In an innovative step combining tech advancement with ecological consciousness, Nepal’s premier digital wallet, eSewa, has announced the upcoming “eSewa Hackathon 2026.” The three-day residential event is scheduled to run from Jestha 15 to Jestha 17 in the scenic tourist hub of Sauraha, Chitwan.
What sets this hackathon apart is its unique focus: driving technological breakthroughs while prioritizing environmental sustainability. To achieve this, eSewa has teamed up with WWF Nepal as its official conservation partner, challenging young minds to build green tech solutions.
Shaping Sustainable Tech: What is the eSewa Hackathon 2026?
The event is designed to bring developers, designers, and tech enthusiasts together under one roof. The competition challenges youth from across the country to create functional, real-world solutions bridging the gap between everyday financial transactions and global eco-conservation.
Core Focus Areas:
Digital Systems Development: Creating seamless, scalable, and inclusive fintech infrastructure.
Cybersecurity: Designing next-gen protection tools, focusing on secure digital onboarding and fraud prevention.
Environmental Sustainability: Engineering tech solutions tailored to wildlife protection, carbon footprint reduction, and natural resource conservation.
Event Breakdown and Competitor Stats
The national-level competition has generated immense excitement across Nepal’s tech communities. After a highly competitive preliminary screening, the final lineup features:
Total Competing Teams: 20 Teams
Total Finalists: 63 Innovators
Event Structure: 3-Day Residential Coding Sprint & Pitch Session
Throughout the event, teams will not just code in isolation. They will receive direct, one-on-one mentorship and guidance from leading veterans in Nepal’s IT, cybersecurity, and financial technology industries. This collaborative environment ensures that the conceptual prototypes built during the weekend have the potential to be incubated into actual market-ready applications.
Lucrative Rewards for the Winners
Beyond gaining priceless industry mentorship and network access, teams will be competing for major cash rewards aimed at fueling their future entrepreneurial journeys:
| Place | Cash Prize |
| First Place (Winner) | NPR 300,000 |
| Second Place (Runner-Up) | NPR 200,000 |
| Third Place | NPR 100,000 |
Selected standout ideas will also gain unique post-hackathon incubation opportunities, where eSewa will help transition prototypes into real-world, production-level tools.
A Vision for Tech-Driven Conservation
Speaking on the launch of the event, Jagdish Khadka, Chief Executive Officer of eSewa, expressed deep optimism regarding the event’s dual-purpose impact.
“The eSewa Hackathon 2026 is designed to serve as a unified launchpad for innovators to tackle urgent digital and environmental problems. Over the past 17 years, eSewa has constantly pushed boundaries to make payments secure and accessible. Now, through this hackathon, we want to empower youth to cultivate critical problem-solving skills, building tech-friendly solutions that actively contribute to sustainable national development.”
By collaborating with WWF Nepal, eSewa is effectively setting a new standard for corporate social responsibility in the tech space—demonstrating that fintech evolution doesn’t have to come at the cost of our planet’s ecological health.
