Over recent years, co-working spaces have become an increasingly popular choice for young local and expat freelancers, and startup owners in Da Nang. Not only do co-working spaces offer ideal places of work, but they also serve as playgrounds, venues for mutual exchanges and connectivity amongst young people who share the passion for creative startups.

Beautifully situated on Phan Dang Luu Street, Hai Chau District, IoT Space is one of the first co-working spaces for innovative startups in Da Nang. Photo taken in April by PHONG LAN

Co-working is a modern-day model in which individuals pay to share their working space. In particular, early-stage businesses can gain access to operational infrastructure for a minimal fee.

In co-working environment, young white-collar employees are no longer confined to the conventional workplace, using the social aspect of the venue as an opportunity to create new working relationships, take on challenges alongside other like-minded individuals, grasp business opportunities, and exchange experiences with those from various aspects.

In particular, startup developers can also learn a great deal from successful predecessors, and if they’re lucky enough, they can also receive funding from potential investors to turn their projects into a reality.

Beautifully situated on Phan Dang Luu Street, Hai Chau District, and surrounded by a multitude of junior colleges, universities and office buildings, IoT Space is one of the first co-working spaces for innovative startups in Da Nang. The venue looks as if this lovely spot is invigorated by the dynamic, youthful atmosphere of Da Nang, promoting creativity and nurtures knowledge.

Mr. Bui Ngoc Vinh, Director of ST United Co., Ltd., the co-founder of IoT Space, said that IoT stands for Internet of Things, one of the core technologies of the Industrial Revolution 4.0.  This name also shows an expectation that IoT Space will emerge as ‘rendezvous’ for entrepreneurs, especially those active in the fields of IoT, artificial intelligence, and big data.

In fact, since its establishment in 2018, IoT Space has attracted many entrepreneurs, programmers, design engineers and freelance workers from Da Nang, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and other Vietnamese localities.

Till date, IoT Space has ‘incubated’ two community-based startup projects, Conext.asia - a platform to help startups find investors and MadeinDanang - an “exhibition floor” for Da Nang startups. Also, IoT Space has given financial support to a number of projects, Heppi for example, which specialises in building corporate culture in the digital era.

Pham Vu Huy Hoang, the co-founder of the Heppi project shared: “Working in a co-working space offers a chance for young entrepreneurs to meet like-minded people, exchange business ideas, and expand networks.  In addition to joining exchanges of professional issues, we also share management experiences and learn from each other”, said Vinh.

IoT Space is on way to attract startups specialising in digital transformation products that can solve current corporate problems.

With its wide network of relationships, IoT Space will support young entrepreneurs to connect with business associations in the city to help their products make their presence in the market.
Enouvo Space 2- the first co-working & co-living space in Da Nang, 16 – 18 An Nhon 3 Street, Son Tra District has emerged as an ideal space for digital nomads, freelancers, professionals and even tourists from both home and abroad.

Featuring 8 well-designed storeys with creative layout of flexible spaces, Enouvo Space 2 offers a wonderful rendezvous for creative and innovative individuals to exchange their entrepreneurial ideas and products, thereby together creating real connections for building an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This venue highlights the innovative interior design which inspires people to work productively and promote creativity. In fact, well-designed and fully furnished space facilitates you to collaborate and synergize with like-minded people.

By next choosing “wrap yourself” into a room or a fixed desk, the members may choose seating on the balcony, a native and organic garden with outdoor seating or “green corners” surrounded by greenery and immersed in natural light to enjoy the fresh air. In particular, apart from the Co-work Area, there are many studios in total that provide you and your teams a private space of your own within the unique co-working community.

As for co-living services, the Enouvo Space 2 offers a wide range of membership packages and services with great amenities and facilities. Members can flexibly choose a desk that suits their unique needs and other additional services, all making them feel at home.

Ms Tran Hanh Trang, the CEO and Co-founder of the city-based Enouvo IT Solutions Ltd.said that, in order to manage the Enouvo Space co-working space, the company's team designed and built up specialised software MARTOS -Smarter Office Space - a management platform that helps to automate manual tasks, maximize efficiency, and increase member satisfaction.

SMARTOS initially helps to solve some problems that Enouvo Space has faced for the past time. It boast major features such as Booking calendar: Visually see which resources are booked at what times by checking the booking calendar; Member management: Manage members easily and allow the records of extra information, generate monthly member reports; Reports: Get real-time reporting about payments, space usage and bookings; Check-in, check-out member: Allow staff to easily check-in/check-out members to know easily who are currently in the co-working space; Income management: Allow staff/admin users to manage income from bookings, other service fees, or manage expenses easier; and Invoice or billing: Automatically generate invoices for members upon requests.

Ms. Trang shared, “Currently, with the development of innovative startups, the demand for co-working spaces in Da Nang is growing in terms of both quantity and quality. SMARTOS aims to serve the needs of working regardless of a fixed location, especially during the complicated developments of COVID-19.

Reporting by PHONG LAN- Translating by A.T