eSewa
eSewa is Nepal's first digital payment platform, founded in 2009, operating a consumer wallet and merchant payment gateway for online payments, bill pay, remittances, and insurance distribution across 40+ bank partners and international diaspora corridors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersKathmandu, Nepal
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What eSewa does
eSewa is Nepal's first digital payment gateway, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Kathmandu. It operates a consumer-facing digital wallet and merchant payment platform enabling online payments, bill payments (electricity, water, TV, internet), mobile recharge, fund transfers, merchant QR code acceptance, travel bookings, education and insurance payments, and international remittances. The company is a subsidiary of f1soft and is regulated by Nepal Rastra Bank, with ISO 27001 certification for information security. Its mobile apps are available on iOS and Android, supported by a developer API at developer.esewa.com.np.
The platform's technical architecture is built around integration depth rather than proprietary AI: it connects to 40+ Nepalese commercial banks (including ADBL, Nabil, Kumari, NIC Asia, Global IME, and Prabhu) for fund loading and withdrawal, and surfaces 100+ merchant integrations across eCommerce, insurance, antivirus, entertainment, travel, and government services. Internationally, eSewa extends its wallet into remittance corridors through partnerships with Western Union (global), du Pay (UAE, targeting 450,000+ Nepali expats), and LemFi (North America and Europe, leveraging 2M+ LemFi customers). Distribution is product-led via mobile app and self-serve web onboarding, with customer support through toll-free numbers and email.
eSewa generates revenue primarily through transaction fees on payments and transfers; specific take-rates are not publicly disclosed. It sells no enterprise software or licensing. Customer segments are individual Nepalese consumers, Nepalese SMB merchants (via QR and online gateway), and Nepalese diaspora remittance senders/receivers. The business model is pay-as-you-go transaction-based, with promotional cashback and discount partnerships (Daraz, Nepal Airlines, and others) used as adoption levers.
eSewa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- eSewa
- Legal name
- eSewa
- Website
- https://esewa.com.np
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- eSewa is Nepal's first digital payment platform, founded in 2009, operating a consumer wallet and merchant payment gateway for online payments, bill pay, remittances, and insurance distribution across 40+ bank partners and international diaspora corridors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
eSewa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Payments
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- In-App / Online Checkout Wallets (FSAMAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services (FSAMAIAG), Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA), Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) & Local Rails (ACH/SEPA/UPI, etc.) (CRAFALAG)
Keywords
Where eSewa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kathmandu
- HQ country
- Nepal
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
eSewa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Transaction Fees: eSewa generates revenue through transaction fees charged on payments, fund transfers, and other financial services processed through its platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard consumer wallet service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels4 records
eSewa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
eSewa operates Nepal's first digital payment gateway, providing a mobile wallet platform that enables consumers to make online payments, pay utility and TV bills, transfer funds, recharge mobile balances, and conduct international remittances. The platform connects consumers and merchants through a unified wallet interface with QR code payment capabilities, integrated with over 40 Nepalese banks and licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank.
Product overview
eSewa is a digital wallet and payment platform operating as a unified product ecosystem. The core offering is the eSewa Digital Wallet, which serves as the central hub for all financial transactions. This core platform integrates multiple service modules including Topup & Recharge for mobile airtime, Utility Payments (Electricity & Water, TV), Travel Services (Bus Tickets, Tours), Education Payments, Insurance Payments (DOFE), Financial Services, Movies & Entertainment, Fund Loading, Business QR for merchants, and eSewa Money Transfer for international remittances. The platform functions as both a consumer-facing wallet application and a merchant payment gateway, connecting users with partner banks, insurance providers, utility companies, and international remittance services including Western Union, du Pay, and LemFi partnerships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- eSewa Digital Wallet Core mobile and web-based digital wallet that allows individual consumers in Nepal to send and receive money, pay bills, recharge mobile balances, make online payments, and conduct peer-to-peer transfers through a unified interface.
- eSewa Money Transfer International remittance service enabling Nepalese expatriates abroad to send funds directly to eSewa wallet users in Nepal through partner networks covering UAE, North America, Europe, and other global corridors.
- eSewa Care Insurance product available to eSewa wallet users, allowing consumers to purchase coverage directly through the wallet platform as an embedded financial service.
- Business QR Request Merchant payment acceptance solution that enables Nepalese small and medium-sized businesses to generate QR codes and accept digital wallet payments from consumers both in-person and online.
- eSpeaker (IELTS Registration) Service that allows users to register and pay for the IELTS English-language proficiency test through the eSewa wallet, targeting Nepali students preparing for international study or migration.
Companies that use eSewa
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
eSewa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
eSewa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- du Paycoredu Pay, the digital financial services subsidiary of du (UAE telecom), partnered with eSewa Money Transfer to enable wallet-to-wallet remittances for Nepalese expats in the UAE. The partnership offers promotional incentives including daily chances to win gold coins and free 2GB data on international transfers, targeting the over 450,000 Nepalese expats living in the UAE.
- LemFi (RightCard Payment Services Limited)coreNepal Rastra Bank approved RightCard Payment Services Limited (LemFi) to partner with eSewa to operate remittance services into Nepal. The partnership enables residents in North America and Europe, including the United Kingdom, to send money to Nepal at competitive exchange rates, leveraging eSewa's established payment network. LemFi claims over 2 million customers across the US, UK, Europe, and Canada.
- Western UnioncoreWestern Union is listed as a partner on eSewa's website, enabling international money transfer services.
- Partner Banks NetworkcoreeSewa has partnerships with 40+ Nepalese banks including ADBL, Best Finance, Citizen Bank, Everest Bank, Global IME Bank, Kumari Bank, Nabil Bank, NIC Asia, NMB Bank, Prabhu Bank, Sanima Bank, Sunrise Bank, and many more for fund loading and withdrawal services.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
eSewa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- bKash: Bangladesh's dominant mobile wallet — comparable emerging-market wallet leader with strong remittance and merchant payment adoption, illustrating the scale potential of eSewa's category.
- Paytm: India's largest mobile wallet and payments platform — directly comparable as a consumer wallet + merchant QR + bill payments super-app in an emerging market, demonstrating the trajectory eSewa could pursue.
- Western Union: Global remittance incumbent that is both an eSewa partner (pay-out in Nepal) and an indirect competitor for inbound remittance flows — directly comparable as a remittance distribution operator.
- PhonePe: India's leading UPI-based mobile wallet — comparable in product surface (P2P, bill payments, merchant QR) and an analogue for emerging-market wallet scale economics.
- GCash: Philippines' dominant mobile wallet — a comparable emerging-market wallet with bill payments, remittance, and merchant acceptance, useful as a peer for unit economics benchmarking.
Direct peers
- Connect IPS: Nepal's real-time bank-to-bank payment system (NCHL) used for instant fund transfers — competes with eSewa's wallet-to-bank and P2P transfer use cases.
- FonePay: Nepalese QR-based interoperable payment network backed by a consortium of banks — directly competes with eSewa's QR acceptance layer and merchant acquiring.
- IME Pay: Nepalese mobile wallet operated by IME Group, providing digital payments, fund transfers, and merchant services — competing head-to-head with eSewa in Nepal.
- Khalti: Nepal-based digital wallet offering bill payments, fund transfers, and merchant QR — the closest direct competitor to eSewa in the Nepal consumer wallet market.
Emerging players
- Remitly: Cross-border remittance fintech serving South Asian corridors — competes with eSewa's inbound remittance partners (LemFi, Western Union) for the Nepali diaspora send-leg.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
eSewa social profiles
Digital presenceeSewa compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
eSewa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
eSewa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
eSewa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
eSewa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about eSewa
What does eSewa do?
eSewa operates Nepal's first digital payment gateway, providing a mobile wallet platform that enables consumers to make online payments, pay utility and TV bills, transfer funds, recharge mobile balances, and conduct international remittances. The platform connects consumers and merchants through a unified wallet interface with QR code payment capabilities, integrated with over 40 Nepalese banks and licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank.
Is eSewa a public or private company?
eSewa is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was eSewa founded?
eSewa was founded in 2009. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is eSewa based?
eSewa is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the Asia region.
How does eSewa make money?
One revenue line is on record: transaction Fees.
Who are eSewa's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are bKash, Paytm, Western Union, PhonePe and GCash. Direct peers are Connect IPS, FonePay, IME Pay and Khalti. Remitly is listed as an emerging player.
Does eSewa have an API?
Yes. eSewa exposes a public API. Developer documentation is at developer.esewa.com.np.
What industry is eSewa in?
eSewa's product category is Digital Payments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMAEAH, In-App / Online Checkout Wallets, with a secondary code of FSAMAIAG, Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services. Its SIC code is 6199.