Under the partnership, Kafnu will be the venue sponsor for 500’s Silicon Valley-inspired, Saigon-based accelerator program – the Saola Accelerator.
500 Startups Vietnam teams up with Kafnu Ho Chi Minh City to support entrepreneurship in Vietnam. To mark the start of the partnership, 500 Startups Vietnam and Kafnu Ho Chi Minh City hosted an exclusive event attended by more than 100 technology entrepreneurs. At the event, guest speaker Saalim Chowdhury, Partner at 500 Startups and Saola Accelerator Program Director, spoke about “Secrets to a Great Growth Funnel”, shedding light on growth drivers of a startup and debunking “growth hacking”.
The Saola Accelerator aims to support three batches of Vietnam-connected startups with US$100,000 investment in each company in addition to programmatic support. The first batch has hosted 24 startup founders & core team members from 6 nationalities for more than 70 training sessions, workshops, and hands-on mentoring sessions.
“The mission of 500 Startups is a great fit with Kafnu’s ethos, and we are proud to support their efforts to empower Vietnam’s startup ecosystem through their accelerator program,” said Chris Edwards, General Manager of Kafnu Ho Chi Minh City and Kafnu Hong Kong. “We feel privileged to be part of the success story of Vietnam’s budding entrepreneurs especially at this crucial and exciting stage of their development and look forward to growing with them.”
500 Startups Vietnam is a venture capital firm to invest in promising Vietnam-connected startups. The fund aims to invest in up to 100 Vietnam startups by 2020. The Saola Accelerator is 500’s latest step in its mission to back talented entrepreneurs all over the world, help them build companies at scale, and develop thriving ecosystems around the world.
“Beyond sharing growth know-how, Saola Accelerator aims to create a safe space for founders to ask questions and get support from experts who understand the struggle they are going through. Partnership with Kafnu as venue sponsor has enabled us to provide that safe space, providing us with top-quality facilities and round-the-clock support for various program activities.” said Eddie Thai, General Partner of 500 Startups Vietnam. “We are delighted to be working with partners like Kafnu as we bring 500’s world-class accelerator curriculum and experts to Vietnam and back the very talented founders in this market.”
This week, Kafnu Ho Chi Minh City and 500 Startups Vietnam hosted ‘Secrets to a Great Growth Funnel’, an event to share some of the curriculum content and benefits provided by Saola Accelerator program to the broader community. Over 100 program participants, Kafnu members, and invited business founders based in Ho Chi Minh City attended the event. Featuring Saola Program Director and 500 Startups Partner, Saalim Chowdhury, the event on July 24 focused on the core drivers that deliver growth to a startup and debunk the notion of growth hacking. A serial entrepreneur, Chowdhury has worked with over 250 startups from 25 countries over the last four years. Sharing his own experience, Chowdhury emphasized that growth is not a collection of tactics or shortcuts but a mindset and a process based on constant experimentation. At the event, 500 Startups Vietnam also announced the second batch of Saola, to which startups can apply via http://bit.ly/500apply.
Kafnu Ho Chi Minh City opened in June 2019 and is part of the growing global network of members-only Kafnu properties. It is the fifth Kafnu property to open, following launches in Taipei, Bengaluru, and Sydney, since the brand’s debut in Hong Kong in late 2017. Kafnu is a genre-defining brand that aims to elevate the individual and collective potential of its members, who include creators and business owners, and to support them in their journey to success. A members-only club, Kafnu also offers event and workshop programming tailored to the needs of its members, providing unique opportunities for discovery, connection, and growth.
To further extend outreach to entrepreneurs, Kafnu Ho Chi Minh City and 500 Startups Vietnam will deliver more curated activities for the creator community at Kafnu HCMC. Visit Kafnu Ho Chi Minh’s facebook or https://500startups.com.vn/ for more information on upcoming events.