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About Ascend

Ascend is a go-to hub for aspiring and budding entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into action. Ascend is a safe space for entrepreneurs to launch, develop and grow their business ideas. Ascend seeks to bring compassion, collaboration and creativity by building a community of determined individuals.

Misson

We help passionate and budding entrepreneurs transform their ideas into strong, scalable & successful startups.

Our Pillars
  • Empathy
  • Inclusivity
  • Collaboration
  • Ingenuity
  • Connectivity
What We do?
  • Pre-Incubation Program
  • One-One mentorship & Workshops
  • Community Workspace

Ascend Pre-Incubation Program

Ascend Pre-Incubation Program is a 3 months long program to lay the groundworks for selected companies to be market-ready. To do this, we are relying on a tailored curriculum, along with a group of insightful instructors, numerous guest speakers and other hands-on activities.

Registration

Unleashing Entrepreneurial Excellence
FAQ Apply for Pre-Incubation

Scan for Registration

Odyssey - Ace Startup Bootcamp

Odyssey is a 3-day intensive startup boot camp designed to help entrepreneurs develop their business ideas and refine them to make investment-ready propositions.

Bootcamp Registration

April 18-20, 2025

Unleashing Entrepreneurial Excellence
FAQ Apply for Odyssey

Scan for Registration

Ventures Incubated

Dakshya Sewa

On-Demand Home Service Platform providing various repair, maintenance, and installation of home-based problems.

Gokul Prasad Neupane

Krishna Prasad Neupane

Walking North

Consumer Durables & Apparels

Roshni Murarka

Paras Mani

Clean ALL

Cleaning Services Provider

Ramesh KC

Pragya Neupane

Him-Aid

Banshaj Paudel

Nadika Poudel

Mahima Dhakal

Krishbin Paudel

Saha Yatri

Suban Shrestha

Yunika Bajracharya

Anju Chhetri

Ashmit Rajaure

Rujal Acharya

Wallstreet Investment

Deepak Lamichhane

Birat Khadgi

Buttercup Events & Sounds

Aasis KC

Meal Box Pvt. Ltd

Sabin Thapa

Mihir Sharma

Pasang Syangtan

ArchArtificer

Devraj Magar

Himanshu Shrestha

Lend Your Style

Sadikshya Shrestha

Sofina Humagain

Mount Zero

Bhim Tamang

Dikchhyanta Bajracharya

Sonil Bajracharya

Saral Lagani

Fin-Tech Company

Prajwal Shrestha

Yaman Raj Mishra

Khuwam

Online Food Delivery Company

Rishav Lal Shrestha

Sudeep Amatya

Bishal Adhikari

Diwas Sapkota

Healthy Harvest

Selling Ready-to-Cook Food

Avisekh Maskey

Ashish Chhatkuli

Mentors for Pre Incubation Program

Bibek Bhandary

Mr. Bibek Bhandary

(Certified Professional Sales Leader)

Co-Founder - Ascendifly,

Founding Member - Sales Hacker

deepak-sharma

Mr. Deepak Sharma

Investment Director, Business Oxygen Pvt. Ltd.

kashyap-shakya

Mr. Kashyap Shakya

CoFounder & Brand Strategist - Pycus Holdings

salina-sharma

Ms. Salina Sharma

Head of Marketing - MAW Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.

sujana-koirala

Ms. Sujana Koirala

Corporate Lawyer & Legal Consultant-Unilever & Carlsberg Group

suman-shakya

Mr. Suman Shakya

Founder, Tangent Waves

Mr. Tenzing Samdup Bajracharya

Co-Founder, ACT360 Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Deepak Sharma

Investment Director, Business Oxygen Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Suman Shakya

Founder, Tangent Waves

Ms. Sujana Koirala

Corporate Lawyer & Legal Consultant-Unilever & Carlsberg Group

Bibek Bhandary

Mr. Bibek Bhandary

(Certified Professional Sales Leader)

Co-Founder - Ascendifly,

Founding Member - Sales Hacker

Prajwal Gadtaula

Co-founder, Business Brainz

Module: Setting up Key Metrics

Yogesh Satyal

Management Educator

Module: Presenting your Business

Binisha Nepal

Economist

Module: Accounts and Book keeping

Ultha Niroula

MD Digital Gurkha

Module: Digital Marketing

Pankaj Kumar Tiwari

MD, Arrow Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd.

Module: Unique Value Proposition, Competitive Advantage, and Marketing your Product

Aashish Adhikari

Former Founder-CEO, Red Mud Coffee

Module: Identifying Customers

Diwas Thapa

Founder, Talent Connects

Module: Building the Foundation

Shaurab Lohani

Assistant program Quality Director for District 41, Toastmasters International

Module: Preparing Oneself

Shraddha Pant

Investment Management Professional

Module: Creating a Strong Finance Base

Mr. Amun Thapa

Founder and CEO
Sasto Deal

Module: Preparing Oneself

Mr. Diwash Thapa

Founder and Managing Director
Talent Connects

Module: Building the Foundation

Mr. Ullekh Niraula

CEO and Co-founder
Digital Gurkha

Module: Digital Marketing

Mr. Aashish Adhikari

Former Founder-CEO
Red Mud Coffee

Co-Founder
Dropout Creation

Module: Who is Customer, Focus on the Problem, Your Solution, Test Your Solution and Validate Your Solution.

Mr. Ujaya Shakya

Founder and Managing Director
Outreach Nepal

Module: Unique Value Proposition, Competitive Advantage, Connecting with the Customer

Mr. Prajwal Gadtaula

Co-Founder
Business Brainz

Module: Setting up Key Metrics and Overview of the Lean Canvas

Ms. Shradha Pant

Manager - Research & Investments at Muktinath Capital Ltd.

Module: Understanding the Finance

Mr. Bibek Risal

Assistant Professor
Kathmandu University

Module: Finance and Accounting

Mr. Ashish Tiwari

Principal and Director
Ace Institute of Management & Ace International Business School

Module: Culture that Sticks

Ms. Sujana Koirala

Corporate Lawyer & Legal Consultant, Unilever & Carlsberg Group

Module: Legal Aspect in Business

Mr. Avishek K. Karky

Associate Director
Ace Institute of Management

Director
Ascend Startup Center

Module: Presenting Your Business

Mr. Suman Shakya

Founder / Director
Tangent Waves Pvt. Ltd. / SmartPaani

Module: BDP Framework for Business

Mr. Tenzing Samdup Bajracharya

Co Founder / Managing Partner
ACT360 Pvt. Ltd.

Module: Digital Marketing

Ms. Shradha Pant

Manager - Research & Investments
Muktinath Capital Ltd.

Module: Understanding the Finances

Mr. Prajwal Gadtaula

Co-Founder
Business Brainz

Module: Setting up Key Metrics

Ms. Sujana Koirala

Corporate Lawyer
Carlsberg Group

Module: Legal Aspects in Business

Bibek Bhandary

Mr. Bibek Bhandary

Co Founder / Digital Product Head
Ascendifly / GrowthAcad

Module: Presenting your Business

Mr. Tenzing Samdup Bajracharya

Co-Founder, ACT360 Pvt. Ltd.

Module: Digital Marketing

Mr. Suman Shakya

Founder, Tangent Waves

Module: BDP Framework for Business

Ms. Sujana Koirala

Corporate Lawyer & Legal Consultant-Unilever & Carlsberg Group

Module: Legal Aspects in Business

Bibek Bhandary

Mr. Bibek Bhandary(Certified Professional Sales Leader)

Co-Founder - Ascendifly,

Founding Member - Sales Hacker

Module: Presenting your Business

Ascend Testimonials

Ascend Pre-Incubation Program

Our flagship program at Ascend is the Pre-Incubation program, which is a 3 months long program to lay the groundworks for selected companies to be market-ready. To do this, we are relying on a tailored curriculum, along with a group of insightful instructors, numerous guest speakers and other hands-on activities.

During the program, you will:
  1. Learn how to evaluate startup ideas and execute the idea into a successful business.
  2. With guidance from experts and professionals, you will cover all aspects of starting a venture, ranging from developing a product/service that customers will pay for, to marketing it, creating a sustainable financial model and learn how to manage a business.
  3. Set business milestones and/or goals to track the growth and progress of your venture.
  4. Learn a range of relevant skills to apply to your business through workshops regarding: goal setting and team management, digital marketing, etc.
S.N. Module Activities No. of Sessions Faciltator Date
1 BDP Framework For Business Assessing Entrepreneurial Abilities/Importance of a Business Plan 10 Suman Shakya
Founder - Tangent Waves
Certified Trainer, Small Business Consultant 		August 23rd, 24th, 30th, 31st, 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, & 21st
One Line Pitch(Vision + Value Proposition)
The Problem
Target Market & Opportunity
Competition / The Solution
Revenue / Business Model
Traction & Validation / Roadmap
Marketing & Sales Strategy
Financials
Team/Investment & Use of Funds
Expert Session 1 Design Thinking Fundamentals 1 TBD TBD
2 Branding Pitching & Communication Crafting Your Startup Story 4 Kashyap Shakya
CoFounder & Brand Strategist -
Pycus Holdings		 October 11th, 12th, 18th, & 19th
Elevator Pitch Techniques
Brand Basics(Logo, Name, Tone)
Pitch Deck Essentials
3 Go To Market Strategy Understanding Distribution Channels 4 Salina Sharma
Head of Marketing
MAW Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.		 November 1st, 2nd, 8th, & 9th
Early Adopters Vs. Mass Market
Launch Plan Design
Metrics That Matter
4 Legal IP & Compliance Basics Choosing A Legal Structure 4 Sujana Koirala
Lawyer & Entrepreneur		 November 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd
Basics of Intellectual Property
Regulatory Landscape
Founder's Agreement & Equity
5 Funding Pathways & Financial Literacy Types of Funding (Grants, Angels, VCs) 5 Deepak Sharma
Investment Director
Business Oxygen Pvt. Ltd.		 November 29th, 30th, December 6th, 7th, & 13th
Introduction To Startups Finances & Budgeting
Building A Basic Financial Model
6 Team And Cofounder Dynamics Building And Managing A Founding Team
Roles & Equity Split Strategies
Expert Session 2 Culture Building From Day One 1 TBD November 14th
7 Presenting Your Business Refining The Pitch 2 Bibek Bhandary
Founder Ascendifly, Trainer Consultant & Business Growth Specialist		 December 20th, 21st
Presenting To Mentors/Investors

Eligibility Criteria

Idea Eligibility
Ascend welcomes an incredibly wide variety of ideas, across almost any industry. We look for ventures that demonstrate the following:
  • A clear understanding of a problem that they wish to solve, and a solution that has the promise of impact in the market
  • Feasible in the Nepalese market
  • Potential for business growth
  • Team composition and their motivation to learn
There are certain types of ventures we will not accept:
  • “One-offs” – ventures that exist to plan for a single event or outcome
  • Charity and advocacy groups.
Team Eligibility
To apply to the Ascend Pre-Incubation program:
  • A team must have at least one member who is a current student or an alumnus of Ace Institute of Management. Students from bachelors and masters level are eligible.
  • A team may submit only one (1) application.
  • Individuals may not be part of multiple teams.
  • No individual participation will be allowed and the maximum number of members in a team will be three (3). Under special circumstances, up to 4 members can be allowed.
Ascend reserves the right to disqualify any application that we, in our sole and absolute discretion, determine does not fit within our application.
Team Application Form
Program Fee

The participation fee for the 3-month long program is NPR. 15,000 per team. It includes coach fees, stationery items, a dedicated workspace for each team, community dinner programs, guest speeches, and workshops.

You will have to deposit the fees only if you are selected for the pre-incubation program. You will have an option to pay for the fee in two equal installments.

Ascend FAQ

What are the facilities provided by Ascend?

Ascend provides the following services:
Pre-Incubation Program: This is the flagship service provided by Ascend, a comprehensive and intense course to launch, develop and grow your business ideas.
Community Workspace: Ascend will provide common workspace for individuals and teams to use for their needs. Based on membership, you will get a desk that you can rent as and when you need to.
Mentorship Services: Either you are a solo entrepreneur or someone who is planning to start a business, Ascend helps you get in touch with relevant mentors to guide you through your queries and concerns.

During the program, you will:
  • Learn how to evaluate startup ideas and execute the idea into a successful business
  • With guidance from experts and professionals, you will cover all aspects of starting a venture, ranging from developing a product/service that customers will pay for, to marketing it, creating a sustainable financial model and learn how to manage a business.
  • Set business milestones and/or goals to track the growth and progress of your venture.
  • Learn a range of relevant skills to apply to your business through workshops regarding: goal setting and team management, digital marketing, etc.

To apply to the Ascend Pre-Incubation Program:
  • Teams must consist of a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of four (4) members.
  • Each team may submit only one (1) application.
  • Individuals may not be part of multiple teams.
  • Individual participation is not allowed.
Ascend reserves the right to disqualify any application that we, in our sole and absolute discretion, determine does not fit within our application.

Ascend welcomes an incredibly wide variety of ideas, across almost any industry. We look for ventures that demonstrate the following:
  • A clear understanding of a problem that they wish to solve, and a solution that has the promise of impact in the market
  • Feasible in the Nepalese market
  • Potential for business growth
  • Team composition and their motivation to learn
There are certain types of ventures that tend not to fit well within this rubric:
  • “One-offs” – ventures that exist to plan for a single event or outcome
  • Charity and advocacy groups.

The ideas will be selected in two phases -
  • First Phase: Shortlisting through Application Forms. The form is a crucial part of your shortlisting. So, please fill it with dedication and be as specific as possible.
  • Second Phase: Business idea pitching in front of a panel of jury followed by Questions and Answers.

Having an idea is compulsory.
Teams are required to apply with a clear idea they intend to work on during the program. Ascend will not facilitate team formation or assign members to any team. It is the responsibility of the applicants to form their own teams and come prepared with a defined idea

For the Pre-Incubation program, Ascend is only looking for companies in the ideation stage or companies that have recently started their business (under 12 months)

5 – 7 startups will be selected for each cohort depending on the quality of the applications.

The duration of the Pre-Incubation program would be of around 3 months, There will be 2 – 3 classes each week, which would be of 2 hours each depending on the topic. The classes will take place mostly in the weekend, or as appropriate.

The Pre-Incubation program ends with a demo-day where the startups will showcase their business in front of an audience consisting of business experts, investors, faculty members and mentors.

After the demo-day, the team will be associated with the incubation center for another six (6) months for a ‘hand-holding’ phase. As they enter the market, Ascend will provide mentorship and required guidance to the teams. However, this is an option which a team can opt out of.

Yes, there is a fee for participating in the program. The participation fee for the 3-month long program is NPR. 15,000 per team. It includes coach fees, stationery items and a dedicated workspace.

"Ascend offers early-stage funding to deserving startups, evaluated during the Pre-Incubation Program. A seed funding pool of NPR 5 million is reserved for promising ideas. Additionally, Ascend will also create a network of angels and seed-investors to support potential businesses."

The application will open on June 8, 2025.

Odyssey FAQ

What is Odyssey - Ace Startup Bootcamp?

Odyssey is a 3-day intensive startup bootcamp designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs develop their business ideas and refine them to make investment ready propositions.

The Odyssey bootcamp spans 3 days, with 8-9 hours of sessions each day, including breaks. Lunch will also be provided during the program.

Anyone with a business idea or an early-stage startup is welcome to participate. Whether you are a student, a professional, or an aspiring entrepreneur, Odyssey is open to all.

We offer structured curriculum mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and access to valuable resources like networking and seed funding opportunities. Intensive ideation and business modeling program to build & refine MVPs and present a business plan.

No, there is absolutely no fee to participate in the Odyssey BootCamp. Both the registration and the full three-day bootcamp are completely free of charge

Scan the QR Code: Use your mobile device to scan the QR code provided to access the application form.
Fill Out the Form: Complete the application form with accurate details about you, cofounders and your business idea. Ensure all required fields are filled.
Submit Your Application: After filling out the form, submit it before the registration deadline.

Yes, each participating team must have 2 co-founders attend the bootcamp. If your startup has more than 2 co-founders, you can select 2 representatives to participate. Once selected, the representatives cannot be interchanged during the bootcamp.

A total of 20 ideas/startups will be selected to participate in the bootcamp.

Applications will be reviewed, and participants will be selected based on the potential and viability of their business ideas.

After selection, the chosen teams will be invited to attend an orientation program on the evening of April 10. This will provide an overview of the bootcamp structure and expectations. Following the orientation, the 3-day bootcamp will take place on April 18, 19, and 20. Participants are expected to be fully prepared and present for the entire duration of the program.

The bootcamp will be held on-site at Ace Institute of Management, New baneswor, Kathmandu.

Winners of the boot camp get a direct entry into the Incubation Program of our Ace Startup Center, and after completion of the incubation program, a seed funding of 5 million is reserved for promising ideas.

No, not necessarily. You just need to have the zeal and compassion to bring your unique ideas to life and commitment.

Yes, just need to be less than a year and half in operations.

Ace Startup Center will launch its 5th Cohort Pre-Incubation Program, a three-month intensive initiative designed to equip selected teams with essential skills and guidance. Participants will receive expert mentorship covering key areas such as Business Development Process (BDP) framework, legal and financial fundamentals, investment decision-making, marketing strategies, and effective business pitching.

With over 75+ industry partners from different sectors and more than 7000+ Alumnis prevalent and active in various sectors accross Nepal, Odyssey acts as a mediator for students to connect with industry professionals who can guide and mentor them. The intensive workshops are carried out by facilitators who come from years of knowledge and experience.

The panel of mentors, judges, and jury will include accomplished entrepreneurs and distinguished industry leaders with extensive experience in their respective fields.

Odyssey helps startups prepare for investment by offering mentorship sessions with industry experts, guiding them in developing and refining their Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and providing valuable networking opportunities

The registration deadline will be announced on our social media channels. Make sure to apply early as spots are limited.

For inquiries, you can email us at hrikita@ace.edu.np/jashmi@ace.edu.np or call 9808969976/9841265444

Yes, attendance is mandatory for all 3 days of the bootcamp. Participants are expected to attend the full sessions each day to gain the maximum benefit from the program. Non-attendance may result in disqualification from the program and the withdrawal of any associated opportunities, such as joining the incubation cohort or receiving seed funding.