The seminar brought together the UNC Chapel Hill EMBA cohort, GEM, ThinkZone, and Tubudd to examine market demand, early-stage funding, regional scaling strategies, and the operational/legal hurdles founders must navigate.
On September 16, GEM, ThinkZone, and Tubudd, in coordination with Authentica, hosted the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s EMBA cohort for a dialogue on innovation and entrepreneurship in Vietnam, bringing students face-to-face with local leaders shaping the country’s startup landscape.
With a nominal GDP of about US$491 billion (IMF, 2024), FDI disbursements of roughly US$25.35 billion in 2024, and internet penetration of around 79%, Vietnam offers solid fundamentals for innovation. As ThinkZone’s Nam Doan noted, rising incomes and a young, tech-savvy population are expanding the addressable market for startups. Yet, he also stated that early-stage activity is recovering, but later-stage capital remains cautious, tempering optimism with realism.
Beyond capital, scaling requires discipline and resilience. Cong Nguyen of GEM contended that in the hyper-competitive global market, product innovation is merely the price of entry; the ultimate differentiator is a strategic obsession with service excellence. GEM’s competitive advantage is forged not by its offerings, but by a client-centric model built on a foundation of trust and executional reliability. This, he asserted, is the engine that drives sustainable growth and fosters the deep client equity necessary to thrive.
Adding a founder’s voice, Annie Vu of Tubudd described a COVID-era pivot from travel experiences to business and healthcare services. Fundraising, she observed, still demands persistence in a climate where many investors “play it safe.”
Overall, the discussion portrayed the economy as both ambitious and pragmatic, characterized by abundant opportunities yet layered with regulatory complexity and shifting market dynamics. For the UNC cohort, it offered a clear view of the rigor and determination behind Vietnam’s growth story. For local voices, this was a moment to reflect on how global connections can enrich the path ahead. Vietnam’s innovation journey is still unfolding and being defined by people who are rigorous, ambitious, and resilient. The promise of the next chapter lies not only in capital or technology, but in the passion of those who dare to build.
