 12 start-ups are awarded certificates of completion of the Green Tech Incubator program. (Photo credit: GIZ Vietnam) |
Bao Tram: Hi, Cuong, thank you for joining us on VOV’s Digital Life.
Minh Cuong: Thank you for inviting me to this interview. I’m very pleased to meet the VOV audience!
Bao Tram: Can you briefly introduce the Green Tech Incubator?
Minh Cuong: Green Tech Incubator is a program initiated by BMZ, the Ministry of International Development of Germany, and in Vietnam it’s implemented by GIZ Vietnam and the National Innovation Center (NIC) of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. This is the first year the Green Tech Incubator has been implemented in Vietnam. We have had 46 registrations. After strict selection and training, the 12 best start-ups were chosen to come up and show their products today to all the VCs (venture capitalists) and partners.
Bao Tram: What are the criteria for selecting startups to join the program?
Minh Cuong: I think our program is very open. We always encourage young people. For this program we focus on seed and pre-seed startups which are very early-stage startups to come and join us. I think there are no difficulties to join at all. We hope from next year we can welcome more potential founders with their ideas to the program.
Bao Tram: We know that the top 12 start-ups have undergone four months of training and intensive support. What has the training focused on and how has the training changed them?
Minh Cuong: It's a very interesting question. There are three key points about our program. First, we focus on technical expertise. There are a lot of incubators which focus on quite general areas, but for our Green Tech Incubator, actually we hired technical experts in green tech to mentor and support the startups. That's the first point. The second point we want to introduce is that our Green Tech Incubator program is focused on product development. We have feedback from SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) which we consider potential clients and we let the potential clients decide the feasibility of their products. The third point of our Green Tech Incubator is how to approach VC. We train them in pitching skill and a bit on the financial proposal, like how to make a good presentation - short, concise, and to the point - to all the VCs (venture capitalists) and investors, and how to do a financial plan.
Bao Tram: After graduation on Demo Day, will the Incubator continue to support these startups?
Minh Cuong: Of course! We have an incorporation program under which, after this Demo Day, a startup can write an e-mail drafting their incorporation mechanisms with the partners here and they can Cc us, so we can watch them for another six months. We also have support from big IT companies like SAP, a very big company in Germany, AWS (Amazon Web Service), and other partners.
Bao Tram: We understand that the Green Technology Incubator connects start-ups with international organizations, investors, and corporations, and encourages start-ups to create change and solve energy problems in the Vietnamese economy. Once again, thank you, Cuong, for talking to us.
Minh Cuong: Thank you for your interest in the Green Tech Incubator program. Let’s work together for a green future. Thank you.