Six startups backed to enter market by October

2026-03-21 - 11:21

Six new businesses advancing nature, logistics, and science in Bhutan will enter the market by October this year. Six teams of entrepreneurs won a pre-seed grant of Nu 500,000 each at the Bhutan Startup Launchpad 2026. Teams Aplos Lab, Astro Bhutan, Fungi Flow Ecosystem, Nori, Northuen, and VIHelp were named winners. Their ideas range from language translation and online delivery services to astro-tourism experiences. The grant will be disbursed in three phases over six months. The winning teams say they are ready to begin their entrepreneurial journey. “My idea is about astro-tourism, though it is a big concept worldwide, but newly established in Bhutan. We will be providing night sky experiences to individuals. For the seed money, we will be purchasing our equipment with the help of the government and using it for other legal purposes,” said Anmol Sharma, a team member of Astro Bhutan. “In the first phase, we would be investing or utilising that seed money into building a prototype of the IoT device lab. Secondly, the second phase is we would also have to build up the prefabricated shelter, have those mushrooms grown there and install these IoT devices into those prefabricated shelters,” said Pelden, a member of Fungi Flow Ecosystem. Tshewang Yeshi from VIHelp said, “We are coming up with an assistive device for visually impaired people where we detect objects, and then we calculate the distance from them, and then we assist them. So we are looking forward to expanding and scaling up, and improving our model product.” In addition, the Gedu College of Business Studies offered Nu 200,000 to each of the winning teams. The teams will receive monitoring, guidance, and support from Thimphu TechPark Limited. “They will be reviewing whatever business model they have developed during the event, and then they will also be assigned with the expert mentors, not just from within Bhutan but also from outside. We have a list of registered mentors. They will be mentoring the winning teams. They will be guiding and helping validate their idea, refining their solutions. Ultimately, they will be actually helping in terms of commercialising their businesses within six months,” said Tenzin Rabgay, the chief operating officer with Thimphu TechPark Limited. The organisers selected the winners from 16 teams that pitched their ideas. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment organised the event in collaboration with the Bhutan Innovation and Technology Centre and Thimphu TechPark Limited. With the right support and momentum, these startups now look to sustain their businesses and carve a place for themselves in the market. Singye Dema Edited by Sangay Chezom