Vietnam's rapid push toward innovation has never been more evident. With increasing national focus on technology, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship, the local startup ecosystem is experiencing a surge in programs designed to empower inventors, innovators, and young founders. From university-led initiatives to corporate-backed accelerators, Vietnam is cultivating an environment where bold ideas can take shape and thrive. Amid this growing momentum, The Invention Lab recently had the opportunity to participate in the Global EntrePrep Incubator 20255 Innovation Demo Day & Industry Networking—an event organized by VinUniversity and BLOCK71 Vietnam, spotlighting notable early-stage startups shaping the next wave of technological and social impact. The experience highlighted not only the strength and creativity of the participating teams but also the collaborative energy fueling Vietnam's new generation of innovation leaders. 1. Event Overview 🔸VinUni Entrepreneurship Lab VinUni Entrepreneurship Lab (Elab) is the heart of the VinUniversity startup ecosystem, where innovation is nurtured, and entrepreneurial talent is empowered to create global impact. Officially opened at the of the 2022-2023 academic year, ELab has quickly become a vibrant hub, where exciting seminars, mentoring programs, incubation programs, and competitions for VinUniversity students, as well as students nationwide, take place. Not only does it create opportunities for students to learn and work right from their first year, but ELab also contributes to promoting students' entrepreneurial spirit, thereby helping them gain early success out in the real world. Elab focuses on supporting promising young startups and advancing the commercialization of deep technologies developed at VinUni. Through incubation and acceleration programs, expert mentorship, and strong connections with corporate and investment partners in Vietnam and abroad, Elab provides startups with the resources to grow and succeed. Key Programs and Support: Incubator and Pre-accelerator programs Technology assessment and commercialization programs Seed funding Mentorship programs 🔸Global EntrePrep Incubator 2025 Hosted by VinUni Entrepreneurship Lab and BLOCK71 Vietnam, and supported by a dynamic network of global and local partners, the Global EntrePrep Incubator 2025 (GE25) is a three-month pre-accelerator crafted for early-stage startups that have already demonstrated promising traction, whether through revenue, active users, or early signs of product–market fit. Beyond sharpening core business fundamentals, GE25 equips founders with the guidance, resources, and ecosystem connections needed to turn early momentum into sustainable growth: Sales Growth & Revenue Acceleration: A focused 3-month hybrid program that helps startups strengthen business fundamentals, improve financial strategies, and accelerate market expansion. Early-Stage VC Supervision: Bi-weekly check-ins with investors provide direct guidance to refine your pitch, traction story, and fundraising readiness. Industry Mentorship: Monthly sessions with experienced entrepreneurs and domain experts offer personalized insights for product, sales, and operational improvement. Extensive Networking Opportunities: Multiple offline events in Hanoi and HCMC connect startups with investors, partners, and potential customers. Access to a $2M Funding Pool: Exceptional teams gain investment opportunities from VinVentures, Ansible Ventures, BK Fund, Quest Ventures, and Capital JDI. Exclusive Support for VinUni Teams: Startups with 2+ VinUnians receive up to USD 2,000 in onboarding seed funding and up to USD 10,000 in post-program support.

1. Event Overview 🔸 CTO Vietnam Network CTO Vietnam Network is the largest community in Vietnam exclusively for CTOs, with over 500,000 members, including CTOs, founders, directors, and managers across MNCs, SMEs, and startups. The network focuses on applying technology solutions to business management and operations, improving marketing effectiveness, and driving innovation. Its mission and vision include: Leveraging Vietnamese technology to enhance operational efficiency for businesses. Promoting Vietnamese technology globally. Supporting digital transformation, innovation, and creativity for people and businesses. Centering on people and technology to foster a better, happier, and more sustainable life. 🔸 VietGlobal Founders – CTO Summit 2025 The VietGlobal Founders – CTO Summit 2025 will take place on November 11, 2025, at SIHUB, 123 Truong Dinh, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Organized by CTO Summit in collaboration with the tech and startup ecosystem, the event aims to connect founders, CTOs, investors, and tech experts, promoting Vietnam's global startup spirit. Event highlights: Attendance: 1,500+ participants, including founders, CTOs, AI experts, investors, and international representatives. Speakers: 30+ leading experts across AI, venture capital, technology management, and global startup growth. Discussion topics: Fundraising and sustainable growth AI applications in various industries (F&B, Healthtech, Edtech, etc.) Strategic thinking and business planning for founders Success stories of Vietnamese startups expanding internationally Experience spaces: Startup Space: Workshops and in-depth discussions with founders, experts, and investors. Expo Space: Exhibitions showcasing products and technology solutions from startups and partners. Fund & Founder Space: Pitching sessions, 1-on-1 investor meetings, and project screenings.

1. Event Overview 🔸 Global Shinhan InnoBoost Program In 2024, Shinhan Future's Lab Vietnam officially launched the Global Shinhan InnoBoost Program, a flagship initiative designed to drive innovation and collaboration with startups in Vietnam. In partnership with the Seoul Business Agency, the program provides startups with opportunities to accelerate growth and expand their operations both locally and globally. The program serves as a catalyst for digital transformation, helping startups optimize business models, scale faster, and improve customer engagement. Participating startups gain access to Shinhan's extensive network and resources, while Shinhan benefits from cutting-edge technologies and entrepreneurial talent, creating a mutually reinforcing environment for success. Through the program, Shinhan's subsidiaries in Vietnam leverage innovation collaboration to enhance the value of financial services .From banking and investment to insurance and digital solutions, they deliver comprehensive offerings while fostering innovation and strategic partnerships. The inaugural 2024 program demonstrated strong market traction and impactful results: High engagement: Over 100 applications across sectors, including fintech, AI, and martech. Significant funding support: More than VND2 billion in cash grants awarded to promising startups. Proof-of-concept success: 9 PoC projects completed, validating innovative solutions. Future growth opportunities: More than 5 collaborations are set to continue beyond the program, driving long-term partnerships and scaling potential. 🔸 2025 Global Shinhan InnoBoost Program Riding on the momentum of 2024, the 2025 Global Shinhan InnoBoost Program 2025 continues to foster startup growth, advance innovation, and cultivate strategic collaborations within Vietnam's startup ecosystem and Shinhan's financial network. Shinhan Future's Lab Vietnam is the lead organization of the Global Shinhan InnoBoost 2025 program, under the patronage of the National Innovation Center (NIC), and co-organized in collaboration with the Seoul Business Agency, Seoul Startup Hub, and the innovation connectivity platform BambuUP. The program also sees collaborations from strategic partners, including Saigon Innovation Hub and three venture capitals: ThinkZone, TheVentures, and Nextrans. The 2025 Global Shinhan InnoBoost Program features a 16-week Proof-of-Concept (PoC) initiative between selected startups and Shinhan's subsidiaries, targeting 5 to 7 startups per cohort. Each participating startup receives a VND 200 million grant to support project development. Shinhan Bank Shinhan Bank Vietnam has been offering a diversified portfolio of tailored corporate and individual banking products. Collaboration Area: Open Platform & Embedded Finance Customer Engagement & Partnership Models AI-driven Customer Experience AI & Automation for Banking Operations

1. Event Overview 🔶 INCHEON Youth Global Launchpad 2025 The INCHEON Youth Global Launchpad has become a cornerstone initiative driving INCHEON' s young entrepreneurs toward global success. Organized by INCHEON City and the INCHEON Center for Creative Economy & Innovation (ICCEI), the program empowers promising startups to expand overseas through tailored acceleration, market localization, and hands-on global experience — turning early potential into sustainable international growth. Since its inception in 2023, the INCHEON Youth Global Launchpad has played a central role in INCHEON'S mission to empower young innovators and help them bring their ideas to the global stage. The program first supported startups entering Mongolia and Vietnam, before expanding in 2024 to include the United States, Singapore, and Vietnam, offering tailored consulting, acceleration programs, and commercialization funding. Over just two years, the Launchpad has delivered remarkable outcomes: 2023: 10 companies supported, 29 MOUs and partnership agreements signed, ₩21.6 billion in investments attracted, 3 overseas subsidiaries established, and USD 97,113 in export sales, alongside 89 partnership contracts for market expansion. 2024: 12 companies supported, 33 MOUs and agreements signed, ₩20.1 billion in investments attracted, 2 new overseas subsidiaries established, and USD 577,525 in exports. 🔶 2025 INCHEON Youth Global Launchpad In Malaysia Building on such strong momentum, the 2025 Edition continues the mission with new expansion bases in Vietnam and Malaysia, two of Asia's most dynamic and opportunity-rich markets for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. A total of 25 Korean startups participated in the 2025 Program, divided into Track 1 and Track 2. Track 1 focused on pop-up stores, live streaming, and business matching, while Track 2 consisted of pre-startups and early-stage entrepreneurs, featuring seminars, corporate visits, market research, and business matching programs. Among them, 5 startups will target the Malaysian market, while 20 startups will target the Vietnamese market. The Malaysian Program, co-organized by the INCHEON City, ICCEI, The Invention Lab, and Malaysia’s Sunway iLabs, was held in Kuala Lumpur from October 21 to 22. The two-day agenda featured participating startups engaged in demo days, business matching sessions, and networking events with local investors and partners at the FutureX Connect Event. In addition, INCHEON City, ICCEI, and Malaysia’s Sunway iLabs signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) during the event to explore pilot projects and market validation, local commercialization, and ongoing startup exchange, further reinforcing a sustainable partnership framework between Korea and Malaysia. Through these collaborative efforts, the program not only strengthened the presence of Korean startups in Southeast Asia but also laid the groundwork for long-term partnerships and innovation-driven growth in both markets. The following sections provide a closer look at each country’s program highlights and key activities. 2. Event Recap 🔶 Day 1 - Touring, MOU Signing, and Networking The first day of the Malaysia Launchpad began with a guided tour of the Sunway City Ecosystem, an integrated, sustainable urban model that combines economic growth with environmental and social responsibility. This immersive tour introduced participants to one of Malaysia’s leading innovation hubs, offering valuable insight into the country’s entrepreneurial environment and collaborative ecosystem. Following the insightful tour, a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony was held, marking a pivotal step in fostering international collaboration. This comprehensive agreement was signed by INCHEON City, ICCEI, 5 Korean Teams, and Sunway iLabs, a key strategic partner in Malaysia. The collective aim of this partnership is to foster startups, explore pilot projects and market validation, support local commercialization, and enhance global expansion through sustainable cooperation between the two nations. Crucially, the direct engagement of the 5 Korean participating startups, establishing individual MOUs with Sunway iLabs, signifies a concrete and impactful first stride for them into the Malaysian market, providing a foundational base for their successful entry. During lunch, an additional networking session was hosted, offering a relaxed and productive setting for deeper exchanges between Korean teams and their practitioners, and the Sunway iLabs practitioners. The afternoon then shifted focus, beginning with a dedicated "Business Unplugged" seminar led by MDEC. This session provided participants with essential insights into key details required for successful market entry into Malaysia. Following the seminar, Korean companies had the valuable opportunity to engage in one-on-one meetings with local enterprises, including the prominent Sunway Group, to explore pilot projects and market validation.

드디어 👏🏻 우여곡절 끝에 인벤션덱 AI를 공개하게 되었습니다. 처음에는 "우리는 이런 서비스를 만드려고 해요"라고 간단히 보여주는 용도로 시작했지만, 어느새 실제로 사용가능한 AI 기반 비즈니스 아이데이션 솔루션으로 개발을 완료했습니다! 초기 스타트업에게도 사용할 수 있어요 가장 먼저 문화창업플래너 프로그램에서 인벤션덱AI를 실전 투입💪🏻 해보았습니다. 많은 사람들에게 처음 선보이는 것이라 솔직히 조금 떨렸지만 다행히 반응이 긍정적이었습니다. 교육을 시작했을 때 아무것도 없는 상태에서 각자 다른 방식으로 사업 아이디어를 구상하던 참가자들에게 '카드 조합 → 아이디어 생성 → 비즈니스 템플릿 작성'이라는 명확한 흐름이 생겼기 때문입니다. 카드를 조합해 아이디어를 만들고 템플릿으로 구체화하는 흐름 덕분에 참여자들이 각자 다른 방향으로 흩어지지 않고 동일한 프로세스 내에서 아이디어를 정리할 수 있었습니다. 기존에는 교육이 진행될 때 참여자마다 아이디어 방향도 다르고 퀄리티도 들쭉날쭉해서 함께 논의하고 피드백을 주고받기 어려웠는데요, 카드 기반의 구조화된 프로세스를 활용하자 서로의 아이디어를 비교하거나 코멘트하기 훨씬 수월해졌고 진행하시는 대표님 입장에서도 리뷰 포인트를 명확히 잡을 수 있었다는 피드백도 받았습니다. 대•중견기업도 사용할 수 있어요 이후에는 인벤션덱AI를 저희가 운영 중인 신사업 발굴/기획, 교육, 컨설팅 프로그램에 본격적으로 적용했습니다. 이번에는 아이디어 생성에 그치지 않고 나아가 사업계획서 작성, IR Deck 초안 작성 기능까지 확장해 사업화 전 단계의 흐름을 모두 포함할 수 있도록 설계했습니다. 특히 이 구조는 아이디어를 냈다면 결국 '보고 가능한 산출물'까지 발전시켜야만 하는 여러 조직의 특성에 맞게 고안되었습니다. (마지막에는 PPT로 다운로드도 가능합니다 🙋🏻) 물론 이 과정에서 이전보다 훨씬 더 많은 오류와 시행착오를 겪었습니다. 데이터 구조를 전면 수정해야 했고 프롬프트도 완성도 높게 수차례 뜯어고쳐야 했고