Climate change is a global challenge, but solutions must grow from the ground up. For too long, climate innovation has flowed top-down, from traditional hubs in the Global North. But real, lasting impact requires shifting power toward the Global South, where climate impacts are immediate and innovation is often born out of necessity. At Startup Discovery School (SDS), we believe in reversing this flow: supporting bottom-up innovation from vulnerable regions and unlocking global market access for those closest to the crisis, and to the solutions.
The Case for South Asia’s Climate Entrepreneurs
South Asia, and Nepal in particular, represents both urgent need and incredible potential. With increasing climate vulnerability from landslides, flash floods to water scarcity, comes a groundswell of entrepreneurial resilience. Yet, early-stage founders across Nepal often lack the scaffolding to grow: access to capital, mentorship, visibility, and cross-border networks.
To test the ecosystem’s readiness, SDS launched an open call for climate entrepreneurs and innovators through our Climate Champion Competition in 2024. The response was powerful. 122 applications from across the region showed us just how alive this space already is.
The applicants represented diverse sectors, with 34% from manufacturing, 29.55% in food systems, 13.54% in circular economy and clean energy, and 12.5% in digitization.
Notably, 86% identified as private-sector ventures, not NGOs, challenging the notion that “there are no climate-centric businesses” here. These startups are building practical, scalable solutions
and already supporting 1,200+ jobs. From idea-stage (32%) to growth-stage (26.9%), these founders are ready, they just need the right partners.
Our Role & Approach
SDS brings global infrastructure to local ingenuity. Our model is global, but our approach is deeply contextual, co-created with founders, respecting local knowledge, and rooted in realities on the ground. We’re not just exporting global playbooks to Nepal, we're enabling local innovations to access emerging markets across the Global South, where context is shared and scalable solutions can travel.
By connecting Nepal’s climate entrepreneurs to markets, funding, and networks globally, we aim to amplify South-to-South and South-to-global innovation pipelines.
A South-Led Climate Future
Our vision is to build models in Nepal that don’t just adapt to climate realities, they shape them. These aren’t just “local” solutions, they’re globally relevant, deeply rooted, and ready to lead. Nepal is not a testing ground, it's a starting point for a new kind of climate entrepreneurship, led from the South, and built for the world.
Work With Us
The innovators are here. The potential is real. Now we need partners like you, entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and changemakers, to help scale climate solutions from South Asia to the world.
Reach out to Startup Discovery School and be part of building a local-to-global movement that’s reshaping the future.
Ready to collaborate? Let’s connect.
