ICT Award 2026 selects 50 startups and innovations across four categories

Kathmandu : The selection process for the 11th edition of the ICT Award, recognized as one of the prestigious awards in the technology sector, is underway.

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Through the award’s nomination process, which opened in Shrawan 2083, more than 700 online applications have been received across 16 different categories. As part of this process, the semifinalists have been announced in four categories related to startups and innovation under Category A, based on the nominations received.

Following two rounds of selection, 50 startups and innovations have been selected across four categories for the ICT Award, which has 14 expert jury members and a 15-member distinguished advisory committee. More than 230 online applications were received across these four categories. The selected semifinalists include 10 tech startups under the Startup ICT Award, 10 Social Innovations, 15 Products, and 15 Rising Star Innovations.

The top 10 selected startups are Aashirbad Care Pvt. Ltd., Accelerated Komputing Pvt. Ltd., Fueling Ambitions Pvt. Ltd., Garudx Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd., Gomygo Bookings Pvt. Ltd., Lumino Technology Pvt. Ltd., Reffero Solutions Pvt. Ltd., SumX Inc., Yoddha Lab Pvt. Ltd., Zalient Company Pvt. Ltd.

Similarly, the top 10 Social Innovations are Barbardiya Agro-Meteorological Message and Advisory System, Kheldai Sikdai Kakshya, Kopila Valley School Maker Space, NidanEHR, Regen Nepal, Ride2Earn, SETU, Upscaling Smart Public Toilets for Better Sanitation, VayuDrishti - VayuSena, Waste Management System.

Likewise, the top 15 Products are Aashirbad Care, BiteOut, Centronix - Central Monitoring System, Danta-Med, Eksana, IMS Digital Lending, IP Sewa, Kathmandu Sightseeing, Lekhnus, NepalHRM, ONEBNPL, OptERP, Pagoda Labs DMS, PDFMergely, VayuDrishti Atmos.

Similarly, the top 15 Rising Star Innovations are DrishtiLabs, EvoMoE, Harit Pathsala, KiddiGuard, Life Line, Prediction of Prediction, Saksi, Setu, SkyTroop-P1, Suraksha360, Swar-Sathi, Synaptic, The Kairos Engine, Traffic Eye, Zalient Shop.

Startup Fest and Grand Jury to Select the Top Five

As part of the selection process, the selected semifinalists will now participate in the Startup and Idea Fest and the Grand Jury Session. At the Startup Fest, scheduled to be held in the first week of the upcoming month of Mangsir, all 50 selected teams will showcase their startups and innovations. During the Grand Jury Session, all participating teams will have the opportunity to present their work before the jury and take part in speed-dating sessions.

After the completion of all these processes, the top five will be selected. These teams will advance to the Grand Finale. Even after the selection of the top five, field visits and public voting will be conducted to determine the ultimate winner.

Similarly, the individual award categories under Category B include the Pioneer ICT Award, Entrepreneur ICT Award, Nepali Diaspora ICT Award, Professional Excellence ICT Award, and Professional Excellence ICT Award (Women).

Under Category C, which covers institutional awards, the categories include the Digital Education ICT Award (Public Sector), Digital Education ICT Award (Private Sector), Digital Governance ICT Award, Digital Services ICT Award (Emerging Sector), and Digital Services ICT Award (Enterprise Sector). The selection process for these award categories is also underway.

The South Asia Startup Award 2026 and the South Asia AI Innovation ICT Award 2026, targeting South Asian countries, are also being conducted. The selection process is underway across all these categories. For the selection process, the jury comprises 14 members from Nepal and international jury members from other countries, alongside a 15-member distinguished advisory committee.

The ICT Award is organized primarily by Living with ICT, with collaboration from various organizations. Launched in 2016, the ICT Award has been held annually, evolving and expanding with each edition. According to the organizers, the ICT Award’s selection process is the most extensive, impartial, and transparent among the awards held in Nepal.

A total of 25 rounds of jury committee meetings and presentation sessions will be conducted as part of the award selection process. Further details are available on the website: www.ictaward.org.