Ho Chi Minh City, 14th April 2022
The opportunity for Vietnamese startups to receive non-equity grants is back!
SK Group – the second-largest conglomerate in South Korea – has officially kicked off the 3rd batch of SK Startup Fellowship 2022 (SKSF 2022).
SK Startup Fellowship Program (SKSF) is an annual program of SK Group with the mission to discover high-potential early-stage startups and provide them with non-equity grants and mentorship opportunities with SK’s network of experts. At the same time, the Program strives to build long-lasting relationships with all the startups and continuously offer support to SKSF’s circle of alumni. SK Group’s effort in developing the country’s startup ecosystem has been evident by the implementation of many direct support activities for Vietnamese startups during the previous two SKSF seasons. In the same vein, SKSF’s third batch in 2022 aims to discover a group of 12 most potential startups, which have satisfied the condition of having raised less than $3 million in total funding at the time of SKSF application, to enter the final competition. The 12 finalists would all receive non-equity grants from SKSF, with the top 4 receiving $50,000 each and the remaining 8 startups receiving $16,000 each. Additionally, all finalists would receive in-kind support from SKSF and its partners throughout the 6 months of the Program, including training on financial management from KPMG and Investor Pitching from VC partners and Program Partner, in-depth 1:1 mentoring from experts in the SKSF ecosystem for each startup, deep connection with SK Group’s network. The in-kind support, combined with resources in the Startup Ecosystem businesses in Vietnam, effectively creates a profound premise for startups to build quality business relationships onshore and offshore.
Outstanding startups at Demo Day of SK Startup Fellowship 2021
SKSF Batch #1 and Batch #2 are proud to have contributed to laying a solid foundation for the growth of startups coming out of the program. SKSF alumni have proven their significant potential via their continued success in capital raising, even during the most difficult and uncertain times of the global economy as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is noted that an aggregate of approximately 40 million USD has been poured into SKSF’s alumni startups such as Validus, MindX, Luxstay, Logivan, Phenikaa Maas, Palexy, Gimo, Earable, Med247. SKSF alumni were also being recognized and awarded at Innovation Startup events from the national to an international level: Logivan and Med247 were honored in the Forbes Asia Top 100 To Watch in 2021, Otrafy was honored as the Champion of the National Innovative Technopreneur Contest in TechFest Vietnam 2021.
With the success of the first two batches, SKSF Batch #3 aspires to stay true to its orientation of providing in-depth and comprehensive support for potential Vietnamese startups through activities such as 1:1 mentoring sessions, which is individually tailored to be in line with the needs and desires of startups, focusing on strengthening mentoring activities and sharing capital raising skills. SK Startup Fellowship 2022 welcomes its long-term local Program Partner – Business Startup Support Center (BSSC), to help connect startups with the local business ecosystem. The 12 finalists would receive exclusive offers from BSSC to participate in Vietnam Startup Day 2022 – one of the largest and most intensive startup exhibition events in Southeast Asia. At the event, the startups would pitch to over 500 investors / VCs, showcase their technology and products/services, and have the unrivaled opportunity to approach 15,000 potential customers and business partners.
The SK Startup Fellowship 2022, Batch #3 has now officially opened registration for Vietnamese startups across all fields, with special consideration to startups who are applying technology to solve social problems. Vietnamese startups in the early stage or post-seed stage, with launched products and positive revenues, are all welcome to apply for the program. Hi-tech startups having a patented service/product will be eligible to participate even still at the loss-making stage. Vietnamese startups, don’t miss the opportunity to enter and become one of SKSF Top 12 Batch #3!
Application for SKSF 2022 details are as follows:
- Application form: https://skstartupfellowship.vn/apply/
- Deadline: 15/05//2022
The organizer: SK Group – the second largest conglomerate in Korea, with an establishment history of nearly 70 years, SK has more than 100 subsidiaries that operate across over 40 countries and territories, spanning a diverse pool of industries such as Energy & Chemicals, Telecommunications & Semiconductors, Logistics & Services. SK Group achieved revenue of USD 106 billion in 2020 and was ranked in the Top 100 Global Enterprises of Fortune 500. Since 2018, SK Group has officially entered the Vietnamese market through major investments such as: investing USD 1 billion in Vingroup, investing more than USD 1.2 billion in Masan Group and its member companies, and investing USD 30 million to support the Vietnamese government in building a National Innovation Center (NIC) in Hanoi. Since 2020, SK Group has directly run SK Startup Fellowship, demonstrating its commitment to long-term investment in the Vietnamese market.
Program Partner: BSSC is considered one of the most prestigious and largest startup support organizations in Vietnam with many specialized activities such as Fund, Incubator Program, Accelerator Program. The BSSC’s ecosystem has more than 10,000 Startups & SMEs, 25,000 Entrepreneurs, 100 Mentors; Industry Experts, 200 Angel Investors; Venture Capital Funds.
⏩ Application form: https://skstartupfellowship.vn/apply/
⏩ Deadline: 15th May 2022