Ideas and solutions to build Da Nang into an attractive destination for capital raising and investment in startups were high on the agenda of the seminars entitled "Building a Tech to founder community" and "Positioning Da Nang on the capital and technology map in ASEAN".

Within the framework of the Da Nang Venture and Angel Summit (DAVAS) 2024, the events on Friday were attended by management agencies, experts and startup businesses at both home and abroad.

Within the framework of DAVAS 2024, many Memoranda of Understanding on innovative startup cooperation were signed between organizations, investors, businesses, and startups on Friday. Photo: V.H - M.Q

Positioning Da Nang as a startup destination

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung, General Director of Yootek Holdings Joint Stock Company, said that the city government has been implementing policies and support programmes to build and develop the innovative startup ecosystem, positioning Da Nang as a startup center and investment attraction destination.

He stressed the need for the city to organize a wide range of activities to attract more investors, investment funds, and technology startup units, as well as to connect with the country's innovative startup ecosystems to promote the growth of the local startup ecosystem.

Mr. Nguyen Van Chuong, Manager of the Swiss Entrepreneurship Program in Da Nang emphasised that Da Nang was in need of high-quality human resources. He, therefore, underlined a must-do for the city to focus on training and enhancing the capacity and mindset of innovative entrepreneurship for young human resources.

He informed that, in Da Nang, the Swiss Entrepreneurship Program will continue to implement activities to promote, connect and bring global experts who have been working with startup support organisations to Viet Nam. This will create a chance for Vietnamese incubators and innovation startup centers to meet and learn knowledge and experience in improving operational capacity and providing effective support services for startups.

Similarly, Mr. Leck Ting Yan, manager of the TRIVE Investment Fund, said that to become a regional innovation locality, Da Nang needed to develop a team of high-quality human resources which will be the element to promote the image and brand of "Da Nang - the innovative startup city".

He added that most investors were interested in product potential, as well as development team capacity. Therefore, Da Nang should pay more attention to building and implementing policy mechanisms such as appropriate salaries to attract and retain talents, he said.

Towards a strong startup community

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huyen Vi, the investor of V-Village Danang - Vietnamese Village, commented that Da Nang boasted the great potential in terms of environment, human resources, and the special care of the municipal government for developing a startup ecosystem.

She said it required a lot of time and efforts from the entire startup community, especially the patience, perseverance and consensus of authorities at all levels and local people, to develop Da Nang into an attractive innovation startup center.

She pledged that the V-Village will organize meetings and investment connections to attract more investors to Da Nang in the coming time.

Mr. Dae Hyun Kim, a partner and representative of South Korea’s The Ventures fund in Viet Nam, assessed that the Da Nang government did a good job of supporting innovative startup projects in the city. The Ventures showed its keen interest in the city's innovative startup ecosystem, planning to open up cooperation opportunities on innovative startups between Da Nang and South Korea. The Ventures hoped that Da Nang will have a "unicorn" startup in the time to come, he added.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Toan, Director of the Da Nang Innovation and Startup Center under the Department of Science and Technology, said that Da Nang had three factors to attract startup projects. In particular, the municipal government always cares about to the innovative startup ecosystem and this is also one of the key areas mentioned in Resolution No. 43/NQ-TW dated January 24, 2019 of the Politburo on building and developing Da Nang to 2030 with a vision to 2045.

Additionally, Da Nang is proposing specific mechanisms to develop innovative startups with the National Assembly.

In the coming time, Da Nang will continue to organize practical events such as DAVAS and SURF Innovation Startup Festival to support startups in accessing the market and raising capital.

Reporting by V.HOANG, M.QUE - Translating by M.DUNG