NPEA Internship

Prashuna Tamang
14 July 2025

How NPEA’s Deal share Platform can strengthen Nepal’s young PE ecosystem?

During my internship at Nepal Private Equity Association (NPEA), I spent my time looking at case studies, looking at local companies and conducting private equity research. I also had the opportunity to sit in on project meetings and observe how ideas are built and executed. These small day-to-day tasks and networking with people in the industry gave me a clearer picture of how Nepal’s private equity and venture capital landscape actually works. Along the way, I also came across NPEA’s Deal Share Platform: something I found interesting and worth highlighting in this blog, because I believe it’s a smart move to strengthen our young investment ecosystem.

Nepal’s Young Landscape

Nepal’s Private equity landscape is small, fragile and developing. Alternative investment ecosystems can be a great way for SMEs to grow in a country where traditional funding is limited. In the case of Nepal, many investments are done on minority stakes: according to a World Bank report, most funds hold less than 50% of shares in companies they invest in. This makes exits tricky because they do not own control over the company to sell it in case they want to exit. Unlike larger and more mature PE markets, IPO and M&A options are limited. So, their most practical exit strategy is selling their shares back to the main owner (the founder buyback)
or to another buyer in the same industry (a strategic sale). This is where NPEA’s Deal Share Platform – a digital platform launched on March 9, 2023, to connect companies seeking for scaling or any sort of financial and non-financial support with
investors looking for a pipeline of investments – comes into play. This platform can help build relationships with buyers who might purchase minority stakes later which is important for a young PE market like ours.

Deals are relationship driven

What stood out to me was that in most of Asia, local context matters a lot since the PE
landscape is so fragmented and informal talks and deals happen more. A report from McKinsey and Company notes that in Asia, deals don’t flow through open auctions like in the West. Owners rarely advertise that they want to sell. In such a context, the Deal Share Platform can professionalize this process by shifting it from an informal discussion to a more standardized, bigger network to share information. It helps build credibility among stakeholders and makes the pipeline more visible, so local and foreign investors can find opportunities they would otherwise miss.

Why it matters for fragile markets

In fragile states with risky investment and business landscapes, only a few investors are willing to take risks which limits access to businesses for funding. The lack of information is also huge barrier in fragile states like Nepal. The Deal Share Platform helps address these challenges by acting as a trusted platform and making information transparent as members can see who is raising capital. It can increase pipeline visibility by listing which deals are open and what’s coming next. It Improves trust as basic due diligence info can be shared up front, saving time for everyone.

Moving Forward

From my perspective, the Deal Share Platform has huge potential to help grow the PEVC
landscape of Nepal. By recognizing its benefits and importance, users should engage with it actively. For instance, if you are a company seeking investment opportunities, using the platform effectively means keeping company information up-to-date, reliable and credible for investors. Collaborating with NPEA to highlight success stories and taking advantage of NPEA’s pitch deck guidelines to prepare professional, investor-ready materials can also help build confidence and trust among potential investors.
Likewise, for investors, this platform is more than just a pool of investment opportunities – it is also a medium to connect with other investors and industries to expand networks. It can be a great source for discovering companies that may not advertise themselves very publicly. If you are an investor, you can actively use this platform by browsing it regularly, reaching out for initial conversations and inquiry and sharing constructive feedback. Both the sides play an equally important role to boost this platform and squeeze out the maximum benefit it can offer to the alternative ecosystem in Nepal. The more openly everyone interacts with the platform by participating in events, building connections and providing feedback, the stronger the system gets. In the end, it should be used not only as a listing space but also as a relationship building tool help Nepal’s young PE/VC market grow.