🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

BLOCK71’s Vietnam performance data stay limited despite decade-long global presence

• BLOCK71 Singapore says 77% of startups survive three years (versus Singapore’s 52.7% national five-year average), and alumni have raised S$7.7 billion total 1. No similar Vietnam data has been released since its 2020 launch 2.
• The global network has included unicorns such as Carousell (a consumer classifieds marketplace) and Nium (a cross-border payments company) among teams based at BLOCK71 in earlier years 1. Vietnam’s hub has not shared alumni exits or fundraising totals or survival rates. Outcomes from nearly 1,500 UniVentures applications remain unclear.
• Evidence that BLOCK71’s model transfers to Vietnam’s ecosystem is not yet public. Local incubators such as the Institute of Innovation at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) saw 1.15 billion VND (~US$46,000) raised across 27 projects in 2023 3.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and infrastructure providers can win business from nearly 1,500 UniVentures applications through incubator partnerships

• UniVentures runs cross-border incubation between Vietnam and Singapore 2. Selected startups need cloud credits from partners such as Google Cloud and IBM. They also need payment tools for cross-border transactions plus legal or incorporation services for a Singapore entity.
• Vendors of startup-focused SaaS tools for project management, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and analytics can partner with BLOCK71 centers in Singapore plus Vietnam 42. Those ties give access to UniVentures participants and more than 1,600 ventures hosted at BLOCK71 Singapore 4. SPARK Hub at RMIT University (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) Vietnam is one option 5.