Aspiring entrepreneurs have asked, and we have delivered!
With the launch of the first annual Startup Vietnam Conference on December 19 at the New World Hotel Saigon (StartUp.vn), we’ll be making several big announcements.
The first of these is the launch of Startup Labs Vietnam (www.startuplabs.com). Founded by Startup Weekend Co-Founder Clint Nelsen, Startup Labs makes seed investments along side local angels and VCs into promising early-stage ventures in developing countries. Building off of programs conducted in Turkey, Taiwan, and Mexico, Startup Labs will be bringing their expertise and innovative investment model to Vietnam, with over $600,000 in seed funds committed from local angels and VCs. Teams can expect to receive seed funding from $30-250k, as well as expert mentoring and coaching from the Startup Labs Vietnam team. Applications open Dec 20, and candidates will be selected to receive funding by Jan 20.
Two other regional programs are also targeting high-potential startups in Vietnam. JFDI, a member of the TechStars Network based in Singapore, is launching their second class in March 2013 for their seed accelerator program. And Echelon 27, one of the biggest annual tech startup events will hold regional competitions in Vietnam in late March 2013. Both of these programs are accepting applications from Vietnam-based startups, and offer seed funding as well as a chance to pitch your product to regional investors.
Finally, entrepreneurs in Vietnam now have a home, The Start Center for Entrepreneurs provides both a creative and collaborative co-working space in the heart of downtown Saigon, as well as a residence for short or long term stays all in the same facility! The Start Center is the first physical hub of a virtual incubation network in Vietnam called The START Network (TheStartNetwork.org, which received funding from the World Bank’s Infodev division earlier this year. The Start Center brings together geeky technologists and killer designers with world-class technology and social entrepreneurs to start and build awesome new ventures.
For more information about any or all of these projects, feel free to email chris@thestartnetwork.org.
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