Grab launches new programme to support Vietnamese startups. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Grab has launched the Grab Ventures Ignite (GVI), an accelerator programme for early-stage startups, as part of the Grab for Good Development roadmap in Viet Nam which aims to create greater social and economic benefits for the country through technology.

Accordingly, GVI will nurture and support promising Vietnamese startups in their journey to become national champions in Viet Nam’s tech startup ecosystem, in line with the national strategy to create 10 technology unicorns by 2030.

Viet Nam is the first country in Southeast Asia where Grab has launched GVI.

GVI brings Grab’s unique strengths and capabilities as a regional tech platform to nurture Vietnamese early-stage start-ups.

The launch of GVI marks the expansion of Grab’s umbrella of startup programmes which includes Grab Ventures Velocity (GVV), Grab’s flagship startup scale-up programme.

In support of the Vietnamese Government’s objective to develop a national start-up ecosystem, GVI has signed a strategic partnership with Viet Nam’s National Innovation Center under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Under the partnership, GVI and the NIC will collaborate in planning and executing the GVI programme, accelerating the development of the digital economy and providing potential startups with support.

“The startup ecosystem in Viet Nam is growing incredibly fast, ​and tech clusters are also expanding geographically. We are proud to be part of this growth story and actively contributing to it, whether that’s through our R&D centre in HCM City, investing in partnerships with local startups like Moca, or enabling millions of people in Viet Nam to have greater access to digital services. With Grab Ventures Ignite, we are committed to encouraging tech entrepreneurship and support the growth of a vibrant startup ecosystem in Viet Nam," ​said Nguyen Thai Hai Van, managing director of Grab Vietnam.

Grab Ventures Ignite will evaluate startups based on a range of criteria including but not limited to core team strength, sector attractiveness, value proposition, business model, and possible synergies with Grab’s ecosystem.

In another development, Grab has started a campaign called Safer Everyday to present masks to 33 health-care centres in seven northern provinces.— VNS