HURDEC Pvt. Ltd. Mr. sharma has Completed MBA from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He has different experiences in different areas like livelihoods, Micro-enterprise and value chain. Similarly, he has also experience in Project/Program appraisal and evaluation.
Mr Sanam Chitrakar holds seventeen years of multidisciplinary entrepreneurship development, coaching, training and consulting experiences. Since quitting his full time development jobs in 2008, Sanam has been serving Nepalese entrepreneurial ecosystem as market researcher, connector and concept developer. Since February 2014, he is leading Biruwa Advisors the consulting division of Biruwa Ventures after merging with Aadhar Development, the company he established in 2008. Besides he is also continuing his training, organizational strategy, life and executive coaching consultations.
Mr Sanam Chitrakar holds seventeen years of multidisciplinary entrepreneurship development, coaching, training and consulting experiences. Since quitting his full time development jobs in 2008, Sanam has been serving Nepalese entrepreneurial ecosystem as market researcher, connector and concept developer. Since February 2014, he is leading Biruwa Advisors the consulting division of Biruwa Ventures after merging with Aadhar Development, the company he established in 2008. Besides he is also continuing his training, organizational strategy, life and executive coaching consultations.
- Executive Director at King’s College, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Innovative, visionary and passionate young leader who has multiple skills in the field of Management and Entrepreneurship Development.
- Executive Director at King’s College, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Innovative, visionary and passionate young leader who has multiple skills in the field of Management and Entrepreneurship Development.
Organizers
Partners
