Team Ventures, established in 2017, is an alternative investment firm based in Kathmandu, promoted by a dynamic group of businesspeople with experience across multiple sectors. The company operates with the motto of having a positive impact on the socio-economic indicators of the local economy while ensuring optimal investor returns. Like most alternative institutional investment firms or Private Equity and Venture Capital (PEVC), Team Ventures provides long-term funding to high-growth businesses by bridging the gap in capital markets. It focuses on equity returns and supports strategic and operational enhancements to boost a company’s value and growth, typically targeting more established companies rather than start-ups. Team Ventures follows a sector-agnostic approach with an emphasis on balanced growth, diversification, and investor returns through both short- and long-term strategies. Their investment approach is based on a disciplined due diligence process and rigorous analysis that calculates risk while identifying companies with credible precedents, disruptive business models, exponential growth potential, and strong teams. As an active institutional investor with 11 employees, the company aims to deliver sustainable value over the long term.

Contact: Website Facebook LinkedIn

Influence and Support Private Equity (PE) Investor to Deploy Investment in Favour of Smallholder-related Agribusinesses

The partnership between CASA and Team Ventures (TV) was designed to unlock additional private sector investment in smallholder-related agribusinesses and shift investor perceptions in favor of this underserved sector. With TV’s ambition to allocate 20% of its planned £40.6 million investment fund into agriculture—a new area for the firm—CASA provided critical expertise and advisory support to build TV’s internal capacity, develop targeted investment strategies, and identify viable agribusiness deals. The collaboration aimed to demonstrate the commercial viability of investing in smallholder-linked agribusinesses by helping TV conduct market research, develop screening criteria, and perform feasibility studies, while also leveraging CASA’s existing pipeline of investable projects.

CASA supported TV in deploying agricultural funds effectively through tailored frameworks, assisting smallholder agribusinesses within TV’s portfolio to prepare robust business plans, financial projections, and operational strategies. Beyond investment facilitation, the partnership focused on capacity-building for these agribusinesses to strengthen management, governance, and operational efficiency, making them more attractive to investors. The initiative also emphasised integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and applying a gender lens approach to promote inclusive and sustainable agribusiness growth.

To ensure sustained impact, CASA helped TV identify additional funding opportunities from international donors and grant programmes targeted at agriculture, while fostering knowledge sharing through engagement with the Private Equity Association Nepal. By the end of the project, the partnership was on track to channel approximately £1 million in new investments into up to three agribusinesses, laying the groundwork for increased private sector engagement and long-term growth in Nepal’s smallholder agribusiness landscape.

The partnership achieved significant progress in identifying and supporting investable agribusinesses in Nepal. Through a comprehensive mapping exercise, 65 agribusinesses were assessed using a jointly-developed Deal Acceptance Criteria framework, resulting in a clear pipeline of six businesses recommended for immediate due diligence and others for follow-up. The study estimated that USD 18-22 million could be responsibly deployed over the next 1-5 years, particularly targeting export-oriented ventures, value-added processing, and import substitution models. Key outcomes included enhanced investor insights into agri-SME readiness and sector challenges, such as financial transparency and equity literacy, highlighting the need for innovative blended finance approaches to drive sustainable commercial growth beyond grant dependency.

The “PEVC Investment Strategies in Agribusiness: Lessons from India” workshop was a milestone event that brought together Nepali investors, agribusinesses, policymakers, and international experts to explore effective investment approaches. By showcasing successful Indian private equity and venture capital models, the workshop deepened understanding of equity financing’s long-term benefits and practical applications in agriculture. It bolstered investor confidence by highlighting local investment opportunities and value chain gaps, encouraged a shift from grant reliance, and sparked greater engagement from capital market regulators and private equity firms. The event laid important groundwork for ecosystem development, capacity building, and policy alignment, all crucial for a more investment-ready agricultural finance landscape in Nepal.

In the due diligence phase, Team Ventures conducted thorough evaluations of shortlisted agribusinesses, ultimately selecting three companies for full engagement based on strategic fit, operational readiness, and growth potential. This included Annapurna Machha Dana Udhyog Pvt Ltd, which received a Letter of Intent supported by a land-and-cash financing model totaling approximately NPR 220 million (£1.3 million). The due diligence process validated the potential for equity capital to drive growth in key sub-sectors like feed production, livestock, and aquaculture, reinforcing the commercial viability of investing in smallholder-inclusive agribusinesses.

Building on these achievements, other development partners are encouraged to replicate and scale this approach in future programming. The robust mapping, strategic capacity-building, and rigorous investment evaluation set a strong foundation for attracting sustainable private sector finance into agriculture. By leveraging these lessons and expanding collaborative efforts, stakeholders can accelerate inclusive agribusiness growth, enhance smallholder livelihoods, and contribute to Nepal’s broader economic development goals.

Updated: August 2025