Hult Prize 2025/26 at Khwopa College of Engineering (KhCE) successfully conducted the Semi-Final Event on February 7, 2026, in Hall 3, Block F&G. The five-hour programme, running from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM, brought together 12 teams competing for advancement to the Final Round, marking a critical evaluation stage in the college's social entrepreneurship journey.
Under the leadership of Campus Director Mr. Rohan Singh and the Event Management Team led by Sampada Kshetri and Dipesh Singh, the event provided a rigorous platform to evaluate participating teams' startup concepts. Hosted by EMCEEs Lasata Tuladhar and Riya Shahi, the programme featured structured four-minute pitch presentations followed by four-minute question-and-answer sessions, allowing each team to demonstrate their problem-solving approaches, business models, and potential for social impact.
The event commenced with traditional cultural ceremonies, including the National Anthem, Panas Lighting ceremony conducted by Campus Director Mr. Rohan Singh and Deputy Campus Director Ms. Supriya Poudel, and Khada presentations honoring the distinguished judging panel. The judges were formally introduced, highlighting their diverse expertise: Ms. Isha Balla, Founder and Managing Director of Khaanpin, Nepal's first fully integrated 24/7 cloud kitchen and food delivery ecosystem; Mr. Rabindra Lamichhane, Executive Director of CLEAN UP NEPAL with nearly two decades of experience in environmental sustainability; Ms. Karuna Thapa, Environmental Professional at CLEAN UP NEPAL specializing in sustainable development; Mr. Aashish Pokharel, Machine Learning Engineer at Fusemachines with expertise in applied artificial intelligence; and Mr. Abi Shrestha, Former Campus Director of Hult Prize at KhCE and iOS Developer, bringing relatable insights from his own Hult Prize journey.
Following the acknowledgment of sponsors and partners, a behind-the-scenes video showcased the journey leading up to the Semi-Finals, highlighting key moments from orientation sessions, design thinking workshops, Business Model Canvas training, and previous competitions. This created emotional resonance and reminded teams of their growth throughout the season. The pitching guidelines and judging criteria were clearly explained, covering problem identification, solution innovation, business viability, social impact potential, team capability, and presentation effectiveness.
The first pitching session featured seven teams presenting their startup ideas, followed by probing questions from judges seeking clarification on implementation details, scalability potential, financial sustainability, and competitive advantages. After a short refreshment break, the remaining five teams delivered their presentations in the second pitching session, maintaining the same structured format to ensure fair evaluation. The question-and-answer interactions provided valuable feedback and enabled judges to assess teams' depth of understanding, adaptability, and critical thinking.
During the lunch break, judges deliberated and finalized evaluation scores while participants engaged in an interactive entertainment session, including Finish the Meme Challenge, Guess the Song by Music, and a singing segment. These activities maintained enthusiasm and fostered a sense of community among competing teams while reducing anxiety about results.
Campus Director Mr. Rohan Singh officially announced the five finalist teams selected to advance to the Final Round: Team Astra, Team Selibi, Team Jórmungandar, Team Fluxelle, and Team Xception. The announcement was met with enthusiastic applause as selected teams celebrated their advancement while all participants acknowledged each other's efforts and creativity. The judges were honored with Tokens of Love to recognize their expertise and constructive feedback, followed by a group photo session that captured the collective achievement and community spirit.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Rohan Singh congratulated all participating teams for their creativity, dedication, and impactful ideas, emphasizing that the entrepreneurial skills, problem-solving capabilities, and presentation confidence gained through the Hult Prize journey would serve participants throughout their careers. He encouraged the five finalist teams to prepare diligently for the upcoming Finals while thanking all teams for their commitment to creating positive social impact through innovation.
The Semi-Final Event successfully achieved its objectives of evaluating 12 teams through rigorous, transparent competition processes and selecting finalists for advancement. The diverse expertise of the judging panel ensured comprehensive evaluation across entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, technology innovation, and practical implementation. The seamless integration of traditional cultural ceremonies, structured competition formats, and engaging entertainment activities created a professional yet energetic atmosphere, laying a strong foundation for an exciting Final Round to determine the Hult Prize 2025/26 champion from Khwopa College of Engineering.
