Utopia – Kathmandu

    Utopia is creating a network of CITYLabs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to build the ecosystem foremerging cities and their slums. Each CITYLab collaborates with entrepreneurs of the city to found and grow urbanstartups. The idea is to create a new urban model, that even if it based in San Francisco, operates in other citiesworldwide like Lagos and Rio. In each city, their model involves the creation of a venture studio to create newstartups, a fund to finance the venture, and a hub that createsevents to share knowledge and networking.

Currently, in Kathmandu, Utopia is installing its Urban Innovation Lab, and working on two streams. While working on the fund, they are building its physical space, and Urban Laboratory based in Katmandu, the team does research on identifying potential challenges for slum development.One venture is on waste, to bypass and classify a majority of materials as garbage due to an under developed recycling system (and network). The venture wants to redesign and business/supply chain models in recycling andproduct development. A second venture is on urban migration to help the many migrants arriving early on, to fosternetwork building, enhances their employability, and connects them to the market.