Vietnam expected to be “rising star” in Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem
Vietnam will emerge in 2022 as the third largest startup ecosystem in Southeast Asia, with stronger signs of venture capital (VC) funds putting more efforts into early-stage investments in the country, according to a new report by venture capital (VC) firm Golden Gate Ventures.
Singapore (VNA) – Vietnam will emerge in 2022 asthe third largest startup ecosystem in Southeast Asia, with stronger signs ofventure capital (VC) funds putting more efforts into early-stage investments inthe country, according to a new report by venture capital (VC) firm Golden GateVentures.
More start-ups in Southeast Asia are expected to gopublic, with the annual number of initial public offerings (IPOs) in the regionexpected to cross 300 by 2030, said the report “The Southeast Asia Ecosystem2.0” released on July 15.
This would be almost three times the number of regionalfirms that went public in 2020. Some of the firms likely to list are online marketplaceCarousell, real estate platform PropertyGuru and travel booking site Traveloka.
Golden Gate Ventures anticipates that funding for theentertainment and media sector will grow substantially over the decade.
The sector recorded about 100 million USD in funding lastyear, but this is likely to rise as entertainment and media start-ups focusing onAsian content are gaining a global following, the report noted.
It identified Vietnam as the region's rising star andsaid it would emerge as the third-largest start-up ecosystem in the region nextyear.
The report also outlined several trends seen in SoutheastAsia over the past few years.
Since 2015, a new generation of entrepreneurs hasemerged, catalysed by mega rounds of fund-raising by fast-growing start-upssuch as Grab and Gojek. Former senior employees of high-growth companies havegone on to start their own enterprises, starting a new chain ofentrepreneurship.
More corporate VCs have also emerged in the past decade,the report said. There were around 60 corporate VCs in the region last year,compared with just seven a decade ago. Such firms are increasingly leadingfunding rounds, especially at the seed and Series A stages./.
Indonesian ride-hailing and payments firm Gojek and e-commerce leader Tokopedia announced a merger of their businesses on May 17, creating a technology powerhouse called GoTo Group in the country's largest-ever deal, according to Reuters.
The Vietnam Young Initiatives (InnoCity) 2021 competition, which aims to collect initiatives for the national creativity and innovation ecosystem, has been launched by the Vietnamese Student Association in the Netherlands and the Global Network of Young Vietnamese Intellectuals.
The Edtech Vietnam 2021 - Discovering “startup stars" contest, which aims to honour technological solutions serving digital education development at training establishments, has been launched by the National Startup Support Centre of Vietnam and the Bach Khoa Hanoi Technology Investment and Development One Member Company Limited (BK-Holdings).
The newswire techwireasia.com on June 16 ran an article saying that Vietnam has been steadily growing its highly promising digital economy, presenting multiple opportunities for investors, startups, and businesses alike.
The number of creative spaces – which serve as venues for supporting connectivity and development of culture, creativeness and technology, has risen to 140 from 40 in the 2018-2021 period, according to the Cultural and Creative Hubs Vietnam project.
The probe, initiated on June 11 following a petition by the US Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, targets products classified under HS Code 4412 and 9403 imported from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways was born as a perfect piece in Sun Group’s strategic vision to build a premium ecosystem of tourism, entertainment, real estate, and aviation. With a pioneering ambition, Sun PhuQuoc Airways is not just an airline, but a symbol of connection – bringing the world to Phu Quoc and taking Phu Quoc to the world.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Outcomes of ABAC III will shape ABAC’s final policy recommendations to be submitted to the ABAC-APEC leaders’ dialogue, scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea this November.
This is the second year the magazine has released the ranking, which is based on total revenue and key financial indicators of enterprises from seven countries in the region: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
At the summit, publishing, tech, and media sectors will discuss emerging trends, business models, and sustainable solutions for digital publishing development in Vietnam.
This year’s “Vietnam Goods Week” marks a significant milestone as it is being held simultaneously for the first time in four locations across Asia: Japan, Hong Kong (China), Cambodia, and Malaysia, from June 19 - 22.
According to NordCham Vietnam Chairman Thue Quist Thomasen, the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses to contribute to green and sustainable growth.
Illustrative photo. (Source: vneconomy.vn)
