26/06/2026
On June 22th, Ronin Consultancy had the opportunity to attend INNO VietnamโJapan Meetup Vol. 20, co-organized by JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, JCCH, and the Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC).
The event brought together investors, financial institutions, founders, and ecosystem leaders from both Vietnam and Japan to discuss the latest developments shaping Vietnam's startup and investment landscape.
The speaker lineup featured leading voices across venture capital, banking, fintech, healthcare, and innovation, including:
โข Vy Le โ Chairperson, Vietnam Private Capital Agency (VPCA) & General Partner, DO Ventures
โข Toshiki Yoshizawa โ Board Member, OCB & Senior Manager, Aozora Bank
โข Mizuguchi Kenji โ General Director, CC Innovation Vietnam
โข Vu Phong Nguyen โ Senior Manager, BuyMed
โข Cuong Anh Nguyen, CFA โ Founder & CEO, Fundiin
While each speaker shared different perspectives, several themes consistently emerged throughout the afternoon.
๐. ๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐.
Investment activity continues, but investors are placing greater emphasis on sustainable business models, strong unit economics, and founders who demonstrate clear ex*****on capabilitiesโnot just ambitious growth projections.
๐. ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ง๐๐ฆ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐'๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ญ๐ฌ.
The discussion reinforced Vietnam's long-term strengths: a growing digital economy, entrepreneurial talent, and increasing collaboration with international partners, particularly from Japan.
๐. ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ-๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐.
Many conversations highlighted that market expansion today is no longer simply about entering a new country. Success depends on finding the right local partners who understand culture, regulations, customers, and business practices.
๐๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ง'๐ฌ ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ
As a consultancy supporting international companies entering Vietnam and Vietnamese businesses expanding abroad, one message resonated strongly with us:
Market entry is not a one-time projectโit is a relationship-building process.
Companies often focus on products, funding, or marketing strategies. However, successful expansion usually depends on something much less visible:
- Building trust before transactions
- Understanding local market dynamics
- Creating meaningful partnerships rather than short-term opportunities
- Connecting the right people at the right time
Events like INNO VietnamโJapan Meetup remind us that innovation grows fastest when ecosystems collaborateโnot only through capital, but through knowledge sharing, strategic partnerships, and long-term commitment.
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