Eight specialized investment funds (venture capital) licensed by the Securities Board of Nepal are planning to raise a total of Rs 30.5 billion in investments.

Based on the board's report, the investment targets for the funds are as follows: Avasar Equity Diversified Fund aims to raise Rs 5 billion; Alpha Plus Vision Fund, Rs 2 billion; Prabhu Dynamic Private Equity Fund-1, Rs 500 million; Nepal Opportunity Fund-1, Rs 3 billion; Lakshmi Sustainable Energy Fund, Rs 1 billion; NIBL Equity Partners, Rs 10 billion; Reliable Private Equity Fund, Rs 2 billion; and National Equity Fund-1, Rs 7 billion.

Binaydev Acharya, head of the board’s supervision department, stated that three of these funds have already collected significant amounts. Avasar Equity Diversified Fund has gathered Rs 4.56 billion, National Equity Fund-1 has collected Rs 1.6 billion, and Nepal Opportunity Fund-1 has accumulated Rs 990 million.

Sanima Bank holds a 10 percent stake in National Equity Fund-1. This fund plans to invest in various sectors, including infrastructure, pre-IPO shares, tourism, healthcare, education, technology-driven industries, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The board also reported that Siddhartha Bank, Sanima Bank, Kumari Bank, and Nepal Bank have invested equally in the Avasar Equity Diversified Fund, which has raised Rs 4.56 billion, representing a 2.5 percent share from each bank.

The Avasar Equity Diversified Fund intends to invest in industries such as manufacturing, financial services, e-commerce, IT, energy, real estate, logistics, tourism, healthcare, and education. Dhruva Timilsina, CEO of this fund, noted that the collected funds have already been invested in five different companies. Although the fund’s target size is Rs 5 billion, Rs 4.56 billion has been raised and deployed in the market. He also highlighted that this 10-year fund is creating alternative investment opportunities in Nepal.

Nepal Opportunity Fund-1, which has raised Rs 990 million, has several key investors: Laxmi Sunrise Bank (5 percent), Hathaway Investment Nepal (2.67 percent), Mahalaxmi Development Bank (1.67 percent), and Jyoti Bikas Bank (1 percent). The fund will focus on sectors such as energy, agriculture, tourism, hotels and resorts, IT, construction, education, and healthcare, among others.

These funds must operate within the investment limits and regulations set by the Specialized Investment Fund Regulations, 2075. According to the board, Reliable Private Equity Fund, NIBL Equity Partners, Laxmi Sustainable Energy Fund, Prabhu Dynamic Private Equity Fund-1, and Alpha Plus Vision Fund have yet to start fundraising.

Reliable Investment and Merchant Capital Limited holds 4 percent in Reliable Private Equity Fund, followed by 3.5 percent stake by Multipurpose Finance, and 2.5 percent by Kumari Bank. Meanwhile, Nepal Investment Mega Bank has a 10 percent stake in NIBL Equity Partners, Laxmi Sunrise Bank has 10 percent in Laxmi Sustainable Energy Fund, and Prabhu Bank holds 10 percent in both Prabhu Dynamic Private Equity Fund-1 and Alpha Plus Vision Fund.