History
Companies, products and programmes that closed, were acquired or became part of the record
2020s7
| Entry | Kind | Outcome | Years | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DIGI Nepal Fintech Challenge Twelve-month challenge programme for five finance-sector startups, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the DIGI Nepal project. It offered technical assistance, workshops, mentoring and networking, and concluded in 2025. | Programme | Historical | –2025 | — |
TechX Acceleration Twelve-month acceleration programme for eight edtech and healthtech ventures run by Accelerator Nepal with SDC funding through the DIGI Nepal project; concluded in 2025. | Programme | Historical | –2025 | — |
Smart Telecom (Smart Cell) Private mobile operator (brand Smart Cell). NTA revoked its licence over unpaid dues in April 2023 and the state took control of its assets; a bank-led auction of pledged assets later won by Ncell Axiata is disputed and under prosecution. | Company | Closed | 2008–2023 | Government of Nepal (via NTA asset management) |
UTL CDMA fixed-wireless telephone service Basic telephony service of United Telecom Limited using CDMA wireless-local-loop technology with limited mobility. UTL held a CDMA WLL licence from 2002 and was among operators whose licence the NTA annulled in December 2023. | Service | Closed | 2002–2023 | — |
Analogue Mall E-commerce and offline electronics retail chain that began operating in Nepal in November 2020 as a subsidiary of Analogue Inc; GadgetByte Nepal reported on 3 August 2022 that it had ceased operations and its website and stores were not operating. | Company | Closed | 2020–2022 | — |
Sajhadeal.com Online marketplace founded in 2017 by four entrepreneurs; relaunched in August 2022 as Saajha Online Shopping under a board led by chartered accountants, with a new website saajha.com.np. | Platform | Rebranded | 2017–2022 | Saajha Online Shopping |
Nepalnews.com Described as Nepal's first online news portal, started in 1998. Its parent Mercantile Communications announced a shutdown in January 2015; the portal was later bought by Yeti Group subsidiary Nepal News Private Limited, relaunched, and shut again in May 2020. | Platform | Closed | 1998–2020 | — |
2010s4
| Entry | Kind | Outcome | Years | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BhatBhateniOnline.com Online shopping portal acquired by F1Soft International, owner of eSewa, in June 2018 and rebranded and operated as eSewaPasal.com to tie it to the eSewa brand. | Platform | Rebranded | –2018 | eSewaPasal.com (F1Soft International / eSewa) |
Kaymu Nepal Open online marketplace in Nepal operating as Kaymu; renamed Daraz in July 2017 with new logo, name, apps and domain (daraz.com.np). The kaymu.com.np domain was retired. | Platform | Rebranded | –2017 | Daraz Nepal |
Harilo Reshipping/e-commerce website that let people in Nepal buy goods from US retailers and have them delivered to Nepal. It stopped taking orders in August 2016 and, per TechLekh's August 2017 update, had not resumed. | Platform | Closed | –2016 | — |
Mero Mobile Consumer mobile brand of Spice Nepal, described as Nepal's first private mobile operator, launched in 2005. After TeliaSonera took a majority stake (2008) the brand was changed to Ncell in March 2010 and Mero Mobile was retired. | Service | Rebranded | 2005–2010 | Ncell |
2000s1
| Entry | Kind | Outcome | Years | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nepal Telecommunications Corporation State-owned telecom corporation formally established under the Communications Corporation Act; transformed into the company Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited (NDCL) from Baisakh 1, 2061 BS, trading publicly as Nepal Telecom. | Company | Rebranded | –2004 | Nepal Telecom |
Date not recorded1
| Entry | Kind | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
Sroth Code Games Nepali game studio that attempted an open-world PC/mobile game, Chronicles of the Himalayas; described in October 2020 as "now-defunct". | Company | Closed |