16/02/2026
Yesterday, I had the privilege of serving as a Judge at the Semi-Final round of the 𝐇𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐎𝐄 𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐤 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬.
We evaluated 16 startup ideas — and I must say, I was genuinely impressed.
These were not just business ideas. They were potential social enterprises — built around solving real-world problems with scalable, sustainable models aligned with the 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 (𝐒𝐃𝐆𝐬).
As someone who has spent 15+ years working with leaders, sales teams, and organizations to build momentum and ex*****on strength, I always look for three things:
- Clarity of problem
- Strength of conviction
- Ability to execute
Many of these young founders demonstrated all three.
During the session, I made a commitment to one promising startup to invest NPR 1,000,000 to help them move forward. I believe ideas deserve backing — not just applause.
And this is also an open message to other serious founders:
If you are building something meaningful and need mentorship, strategic support, or funding — reach out. I am willing to mentor, assist, and invest where there is clarity, commitment, and courage.
Nepal doesn’t lack ideas.
We need stronger ex*****on, better positioning, and bold belief.
Thank you to the organizing team for trusting me with this responsibility.
Congratulations to all 16 teams who pitched with courage.
Appreciation to my fellow co-judges for the insightful discussions.
And special thanks to the vibrant community at IOE Pulchok for hosting such an impactful platform.
The future is being built — one pitch at a time.
