Kathmandu, August 6
Twenty emerging entrepreneurs selected from more than 200 participants across seven cities will gather in Kathmandu on Friday for the finale of the U.S. Embassy Entrepreneurship Skill Development Program – Capstone Accelerator.
The event marks the culmination of a nationwide entrepreneurship initiative that has equipped founders across Nepal with practical business skills in marketing, storytelling and communication, AI readiness, export orientation, and investment readiness. Following a competitive national selection process, twenty founders were invited to Kathmandu to participate in a three-day residential accelerator before presenting their ventures to investors, business leaders, and ecosystem partners.
The day will begin with an Investment and Global Market-Focused Pitching Session, where founders will present their businesses before an expert panel. Instead of a competition, the session is designed to provide constructive feedback to help entrepreneurs strengthen their market positioning, scalability, export readiness, innovation, and investment potential.
The program will conclude with the Capstone “Main Street” Showcase, an interactive marketplace inspired by the traditional American Main Street model. Founders will exhibit their products and services through live demonstrations and conversations with guests, creating opportunities to receive market feedback, build professional networks, and explore future collaborations. Throughout the program, the 20 finalists benefited from masterclasses, mentoring, and coaching from AmCham Nepal and other American firms.
“Strong economic partnerships are built by investing in people. By equipping emerging Nepali entrepreneurs with the skills, networks, and global perspectives they need to grow, this initiative reinforces the longstanding partnership between the United States and Nepal while creating new opportunities for trade, investment, innovation, and private-sector collaboration,” said Mike Harker, Public Affairs Chief at U.S. Embassy Nepal.
The Capstone Accelerator is the final stage of the U.S. Embassy Entrepreneurship Skill Development Program, supported by U.S. Embassy Nepal and implemented by the International Development Institute (IDI) in partnership with Aadyanta Advisory.
Earlier this year, the program reached more than 200-plus entrepreneurs through regional workshops in Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Hetauda, Bhairahawa, and Pokhara. Participants then continued their learning through virtual sessions on legal compliance, export readiness, AI-enabled growth, and digital marketing. Twenty founders were selected for the national Capstone Accelerator.
The 20 founders represent a wide range of sectors in Nepal’s entrepreneurial landscape, including agriculture and agri-processing, food and beverage, technology, manufacturing, creative industries, consulting, digital services, natural products, handicrafts, cooperatives, and social enterprise. Together, they reflect both emerging and growth-oriented businesses from across the country, united by a commitment to innovation, market expansion, and building enterprises with significant potential to create jobs and contribute to Nepal’s economic development.
