Go Global from Vietnam

Angel investment is when an individual puts their own money into a very early-stage startup in exchange for equity. Unlike a venture capital fund — which manages other people's money and usually invests at larger rounds — an angel decides alone, writes smaller cheques, and typically comes in before the company has meaningful revenue. Beyond capital, angels usually contribute operating experience, networks and mentoring time.

VAN is Vietnam's national business angel network, launched on 30 November 2018 at Techfest Vietnam 2018 in Danang. It is an initiative of Project 844 under Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology, co-founded by four institutions: the Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST), the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN), the Business Angel Network of Southeast Asia (BANSEA) and Vietnam's Leading Business Club (LBC). The network launched with 20 founding members.

No. VAN is a network of investors, not a venture capital fund, and it does not manage a pooled fund. VAN does not invest on its own account; investment decisions belong to individual members. VAN's role is to connect, screen, educate and open regional doors.

VAN membership is by invitation and recommendation from existing members. Members are typically accomplished angel investors giving experience back to the community through investment and mentoring, or early-stage investment funds active in the Vietnamese and regional startup ecosystem. You can request an invitation through the form on the For Investors page.

VAN assesses every company through five steps: (1) submit a request for preliminary assessment; (2) review and selection by the VAN Board of Assessment — usually one to two weeks; (3) invitation to meet the Board of Assessment; (4) due diligence and negotiation; (5) announcement of the investment decision. Founders start with the form on the For Founders page.

VAN has been a member of the ASEAN Angel Alliance (AAA) since 2018 and sits on the board of the ASEAN Business Angel Alliance (ABAA), which was officially launched at the MBAN Summit 2022 in Kuala Lumpur. VAN also holds a memorandum of understanding with MBAN to share connections and foster cross-border investment.

Three main strands. First, the AAA Summit — a one-day investment conference with networking and startup pitching; the 2018 edition drew more than 300 delegates, and VAN hosted the 2019 edition on 5 December 2019 in Ha Long City on the theme “Cross-border Investment”. Second, investor education workshops on angel investing, technology updates and mentoring skills. Third, cross-border market access tours — VAN hosted MBAN's first tour to Vietnam on 10–11 April 2019 with three leading Malaysian startups.

Yes. The Insight desk publishes market briefings and deep analysis on angel investment, crowdfunding, venture capital and corporate venture funds, updated automatically twice a week. Every piece carries a dedicated section on what it means for Vietnam. You can also receive a free summary briefing every Monday morning.

VAN is based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. All enquiries go through the form on the Contact page — messages reach the secretariat directly and are usually answered within two to three working days. VAN does not publish a public email address.