(MPI) - Following the success of the ‘Google for Startups, Startup Academy-Vietnam’ program last year, Google continues to partner with Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC), under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the U.S. Mission in Vietnam to announce ‘Google for Startups Accelerator, Southeast Asia: Vietnam’s breakthrough in innovation in Hanoi on July 11.

At the launching event. Photo: MPI

The program aims to enhance support for the national digital transformation efforts by providing intensive training cources and mentoring networks for Vietnamese startups to accelerate their business development.

According to the e-Conomy Southeast Asia report 2022, Vietnam is becoming Southeast Asia’s rising startup hub as its Internet economy is forecasted to grow up to 50 billion USD by 2025 ). Vietnam also has four unicorns as of 2023 and a total of 3,400 startups with a skilled workforce are able to develop advanced digital products and solutions.

The programme this year is built on the success of “Google for Startup, Startup Academy Vietnam” that was first launched and implemented in Vietnam in 2022 for 50 selected local startups from 16 key industries. This year, it will focus in 6 key industries instead of 16 to ensure a more specialised program and align with the country’s most critical sectors of education, health care, agriculture, retail, fintech, and smart city development.

“Google for Startups Accelerator, Southeast Asia” is a three-month programme that starts with a five-day in-person bootcamp, followed by five online workshops leading to Graduation and Demo Day. Participating startups will receive mentoring from Google and industry mentors throughout the three-month period.

Twenty startups will be selected to join in one-on-one training sessions, direct and group mentoring, and workshops. The selected startups will also participate in the global Google for Startups network, which consisting of more than a 1,000 startups from various regions.

Google and NIC will also co-design online training workshops for 200 startups across the country to ensure more startups will be able to benefit from the content of the programme.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Investment and Planning  Tran Duy Dong said the programme is a solid proof of Vietnam’s commitment in supporting the innovation and startup ecosystem, as well as Google’s mission to raise up the startups community in emerging markets.

By providing startups with essential resources to grow and succeed, the two sides are nurturing the new entrepreneurial generation who would join hands to accelerate the economic growth and make it global success, he added. Additionally, the selected startups will be a part of the innovative startup community working towards a common goal to connect, collaborate and learn from each other.

Melissa A. Bishop, Deputy Chief of the US Mission in Vietnam noted that the US Government is pleased to provide their assistance in the programme. She hoped that Vietnamese enterprises will maintain their business willingness and ready to innovate, helping disadvantaged groups and all people have benefits.

Thye Yeow Bok, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Southeast Asia, South Asia Frontier and Greater China Region, Google Asia Pacific shared that the launch of this programme is their continued long-term commitment to support Vietnam’s economic growth by fast-tracking local startup’s development through intensive training, mentorship, and networking opportunities for Vietnam’s entrepreneurs.

Google is pleased to continue partnership with NIC and the U.S. Mission in Vietnam to help accelerate startups to the next level and expand globally. He said, Google and relevant agencies will co-design and provide online workshops to 200 startups with a hope to bring further benefit for the startup ecosystem.

“Google for Startups, Startups Academy-Vietnam” last year successfully wrapped up with 15 workshops and 283 mentoring hours with experts and renowned mentors. Some of the startups joined the programme like Momby, a personal assistant for parents application, has been scaling up its app adoption with 35,000 users, while Benkon successfully closed a seed round with their energy saving solution./.

Bao Linh

Ministry of Planning and Investment