Forum connects Vietnamese startups in US and Vietnam

A forum to connect Vietnamese startups in the United States and Vietnam themed “Lessons from Silicon Valley: Vietnam’s path to startup success” was organised in San Francisco city on December 9.

HCM City Party Secretary, Nguyen Thien Nhan, speaks at the startups forum in San Francisco City on December 9. (Credit: VNA)
HCM City Party Secretary, Nguyen Thien Nhan, speaks at the startups forum in San Francisco City on December 9. (Credit: VNA)

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV) Luong Thanh Nghi stressed that there is a growing trend in innovative start-ups, with many Vietnamese-invested enterprises in the US finding success with the start-up model.

However, to be productive and profitable, these enterprises need to develop closer connectivity and coordination, Nghi suggested.

The SCOV wants to build a network of Vietnamese startups in the US and Vietnam, he said, adding that a similar forum will be held in Ho Chi Minh City in January 2018 to foster links between start-ups both in and outside Vietnam.

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said that the forum was a valuable opportunity for the city’s enterprises and their US counterparts to exchange business cooperation and investment opportunities.

Ho Chi Minh City wants to learn from the experiences of start-ups in the US in order to take the appropriate measures to hasten the start-up movement in the city, he said.

Nhan told participants that the municipal authorities have recently announced a project to develop Ho Chi Minh City into a smart city.

Therefore, there are more investment opportunities in the city for foreign businesses, including those financed by Vietnamese people in the US.

At the forum, representatives from successful Vietnamese startups in the US shared their experiences of and lessons on investment, business strategies, and selecting development orientations.