How do early-stage startups raise seed funding in Nepal in 2026?

Short answer: Mostly through founder savings, family, customer revenue, and one of a handful of local angels or funds — institutional VC is still scarce, so build for revenue-first.

The current sources.

• Founder + family + friends — still the largest pool by volume.
• Local angel networks — NepalAngels, FCAN-adjacent networks, a few diaspora circles in Sydney, Boston, Toronto.
• Local funds and accelerators — One to Watch, Team Ventures, Antler Nepal (intermittent batches), Dolma Impact (later stage).
• Customer revenue — under-discussed but the strongest leverage. NPR 5 lakh in monthly recurring beats a USD 50,000 SAFE in most rooms.

What hurts most founders. Treating fundraising like the goal instead of the means. Investors in Nepal will return calls when you have signed customers — not when you have a deck.

Where did your first cheque come from? Be specific about the channel.