PRESS RELEASE

Nepal Debuts Harvard-Level Health Hackathon, Marking New Era in Health Innovation

Kathmandu, April 11, 2026

Nepal has marked a significant milestone in its innovation journey with the successful hosting of the Nepal Finale of the Harvard Health Hackathon, organized by the Nepal Technology Innovation Center (NTIC) at Kathmandu University. The event represents the first-ever Harvard-level health hackathon in Nepal, positioning the country within a global network of health innovation hubs.

Conducted under the Health Systems Innovation Lab, the hackathon brought together emerging innovators from across the country to address pressing healthcare challenges through technology, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, accessibility, and system-level efficiency.

The two-day event opened on April 10 with participation from prominent stakeholders, including Prof. Dr. Achyut Wagle VC of KU, Mike Harker of the U.S. Embassy, Choong Hee of KOICA, Tim Gocher of Dolma Impact Fund, alongside health and academic leaders such as Dr. Bishal Dhakal and Dr. Biraj Man Karmacharya. Deans of various schools at Kathmandu University and representatives from partner organizations and Investors were also in attendance.

“This marks a defining moment for Nepal’s innovation ecosystem,” said NTIC Director, Prof. Bim P. Shrestha. The competition drew participation from more than 400 teams nationwide, from which 47 teams advanced through regional rounds held across multiple hubs. These finalists presented high-impact solutions in a highly competitive format, each delivering concise three-minute pitches. Chief of Innovation at NTIC, Dr. Sanjiv Gupta added that the quality of ideas and participation demonstrated Nepal’s readiness to engage and compete at a global level.

Following evaluation by a panel led by Dr. Nitin N Bhandari (Medic), with members including Sanjaya Poudel (PATH), Prof. Roshee Lamichhane (KUSOM), Dr. Nishan Bhattarai (Dhulikhel Hospital), and Prof. Rabindra Bista (KU), the jury selected the top-performing teams.

Team “Second Eye” (Latika, Samyam, Sahadev, Sandip and Sagar) emerged as the winner, followed by “AequiPulse” (Aayush, Shubham, Krishna) as first runner-up and “EvoMoE” (Sneha & Nidhi) as second runner-up. In addition, twenty promising ventures were identified as “Top Ventures to Watch,” while ten teams will receive further mentoring and support. The top three teams will go on to represent Nepal at the international round, where leading global teams will compete for selection to the final showcase in Boston.

NTIC has been expanding international collaboration with institutions including Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. The center invites institutions across Nepal to host future hubs and broaden access to innovation resources.

The successful debut of the hackathon signals the beginning of a new phase in Nepal’s health-tech and systems innovation landscape.