In mid-November 2024, Agri Direct Global emerged as the top winner of the Climate Champion Competition, organized by Startup Discovery Asia (SDA) in Nepal. Held at the EDEN amphitheatre in Sanepa on November 13, the event brought together seven finalists who pitched their climate solutions to a panel of judges.
Agri Direct Global was crowned the most innovative, scalable, and impactful startup for its technology that transforms organic waste into protein-rich animal feed using Black Soldier Fly larvae. This solution tackles both waste management and sustainable animal feed production.
The competition had attracted 122 applicants and was designed to empower Nepali startups focused on climate action.
Along with Agri Direct Global, other notable winners included Sakal Bio Enzyme Nepal, honored as the most impactful startup for its eco-friendly cleaner made from fermented organic waste, and RVM Nepal, which won the award for most scalable startup for its AI-driven thermal energy storage system for cold storage facilities.
Each winner received a cash prize, with Agri Direct Global winning NRs 100,000, while Sakal Bio Enzyme Nepal and RVM Nepal were awarded NRs. 50,000 each.
The event also highlighted other impressive finalists, including Climetrace, which developed a SaaS platform to help companies track and reduce their carbon emissions; Indra Barah Pipe Udhyog, which repurposes plastic waste into durable pipes for agriculture and irrigation; VayuDrishti, which works to improve environmental data availability and climate literacy in Nepal; and Grevolution, which aims to combat the Urban Heat Island effect by integrating vegetation into urban designs to create cooler, greener cities.
During the competition, SDA also launched Alpha Angels, a new platform to support funding for climate-focused startups.
This competition is part of SDA’s ongoing efforts to provide Nepali startups with the resources, visibility, and support needed to make a significant impact on climate change, both locally and globally.
