The fourth iteration of Rockstart Impact, an accelerator programme by One to Watch, culminated in a pitching session on Thursday. Dubbed the Demo Day, the event saw nine Nepali companies pitch their businesses for investment to local and international investors at Soaltee Crowne Plaza in the Capital. The second and third legs of the programme will be hosted at the Rockstart Headquarters in Amsterdam on February 21, and CDC Group in London on Feb 23 respectively.

 “The main purpose of the programme is to build a viable business case which would be appealing to and match the expectations of local and foreign investors,” said Victoria Ous, programme director of Rockstart Impact. Every year, the programme enrols up to ten companies with an objective to make them ready for investment and help their business grow in a sustainable way.

The nine companies to pitch on Thursday included Godam Sewa, the first professional warehouse provider in Nepal; Urban Girl an e-commerce gift platform; and Sarathi, the only cab aggregator company in Nepal, among others. Other companies were Indradevi Strawberry Farm, Kanjirowa Agro Farm, Khadka Nursery, Mount Everest Organic Coffee, Rudyn Agriflora, and Tripathi Group. 

“Nepali entrepreneurs have a very strong personal sense of responsibility towards the country. Every day we see Nepali entrepreneurs with strong commitment to solve problems whether it is saving the environment or creating access to basic needs such as food, healthcare, education, or electricity,” says Willem Grimminck, the founder of One to Watch and the initiator and implementation partner of Rockstart Impact. “We introduce Nepali companies to a pool of international investors to give them an idea about the working environment and to facilitate the process of making an investment deal.”

The annual 100-day programme, has raised over three million Euros as investment pledges for 21 companies so far.