As seen in KrAsia published on 9 Dec 2020
Earlier this year in 2020, Grab and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) partnered to launch the Grab Ventures Ignite (GVI) for Singapore-based startups that are interested to venture into Vietnam.
“At IMDA, we are always looking for ways to create new business opportunities for our local tech companies,” said Howie Lau, chief industry development officer at IMDA. “We are excited for this partnership, which will allow Singapore-based startups to gain a foothold in Vietnam.”
Across 14-weeks, two Singapore-based startups were given high quality training and mentorship to prepare them to launch in the Vietnamese market. The program featured expert workshops, one-on-one mentorship from senior Grab leaders, as well as peer learning and networking with access to co-working space and other equipment and facilities at PIXEL.
It was run in parallel with the GVI Vietnam program which allowed the Singaporean startups to gain a better understanding of Vietnam’s culture and business context, as well as build strategic and ecosystem connections with Vietnamese investors and corporate partners. The two startups pitched during the penultimate demo day, in the presence of prominent investors from across the region.
Bossjob, one of the participating companies, is a platform that aims to provide traditional recruitment services in a digital solution with a vast selection of pre-screened and qualified talent. One of the takeaways from the program was to realize the “huge pool of skilled and young talent that Vietnam has compared to neighboring markets in the region, and yet it remains relatively untapped due to language barriers,” said co-founder Kiat How, Quak. “We see this as a huge opportunity for Bossjob.”
The company is looking to continue conversations with the connections they have made through the GVI program for potential collaborations while waiting for travel restrictions to be lifted. “We still believe that the best way to understand a market is to be there in person and be immersed with the local culture,” Kiat added.
Photo by Vietnam Investment Reviews
