What deep tech startup needs to be successful?

Deep Technology (Deep Tech) is receiving increasing attention from world-wide entrepreneurs and investors. A comprehensive report from BCG and Hello Tomorrow on Deep Tech investment revealed that over the course of 4 years from 2016 to 2020, investment in the field has grown from $15B to a four-fold of over $60B. The wave is forecasted to continue rising high in the coming years, reaching a massive $200B investment amount if a new funding model and ecosystem is to be developed.

Impressive records, which make us all can’t help but wonder, “What do deep tech startups do?” and “What can they do to further attract funding and reach their full potential?”

At its core, Deep tech venture is the convergence of Advanced science, Design and Engineering (BCG & Hello Tomorrow, 2021). The approach starts with firms identifying opportunities through outstanding fundamental problems. They then apply design thinking approach to find the best technological solution to such a problem, at the same time ensuring that their ideas are both technically feasible and economically viable. The technology itself may or may not be disruptive, yet the application and the business model usually is. Throughout its operation and scaling process, it is essential that the ventures stay problem-oriented to make sure that they are not only utilizing the best and latest technology, but are also tackling some of the most major challenges.

Indeed, it is not uncommon that startups and investors get carried away with the hype of interesting new technology and forget to revisit whether intrinsic values are being created. Mr. Peng T. Ong, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Monk’s Hill Ventures, a VC firm that focuses on tech companies, asserted that he doesn’t invest in AI, or “deep tech”, because “Though the technology is more sophisticated today, one fundamental truth remains: AI does not intrinsically create consumer value.” The fund’s partner further explains that his strategy is instead to “invest in deep value”, which is built upon deep technology and leverages new innovation.

Given its innovative nature, deep tech ventures usually require extensive upfront capital and time for R&D, yet at the same time bearing high risk of not coming through eventually. The question would be how can startups and investors, in the first place,  can be more certain that they are on the right track to success. In another piece of its report Deep Tech and the Great Wave of Innovation (2021), BCG and Hello Tomorrow propose a framework of “Four moments of truth” that helps analyze and evaluate the feasibility of a deep tech business model.

BBG’s “Four moments of truth” approach features four critical questions that deep tech ventures need to address concurrently at an early stage of their lives. The specific questions vary according to the startup’s business case and operating industry, yet overall, they take form as below:

·        Frame the paradigm: What is the problem? Could reality be different?

·        Forge the theory: Is there a way to develop a solution? How can we make it possible?

·        Take the first step: Can we build the solution today?

·        Change reality: What must happen for the solution to become the new normal?

Finding the answers to all of these questions helps identify obstacles, or so called “frictions” at the early stage, thus providing startups and capitalists better anticipation of the risks to be faced in the next milestones. This framework can also be used as a tool to evaluate a startup’s performance at each milestone and helps direct the business on the right track.

Similarly, when being asked what the criteria are to evaluate a deep tech venture, Leesa Soulodre, the General partner of R3i Ventures – a deep-tech focus VC firm- shares that they focus highly on the problem that’s being solved. “Is it a problem that needs to be solved now? Is it oxygen that we can’t live without? Is it aspirin that is it solving problem that’s a pain and we need to solve it? Or finally is it jewelry, is it nice to have but not a must have?”

In addition to the problem orientation approach, Leesa also reveals that R3i usually starts with looking at the team and identifying factors that are going to build “a cohesive and cognitively diverse team”. Having the right team and the right problem, deep tech VC firms would also analyze the market size and how fast it is growing. Investors’ role at this stage, said Leesa, is to “give them that accelerated access (to the market) to ensure that they meet the demand of those opportunities head-on and prepared.”

Next to building a great business, in order to attract funding, startups should also pay attention to designing their pitch so that their ideas are clearly conveyed to investors, who might not have strong enough technical background to treasure the science complexity of their solution. In his contribution to Tech in Asia’s startup ecosystem, Hsu Han Ooi, Partner at Iterative Capital, identifies some of the key points which most deep tech startups can further improve in their pitch decks.

·        Focus on stating the problem. (E.g. Who the problem represents, how fundamental it is and why it is important that it gets solved)

This point is especially important to keep in mind if the founders’ team are all technical- and academia- based that may often focus too much on the beauty of the science and less on the “customers’ pain points”.

·        Define the competitive advantage

It’s undeniably hard to build a good deep-tech startup, but in most cases, the problem that your startup is trying to solve is also ưhat many others are after.. It would score points with investors if firms can correctly identify their competitive edge, as well as how it can be built up over time/ scaling-up process.

·        Building a customer acquisition strategy

Oftentimes it takes more than simply a great product to acquire customers and generate economic profit. To convince investors that their product will sell well, it is suggested that startups should have a collection of constructive feedback from end-buyers, a list of potential customers, and a plan for distribution channels of their products.

·        Finally, why your solution matters. Hsu Han Ooi suggested the following questions to follow when presenting the impact of the pitched solution:

–        How will the world be a better place with your technology?

–        When will you achieve the magic moment that will delight customers?

–        How do you know your technology matters?

In conclusion, deep-tech startup and deep-tech investment is a rising field with extensive room to grow for both entrepreneurs and investors. This article focuses on analyzing the factors of successful deep tech ventures from the startups’ perspective. First of all, at the very core, it is about building a business that solves fundamental social problems and delivers deep value, by leveraging the latest technology that traditional businesses are missing out on. The process involves converging Problem orientation, Design, Science, and Engineering to ensure the innovative quality, technical and economic viability of the product. As very nicely put by Leesa Soulodre, “The best technologies or best problems to solve in the world, they have facets of oxygen, they have facets of aspirin, and they have facets of jewelry”. After that, deep tech startups can combine presentation tactics in their pitch to better convey their technological solutions and increase the chance of successfully raising funds.

Leesa Soulodre shares “The best technologies or best problems to solve in the world, they have facets of oxygen, they have facets of aspirin, and they have facets of jewelry”

In the upcoming Thursday, we’re going to host an etalk with a leading deeptech venture capitalist – Leesa Soulodre. Come join us on 09/09 to learn from the stories of experienced entrepreneurs and investors overcoming obstacles to success and pick up tips for fundraising & investing to any innovation in #DeepTech#MedTech & #DigitalTransformation.

Etalk Adventure to the Venture | Season 2 - Chapter 1: Women-led Venture Capital fund
Etalk Adventure to the Venture | Season 2 – Chapter 1: Women-led Venture Capital fund

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄: Thursday, 09.09.2021; 19:00 – 20:30 (VNT)
𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: Online via Zoom
𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: https://bit.ly/Etalk-Season2

Writer: Quynh Le – VVCC Project

Venture Capital in the emerging world | Talk with Dermot Berkery

On 28 August 2021, 3 pm-4.30 pm (VNT), the Etalk – Adventure to the Venture: Special Chapter – Dermot Berkery with the theme Venture Capital in the emerging world was held by Wiziin Inc. via Zoom. The webinar was open to entrepreneurs, experts in the venture capital industry, or anyone else who is interested to learn more about venture capital. 80 people from many countries including Vietnam, Ireland, Singapore, Canada… were in attendance.

Host Tien Nguyen is the co-founder and CEO of Wiziin Inc., an AI-Based Investment Platform helping small and medium enterprises to get better and cheaper fundraising support while creating more value for venture investors. As a former Government of Ireland Fellow, Tien Nguyen has numerous entrepreneurial experiences throughout Ireland, Germany, and China. 

Guest Speaker –  Dermot Berkery is a General Partner at Delta Partners, a leading European venture capital company that invests in Ireland and the United Kingdom, for 22 years. Dermot has made 163 investments and 66 exits and has 32 companies in his current portfolio. Dermot wrote the book Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur, which is used as a textbook on VC in MBA programs around the world and in the Top 10 Best Venture Capital Book of All Time.

Tien kick-started the webinar by sharing his view on Ireland & Vietnam Entrepreneurship ecosystem and the bilateral relationship between the two countries. According to Tien, Ireland is a well-established entrepreneurial market with an active network of professional angels and syndicates, low taxes for businesses, multiple acceleration programs, and a strong and growing network of local seed funds and venture capitalists. Ireland has been investing heavily in Fintech, Biotech, Pharmaceutical, and currently renewable energy. Meanwhile, Tien opines that Vietnam is a nascent entrepreneurship market with a young and big population, stable political scene, high urbanization and technology adoption rate, good internet infrastructure, and numerous technology talents. However, Vietnam still has multiple challenges for VCs including lack of Government support, regulations and standards for VCs are not yet established, and foundational sciences are still developing. The market is very young and properties are not well protected, making investors hesitate to make investments due to high risks. As Ireland aims to build long-term and strategic relationships with Asiapacific for bilateral development, Tien opines that Vietnam can also learn a lot from Ireland to grow its VC ecosystem. 

Following this, Dermot shared his experience of investments with Delta Partners. Delta Partners has invested in 120 companies in the IT, internet and digital sector during seed and early-stage (Series A) with a draw ranges from $300k-$800k and $2m-$3m, respectively. A typical growth path for a startup lasts 5-9 years, going through 5 stages as illustrated in the diagram below. 

Delta Partners leverages its network and experience to help entrepreneurs to grow their small businesses in the first five years and then sell them to US big companies in the next five years. Dermot shared that Delta Partners does not do theme investments but invests in any business that works. Dermot stressed that it is important for entrepreneurs to hit the milestones set for each stage, as it would increase the valuation of the company and convince investors to continue pouring money in to grow the company.

Dermot stated the rule of thumb for $100mil is that each investment must have the chance of returning 10 times the investment, or 20% of the total fund, which is approximate $20mil. Some people might think the 10-time return from an investment is crazy, but Dermot opines that unless a business has such potential, investors will not invest in it in the first place. The below chart shows the investments and returns made by Delta Partners, where some investments lost all the money, but a few made more than 80% of the fund and that saved all the rest.

Dermot clearly highlighted the interesting philosophy of venture capital is to make small bets to win big money. “It is not so terrible for venture capital to lose money, but it is terrible not to win big when it does win.”, he said.

Dermot then moved on to answer the queries posted by the host and the participants. Below are the 5 most interesting Q&A of the session:-

  1. Could you share your experience of raising money from Partners and how do you feel about it from a VC point of view?
    • For those who don’t know yet, VCs don’t just do investments but they have to fundraise from Partners, typically Government or high net worth individuals.
    • It might be hard for entrepreneurs to fundraise as capital is scarce, but it is even harder for VC as the investors have to invest for 10 years.
    • It is advisable to start your VC career with one that already has good track record and credibility so that the investors are more confident to invest.
    • Investors usually do not want to be the first to invest, they follow other investors. Government or the bank can be the cornerstone of the investment.
  1. Should entrepreneurs in countries such as Ireland and Vietnam copy business models from fast-growing companies in the United States?
    • Dermot advised that a thorough analysis should be carried out to determine which business and market to go for. For example, Ireland with a population of only 5 million people is too small a market to develop a business like Google for Ireland.
    • In general, VCs look for innovative businesses instead of just copycats.
  1. What do you do in a day?
    • Half of the time we help the companies in our portfolio to grow their businesses, acting as their adviser.
    • The rest of the time, we hunt for good business. We seriously HUNT, taking the initiative instead of waiting for entrepreneurs to find us. If you have a good business idea, we want to find you first before you come to others for investments.
  1. What do investors look for from entrepreneurs?
    • VCs make up their minds very quickly, and they can decide whether a business can work within 10 minutes in the presentation. VCs will lose their interest if entrepreneurs cannot summarize their businesses in 1-2 slides. The entrepreneurs have to be able to show their thorough understanding of the industry they are going in, and issues that they are trying to solve, and how their products can solve the issues.
    • Dermot opines that ideally there are 2 to 3 founders for a business, and all founders should speak up in the presentation instead of only 1 person doing all the talking.
    • VCs do not necessarily know exactly how technologies work as these could be easily examined by third parties, but VCs expect entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas clearly in plain English so even a person with no technology background can understand.
  1. Do you keep in contact with the companies who lost?
    • Of course! These entrepreneurs spent many years developing their products and they learned valuable lessons from their failures. Hence, they are very good resources for the next projects!

This online sharing event with Dermot Berkery has closed the webinar series of six chapters Etalk: Adventure to the Venture by Wiziin Inc. We hope that the speakers’ sharing and insights have benefited greatly to all who are interested in the venture capital industry.

Want to join our very next exciting event? Subscribe to our event list now:

Raising Venture Capital for Serious Entrepreneur at a glance!

Raising capital from venture capital funds becomes more popular in Vietnam. To succeed in raising new business capital on the most attractive terms, it is essential to understand how venture capitalists arrange the financing for a company, what they look for in a business plan, how they value a business, and how they structure the terms of an agreement. The Raising Venture Capital for Serious Entrepreneur written by Dermot Berkery, an internationally know venture capitalist with Delta Partners, is an excellent resource to meet these expectations. The book also matches the interests of the person who pursues a career in the venture capital industry. 

Dermot Berkery is a general partner with Delta Partners, a leading European venture capital company that invests in Ireland and the United Kingdom. He has led investments in early-stage companies in sectors such as software, electronics, mobile services, medical components, and security equipment. Mr.Berkery was formerly a senior Manager with McKinsey&Co., where he served clients across the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Asia, focusing mainly on financial services and energy. 

Using informative case studies, detailed charts, and term sheet exercises, the author discusses the basic principles of the venture capital method, strategies for raising capital, methods of valuing the early-stage venture, and proven techniques for negotiating the deal. These contents break down into 12 chapters:

  • Chapter 1 outlines how the long journey of building a valuable business should be broken into a series of stepping stones. Each stepping-stone comprises an integrated group of milestones (related to the product, market, customers, management, etc.). 
  • Chapter 2 focuses on the first of the stepping-stones.
  • Chapter 3 mentions 10 unique cash flows and risk dynamics. 
  • Chapter 4 covers how much capital a company should seek to raise in a round of funding and what it should spend the capital on. 
  • Chapter 5 describes how the structure of a fund and the compensation approach drives a venture capitalist’s behavior and thought process. 
  • Chapter 6 covers the blocks of evidence a typical investor will want.
  • Chapter 7 addresses the area fudged by other books on VC how to set a fair valuation for a new or early-stage company. 
  • Chapter 8 introduces the concept of term sheets. 
  • Chapter 9 talks about terms for splitting the rewards.
  • Chapter 10 enables investors to exercise control that is disproportionate to their level of shareholding. Retaining certain decision rights or appointing board members can achieve this. 
  • Chapter 11 helps to closely align the economic interests of the investor and the entrepreneurs through techniques such as vesting and warranties. 
  • Chapter 12 provides an exercise on term sheet negotiations.

Readers will find it valuable since the author uses plain language, simple explanations for jargon together with mini-cases throughout the book. The book will help you solve a lot of questions reasonably. 

Grab a chance to talk directly with him by joining this Saturday event called Etalk Adventure to the Venture hosted by Wiziin & Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam!

The review contributed by Hằng Thu – VVCC Project

The review of “Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur – Dermot Berkery” from Prof of Sacred Heart University

Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur là một hành trình đầy thú vị về thế giới của ngành đầu tư mạo hiểm. Cuốn sách mang lại một cái nhìn đầy cuốn hút về thế giới “bí ẩn”, nơi mà các nhà đầu tư mạo hiểm quyết định nên đầu tư vào công ty nào, với số tiền bao nhiêu và thu lại được những gì; đồng thời, giúp doanh nghiệp có được nhiều tips quan trọng về chiến lược gọi tài trợ bằng vốn chủ sở hữu (equity financing) và đàm phán với các quỹ đầu tư. 

Năm phần của quyển sách đưa chúng ta qua trọn vẹn hành trình huy động tài trợ bằng vốn chủ sở hữu.

Phần Một đưa ra những kiến thức căn bản về việc làm cách nào để doanh nghiệp chuẩn bị huy động vốn & bao quát nhiều đề tài liên quan, ví dụ như tạo lập bản đồ của những cột mốc (stepping-stones): Những cột mốc nào có thể đạt được và sẽ đạt được nhờ vào nguồn vốn tài trợ? Berkery chỉ ra cách nhà đầu tư mạo hiểm thường sẽ đầu tư từng phần, theo giai đoạn, và họ cho rằng các doanh nghiệp sẽ đạt được những mục tiêu cụ thể (stepping-stones) cho từng giai đoạn đầu tư. Cuốn sách cũng thảo luận về J-curves và những điểm đỉnh mà dòng tiền cần có, điều mà rất nhiều doanh nghiệp thậm chí còn chưa từng nghe đến để mà cân nhắc. 

Phần Hai của cuốn sách tập trung vào việc huy động vốn, bao gồm những chủ đề như làm sao để quyết định số tiền mà doanh nghiệp cần, làm cách nào để viết một kế hoạch kinh doanh thuyết phục. Phần Hai cũng mô tả cấu trúc công ty của các quỹ đầu tư mạo hiểm, những nhà đầu tư nào sẽ rót tiền vào những quỹ đầu tư này, và quan trọng hơn cả là các quỹ đầu tư này thu lợi như thế nào từ những nhà đầu tư vào quỹ và từ chính quỹ này. Phần này bao gồm rất nhiều thông tin quan trọng dành cho các chủ doanh nghiệp, vì việc hiểu rõ các quỹ đầu tư hoạt động như thế nào là vô cùng hữu dụng trước khi các doanh nghiệp tiếp cận một hoặc nhiều nguồn vốn tiềm năng.

Hầu hết mọi chủ doanh nghiệp đều lo lắng khi được hỏi về định giá trước khi góp vốn của doanh nghiệp mình là bao nhiêu. Đó gần như là một câu hỏi không thể trả lời được, và có rất nhiều điều mạo hiểm khi trở thành người đầu tiên đưa ra “một cái giá” cho doanh nghiệp. Phần Ba của cuốn sách trả lời nhiều điều bí ẩn về việc định giá này. Cuốn sách đưa ra lời giải thích hoàn hảo cho việc tại sao những cách định giá truyền thống mà chúng ta học trong sách vở không hề hữu dụng, cũng như đề ra cách để tối đa hoá giá trị của một công ty. Lời giải thích cho quá trình định giá là vô cùng bổ ích cho các chủ doanh nghiệp trong việc huy động vốn hoặc đơn giản là muốn bán đi doanh nghiệp của mình trong tương lai.

Một điều bí ẩn khác đối với các doanh nghiệp được giải thích kỹ lưỡng trong phần Bốn đó chính là những chi tiết khi đàm phán điều khoản đầu tư (term-sheets), bao gồm những thuật ngữ khó hiểu thường được đưa vào những bản điều khoản này. Rất nhiều chủ doanh nghiệp sẽ muốn làm quen với những thuật ngữ như quyền ưu tiên rút vốn (exit preferences), quyền chống pha loãng giá trị cổ phiếu (anti-dilution requirements), nới lỏng (ratchets), quyền bán theo (tag-along rights) và còn nhiều nữa. Phần này cung cấp rất nhiều thông tin về làm cách nào để phân bổ quyền kiểm soát giữa lãnh đạo công ty và nhà đầu tư, cũng như là cách nào để cân bằng quyền lợi đôi bên bằng những công cụ như “option pools”, “founder stock”, và những thỏa thuận khác.

Cuối cùng, phần Năm đưa ra các bài tập thực hành về thỏa thuận điều khoản đầu tư. Phần này là vô cùng hữu dụng cho những nhà quản lý chưa bao giờ nhìn thấy những điều khoản đầu tư, cho phép họ thử tìm cách để giành được nhiều quyền điều hành công ty nhất có thể khi làm việc với các nhà đầu tư. Việc này được thực hiện thông qua nhiều tình huống với những điều khoản tiêu biểu cho doanh nghiệp, và người đọc phải đưa ra câu trả lời cho những câu hỏi trong sách để hiểu rõ việc gì đang xảy ra, các bên đàm phán đang muốn đạt được điều gì, và điều khoản nào thì cần được thỏa thuận. 

Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur là một nguồn thông tin tuyệt vời cho các nhà doanh nhân cũng như những người muốn làm trong ngành đầu tư mạo hiểm. Rất nhiều tình huống thực tế được đưa ra xuyên suốt cuốn sách, không chỉ là ở phần cuối, để bạn đọc có thể giải quyết những vấn đề được đưa ra và hiểu rõ những khái niệm được trình bày. Sách cũng mang lại nhiều lời khuyên cho cách nhà doanh nhân. Cuốn sách mặc dù có rất nhiều khái niệm mang tính chuyên ngành, nhưng lại được tiếp cận theo cách mà bất cứ người làm kinh doanh nào cũng có thể hiểu được. Bởi vì tác giả cũng là một nhà đầu tư mạo hiểm, những điều được trình bày trong sách là rất đáng tin cậy.

 

Lời dịch giả: Sắp tới đây chúng ta có một cơ hội để trò chuyện trực tiếp cùng tác giả Dermot Berkery thông qua sự kiện trực tuyến Etalk – Adventure to the Venture |Chat with VC Elite vào ngày Thứ 7, 28.08.2021. Thông tin chi tiết vui lòng tham khảo tại đây: https://fb.me/e/12OnIxq0V

 

Bài viết được dịch bởi: Dung Trần

Nguồn dịch: Masterfano, M. K. (2010), Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur, [Review of the book Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur, by Dermot Kerbery], New England Journal of Entrepreneurship: Vol. 13 : No. 2 , Article 10, Retrieve from: https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/neje/vol13/iss2/10

Scaleup Impact Summit 2021

𝗔 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗨𝗥𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗬 🎉

Wiziin is the only community partner of Scaleup Impact Summit 2021 in Viet Nam, therefore we would love to introduce this exciting event toward every individual and organizations who are interested in the entrepreneur world with the information as below.

SIS21 – Scaleup Impact Summit 2021 is an international conference for entrepreneurs, investors and other related stakeholders from experts, advisors to any individual, organizations which have positive impacts upon the local and regional startup ecosystem.

Especially this year, there will be attractive tracks for attendees to choose:
When participated in SIS21 this year, attendees will have a chance to experience the below tracks:
▪️𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞: Be in the know of the most pressing topics, cutting edge technologies, hacks and global startup trends.
▪️𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞: Startup investing and fundraising are topics surrounded by many myths We will help you to see clear. Learn about the entire spectrum from serial entrepreneurs and successful investors, across all stages and industries.
▪️𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩: Sharpen your know-how and methodology and participate in creating and realising the future, one solution at a time.
▪️𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬: Cut the fluff and start having real, raw and honest conversations – off the mic.
Scaleup CEOs and Founders: Frank, true, dedicated to the vision and business of the growth stage company to create meaning business/investor connections.
▪️𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: The Matchmaking track is all about action: Discussions, feedback and deals made – this is where futures are created.
▪️𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫: a special space for candidates from undergraduates, graduate students all the way to seasoned professionals.

What are you waiting for??? Let’s join right today with the link as below to receive a discount to nearly 50% from Wiziin like below:
🔹General Attendee : $59.40
🔸Student: $17.10
🔹Startups – 3 teammates : $29.70
🔸Group Packages – 3 Tickets: $39.60
🔹Group Package – 5 tickets : $35.64

✍️Registration Link: https://bitly.com.vn/mp3z2y

Also, please do not forget to follow Wiziin for the latest updates of SIS21 and other interesting news of Venture Capital and Startup world!
#SIS21 #ScaleupImpactSummit #StartupPassion #Whubhk #Wiziin

Wiziin x DIGITIMES: Entering Vietnam 101

We are super excited to announce that Wiziin Inc., together with DIGITIMES, will host a workshop for those startups interested in entering or newly entered the Vietnamese market.

“Entering Vietnam 101” brought together experts, entrepreneurs and investors who understand the market and handing on Vietnam so that they can bring the latest updated perspectives to learn, troubleshoot, discuss and capture the pivotal practices in expanding to the potential S-shaped land of Southeast Asia – VIETNAM!

This was an amazing opportunity for any startup wanting to expand in Vietnam, especially for those who are looking for local partners and investors. This event would help to gain exposure in Vietnamese startup community or even 1-hour mentoring from the investor.

Thank you all of offline attendants in #Taiwan and partners globally for coming and joining us at Entering Vietnam 101 | Taiwan last Friday.

Hope you all find the valuable observation of overall landscape in Vietnam market as well as the very first hand experience for all founders interested in expanding in Vietnam.

We also share a special congrats with #Uniigym,  #GoodLinker,  #Biomecare,  #Lockists, for winning the 1 on 1 consultation with Tien Nguyen.

Sincere thanks for the great support from #Digitimes and #Slasify, together with us to brought out the insightful workshop.

We also want to give a big thank you to our speaker for participating in the event and sharing all of your valuable experiences
– Mr. Eric Huang – Vice President of Digitimes
– Mr. Tien Nguyen – Founder & CEO of Wiziin
– Ms. Evy Chang – Head of Investor Relations of Wiziin
– Mr. Hsiang-Yu Wang – CEO of Slasify

For those missed the event, you can access the record on our Youtube Channel anytime

See you in our very next event on April 8th about Media in Venture Capital!

Global Startup Competition

𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗢 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗡𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗣

With the rise of unicorns, foreign venture capital firms, and corporations, Asia is seen as the home of a young and vibrant technology startup ecosystem. It’s maturing at a rapid pace, and capital is increasingly being allocated to up-and-coming players.
Understanding the role of the Asian playground for startups in Vietnam, Wiziin respectfully accompanying Angel Hub – Hong Kong’s technology investment platform connecting investors and startups, give founders and startups a competition:
𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 (𝐆𝐒𝐂 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏)
GSC aims to find the best tech startups around the globe that are scaling in Asia and to unleash their full potential by providing them with the visibility, network, and funding needed to grow.
✍️ 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: http://bit.ly/WiziinxGSC-Register2021

👉 𝙍𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧:
The 10 finalists who will be selected will compete for the grand prize.
𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: Pitch your business to compete for up to US$10,000 cash prize and US$1,000,000 equity investment prize.
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬: Get empowered with corporate partnerships, networking events across our network in Asia and EMEA as well as a Softlanding package into the Greater Bay Area.
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞: Gain international exposure in front of a selected audience of investors, media partners, and industry experts.
👉 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿?
Startups in the following one of five verticals:
· 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐁𝟐𝐂: Transform financial sectors by applying disruptive ideas and new digital technologies. Primarily targets B2C business, including solutions such as payment infrastructure, customer service through chatbots, blockchain and artificial intelligence.
· 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐁𝟐𝐁: Targets B2B business, which encompasses a broad range of solutions including data-based decision making, hyper-personalised AI powered services that learn from customer patterns, business lending, etc.
· 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲: Basically a framework, predominantly composed of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), to develop, deploy, and promote sustainable development practices to address growing urbanisation challenges.
· 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡: Focus on improving quality of life, developing solutions that address a broad range of fields within the health industry: clinical decision support, computerized disease registries, consumer health IT applications, Electronic medical record systems etc.
· 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡: Business models aimed at minimising the environmental impact of companies. Tech companies that focus on resource efficiency, pollution prevention, blue economy, sustainability and renewable energies are some examples that fall into this category.

👉 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲:
– Team of 5 full time equivalent minimum
– Remaining runway of 6 month minimum
– Total raising amount between $1,000,000 and $4,000,000 (USD)
– Already raised money once (excluding founders money)
– Minimum Viable Product with Traction
– Scaling or operating in Asia (latest by end 2021)
👉 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬:
· 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
No later than February 28th, 2021: Let us know more about your company.
· 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢-𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥:
March 8-12th, 2021: 10 companies from verticals will be selected to pitch for semi finals.
· 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬:
March 24th, 2021: 2 winners per vertical will be selected to pitch.
——————-
As a strategic partner of AngelHub, Wiziin is very pleased to be the contact point to support Angel Hub in promoting and sourcing attendees in Vietnam. If you have any thoughts or to know more information, please let us know via this page.
All information will be regularly updated on the Wiziin fanpage, follow us to not be missed.
#GSC #GSC21, #AngelHub, #Whubhk #Wiziin

—————————————————–

CUỘC THI STARTUP TOÀN CẦU ĐÃ QUAY TRỞ LẠI!

Với sự trỗi dậy của các kỳ lân, các công ty và tập đoàn đầu tư mạo hiểm nước ngoài, Châu Á đang được coi là cái nôi của hệ sinh thái các công ty khởi nghiệp công nghệ trẻ và năng động. Thị trường này đang tăng trưởng với tốc độ nhanh chóng và vốn đã bắt đầu được phân bổ cho những người chơi tiềm năng.
Hiểu được vị trí của châu Á đối với các công ty khởi nghiệp tại Việt Nam, Wiziin trân trọng đồng hành cùng Angel Hub – nền tảng công nghệ về đầu tư của Hồng Kông kết nối nhà đầu tư và startup, mang đến cho các nhà sáng lập và startup cuộc thi:
𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 (𝐆𝐒𝐂 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏)
GSC đặt mục tiêu tìm kiếm các công ty khởi nghiệp công nghệ tốt nhất trên toàn cầu đang mở rộng quy mô ở châu Á và phát huy hết tiềm năng của họ bằng cách cung cấp cho họ khả năng hiển thị, mạng lưới và nguồn vốn cần thiết để phát triển.
✍️ Đăng ký tại đây: http://bit.ly/WiziinxGSC-Register2021
👉 Giải thưởng:
10 thí sinh lọt vào vòng chung kết được chọn sẽ tranh giải thưởng lớn.
Vốn: Giải thưởng tiền mặt lên tới 10.000 đô la Mỹ và cơ hội được đầu tư lên tới 1.000.000 đô la Mỹ.
Tài nguyên khác: Mối quan hệ đối tác với các công ty, các sự kiện kết nối ở Châu Á và EMEA cũng như Soft Landing và Greater Bay Area.
Networking: Cơ hội xuất hiện trước các nhà đầu tư, đối tác truyền thông và các chuyên gia trong ngành.
👉 Startup nào sẽ phù hợp với cuộc thi ?
Startup đi theo một trong năm ngành dọc sau:
· 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐁𝟐𝐂: Chuyển đổi lĩnh vực tài chính bằng cách áp dụng những ý tưởng đột phá và công nghệ kỹ thuật số mới. Chủ yếu nhằm vào hoạt động kinh doanh B2C, bao gồm các giải pháp như cơ sở hạ tầng thanh toán, dịch vụ khách hàng thông qua chatbots, blockchain và trí tuệ nhân tạo.
· 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐁𝟐𝐁: Mục tiêu kinh doanh B2B, các giải pháp bao gồm việc ra quyết định dựa trên dữ liệu, các dịch vụ hỗ trợ AI siêu cá nhân hóa học hỏi từ các mẫu khách hàng, cho vay kinh doanh, v.v.
· 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲: Chủ yếu bao gồm Công nghệ Thông tin và Truyền thông (ICT) để phát triển, triển khai và thúc đẩy thực tiễn phát triển bền vững nhằm giải quyết các thách thức đô thị hóa ngày càng tăng.
· 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡: Tập trung vào cải thiện chất lượng cuộc sống, phát triển các giải pháp giải quyết nhiều lĩnh vực trong ngành y tế: hỗ trợ quyết định lâm sàng, đăng ký bệnh trên máy vi tính, ứng dụng CNTT y tế tiêu dùng, hệ thống bệnh án điện tử, v.v.
· 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡: Mô hình kinh doanh nhằm giảm thiểu tác động đến môi trường của các công ty. Các công ty công nghệ tập trung vào hiệu quả tài nguyên, ngăn ngừa ô nhiễm, nền kinh tế xanh, tính bền vững và năng lượng tái tạo là một số ví dụ thuộc loại này.

👉 Startup tham gia cuộc thi cần có những tiêu chí gì?
– Team có tối thiểu 5 người làm toàn thời gian
– Công ty hoạt động được tối thiếu 6 tháng với số tiền còn lại trong tài khoản
– Tổng số tiền gọi vốn từ $ 1.000.000 đến $ 4.000.000 (USD)
– Đã gọi vốn một lần (không bao gồm vốn của founders)
– Sản phẩm ở giai đoạn MVP
– Có ý định mở rộng quy mô hoặc hoạt động tại Châu Á (chậm nhất là cuối năm 2021)
👉 Các giai đoạn của cuộc thi
· Đăng ký:
Không muộn hơn ngày 28 tháng 2 năm 2021:
· Bán kết:
Ngày 8-12 tháng 3 năm 2021: 10 công ty của 5 ngành sẽ được chọn để tham gia vòng bán kết.
· Chung kết:
Ngày 24 tháng 3 năm 2021: 2 công ty chiến thắng mỗi ngành sẽ được chọn để pitch.
——————-
Trên cương vị là đối tác chiến lược của Angel Hub, Wiziin rất hân hạnh là tổ chức duy nhất hỗ trợ Angel Hub trong việc quảng bá và tìm kiếm startup tại Việt Nam.
Chính vì vậy, nếu các bạn cần thêm bất kỳ thông tin hoặc sự hỗ trợ nào, đừng ngần ngại cho chúng tôi biết.
Mọi thông tin sẽ được cập nhật thường xuyên trên fanpage Wiziin, nhấn “Follow” để không bỏ lỡ bất cứ điều gì nhé.

Wiziin x VVCC | Workshop: To Platform or not to Platform

WIZIIN WOULD LIKE TO GIVE OUR SINCERY THANK YOU TO ALL THE GUESTs FOR YOUR PARTICIPATIONS TO THE EVENT “TO PLATFORM OR NOT TO PLATFORM”

Last Saturday, we had a sharing session“TO PLATFORM OR NOT TO PLATFORM” at Wiziin, 3 Nguyen Co Thach, An Loi Dong Ward, District 2, HCMC. Wiziin would like to express our sincere thanks to all the guests as well as yours the enthusiasm taking your precious time on Saturday morning to attend our event. Your attendance contributed to the success of the show and is a huge source of encouragement for the Wiziin.

Hopefully through this sharing, we have brought many useful information on the topic as well as providing valuable opportunities supporting entrepreneurs to connect with excellent start-ups leaders, and experienced investors. If you would like to re-watch the event, please visit here

Once again, our most heartfelt thanks to all the guests and your time for attending and contributing to the success of the event. Wiziin hopes to see you again at our next events.

We wish you a year of 2021 ahead blossoms with heath and successes !!!

#platform, #vvcc, #entrepreneur, #platformbusiness, #startup