Startups seek funds on annual investment day

HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Startups from various sectors joined in an investment day in Ho Chi Minh City organised by Zone Startups Joint Stock Company to seek investments and present their businesses.

The annual Zone Startups Vietnam Investment Day this year attracted some 100 guests including domestic and foreign investors, startup founders, corporate leaders, and supporters in Vietnam's startup ecosystem. The event is part of a larger programme between Zone Startups Vietnam and startups. 

Ten startups took part this year, including Vdes, an advanced technology and techniques app for event technology solutions; Geso which provides EPR solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises; Papaya, a startup that founded an employee healthcare and wellness benefit platform for corporations; and Gostream, an automated livestream platform, allowing users to livestream videos in multiple groups.

The other startups were Phypass, a facial recognition, smart factory technology and store optimisation; Liberal Ischool which provides an interactive channel between schools, parents and students and a bus tracking platform;  Fundiin, smart credit card for students, financed via a P2P lending platform, Cloudwater, a platform to develop and manage Vietnam’s water supply system; Edu2Review, an educational evaluation and recommendation platform in Vietnam; and Medihub, a marketing communication focus on health and wellness industry via digital and technology platforms.

In addition, the event also included one-on-one meetings between startup founders in accelerator programmes with investors. This is an opportunity for startups to access  domestic and foreign venture capitalists with extensive experience in Vietnam's startup ecosystem.

Zone Startups Vietnam, which is part of the global network of Zone Startups accelerator programme, sources forward-thinking founders and strong teams with visions to become fast-growing market leaders. The company provides hands-on strategic and tactical guidance for startups looking to drive market validation and customer acquisition, as well as access to investors, corporate partners, and advisors. 

It offers an innovation consulting practice that lets corporate clients explore and embrace new ideas and technologies alongside leading-edge startups. For high-potential startups, the company provides seed capital and supports for future financing efforts.

Zone Startups is operated by Ryerson Futures, a Toronto-based accelerator. In 2013, Ryerson launched its first acceleration partnership with the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai. In 2016, it created Zone Startups Calgary in a partnership with GE Canada, and Zone Startups Sports Media in partnership with Rogers, and launched Zone Startup Vietnam in HCM City in 2018./.