Private Equity Association comes into existence

Kathmandu, Dec. 17

Nepal’s prominent private equity and venture capital firms have come together to set up the Nepal Private Equity Association (NPEA).

The objective of the association is to promote alternative investment activities by bringing together stakeholders in Nepal’s expanding entrepreneurial ecosystem, the newly formed organisation said in a statement on Thursday.

The NPEA, incorporated as a profit non-distributing entity under the Company Act, will be governed by a Board of Directors and administered by a small team of professionals.

Accelerator Nepal, Business Oxygen (WLC Ventures), Dolma Advisors, One to Watch, Team Ventures and True North Associates are the founding members of the association.

Suman Joshi chairs the founding board that has Siddhant Pandey, Bidhya Baridhi Sigdel, Anupam Man Chhantyal and Tenzin Sonam Gonsar as members.

“Alternative or specialised investment activities have been bubbling in Nepal for the past few years. A number of investment firms, private equity funds and venture capital providers have been investing in Nepali businesses and helping them grow,” said Joshi.

Ancillary service providers like legal, business incubation and accelerators have also been very active in contributing to the ecosystem. Regulators have begun to acknowledge the existence of and the need for institutions working in the alternative investment space.

“We have come together to formally incorporate Nepal Private Equity Association in order to set high standards for the alternative investment industry,” said Joshi.

In addition to relevant research activities, the Association will conduct various programmes and initiatives in the forms of training, workshops and networking events catered towards upskilling of professional practitioners in the private equity/venture capital space, it said.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 18 December 2020.