Vietnam’s fintech industry, though still nascent, has witnessed significant growth over the past couple of years. As of mid-2019, the country was home to 154 fintech companies which had attracted a total of US$1.1 billion in investment, according to Lam Nguyen Hai Long, chairman of the HCM City Computer Association.
Fintech funding saw a sharp increase in 2019, with Vietnamese fintechs raising US$420 million between January and September, or 36% of all fintech funding in Southeast Asia during that period, according to a report by UOB, PwC, and the Singapore Fintech Association. The figure made Vietnam second amongst ASEAN members in terms of fintech funding.
With the fintech industry rapidly expanding, we look today at the top five coworking spaces in Vietnam that will allow fintech entrepreneurs and startups to meet and connect with like-minded individuals, forge strategic relationships, and most importantly, cut expenses dramatically.
CirCO
CirCO location, HCMC, via Circo.co
CirCO offers flexible offices and shared working space for startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and freelancers in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) where it operates three locations.
The CirCO locations combine smart designs and fully functional areas that allow startups to work in a more inspiring, collaborative work environment. Facilities are tailored to meet their working needs, including fully equipped conference rooms and private offices for businesses, dedicated and flexible desk for individuals. The chill-out places with leather sofa, self-service tea and coffee stand areas, kitchen facilities, and lunch tables are available on-site.
CirCO has also built a strong ecosystem between young, passionate and talented startups. The community consists of diverse, creative freelancers and like-minded individuals.
Dreamplex
Dreamplex hot desk, Dreamplex.co
Dreamplex is one of the first and leading coworking spaces in Vietnam, offering includes private offices, hot desks/dedicated desks, virtual offices, conference and meeting rooms, as well as event spaces of up to 300 pax.
Dreamplex members get to be part of a thriving community, supporting each other, working hard, and at the same time, having fun. The community consists of creatives, consultants, tech wizards, marketers, legal specialists, accountants, and many, from all corners of the world.
Dreamplex also curates events around what its members tell them on what they’d love to see and hear more about. From business-related events to productivity workshops and TEDx talks, these events are organized regularly at all the centers. Dreamplex has three locations in HCMC and one location in Hanoi.
Toong
Toong Oxygen, Toong.asia
Founded in 2015 in Hanoi, Toong claims to be the first work environment developer in Indochina. Toongs creates and operates a series of collaborative workspaces, which provide and customize full-cycled, flexible, human-centric office solutions for both independent workers and businesses of all sizes.
Toong offers a wide range of flexible workspace solutions for individuals or small and medium companies. Its spaces are designed to help entrepreneurs and startups cut expenses to the bone. Customers have full control and maximum flexibility of time and space such that it best fit the nature of their work.
Toong currently has five locations in Hanoi, six locations in HCMC and three coming soon, one in Nha Trang, one in Vientiane, and one in Phnom Penh. It operates a combined 20,000m2 area, and has organized over 1,000 events assembling approximately 85,000 attendees.
WeWork
WeWork Lim Tower 3 in HCMC, Wework.com
WeWork is an American commercial real estate company providing members with space, community, and services through physical and virtual offerings.
In Vietnam, WeWork has three locations, all in HCMC. WeWork’s shared offices in HCMC aim to provide the ideal setting for startups to jumpstart their venture.
WeWork’s HCMC locations welcome an influx of international talent and host members across a range of industries, including IT, education, real estate, and finance. The offices are strategically located in the city center, providing customers with direct access to public transportation and making it easy to stay connected and energized.
As of 2019 fourth-quarter close, WeWork had 739 locations across 140 cities and 37 countries, as well as 662,000+ total memberships, including global enterprises.
The Hive
The Hive District 1 HCMC, thehivedistrict1, Facebook
Founded in 2012 in Hong Kong, The Hive has designed, opened and now operates 21 spaces in 7 countries across Asia Pacific, from Australia to Japan.
The Hive focuses on delivering an “exceptional” experience through best-in-class events, its Hivers App, and its numerous community engagement initiatives which aim to empower members with network effects.
The Hive expanded to HCMC 2017 where it currently operates three locations.
Featured image credit: Dreamplex
