Episode 12: Navigating Vietnam’s Startup Boom: Culture, Capital, and Cross-Border Collaboration with Cuong Dang

Inside CVC by u-path

Vietnam and Southeast Asia are fast becoming global hotspots for innovation and venture capital, but success in the region requires more than just money. In this episode of Inside CVC, Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann sit down with entrepreneur, investor, and community builder Cuong Dang to explore the realities of scaling startups and corporate ventures in one of the world’s most dynamic markets.

Cuong shares his journey from launching and exiting startups in the U.S. to leading Enterprise Holdings’ expansion into Vietnam, and now advising and investing in startups across Southeast Asia. He unpacks what international investors often get wrong about the region, why cultural context and trust matter as much as capital, and how his Vietnam Vanguard community is helping founders break through growth plateaus. The conversation dives into Vietnam’s most promising sectors—from logistics and supply chain to education and mobility—while offering practical advice for CVC leaders, corporates, and entrepreneurs navigating cross-border innovation.

The CVC Open Innovation Summit Europe takes place November 25–26 in Berlin, during AsiaBerlin Innovation Week. Positioned as a bridge between Europe, the U.S., and Asia’s fast-growing ecosystems, the summit is a curated, invitation-only forum for senior leaders to tackle the issues shaping innovation: AI, geopolitics, energy resilience, health, sustainability, and more. Listeners are invited to request an invitation at cvc-summit.com → E

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