Battery production at VinFast, the electric car subsidiary of Vingroup. The new investment fund founded by the corporation aims to support technology and semiconductor projects. — Photo courtesy of Vingroup

An investment fund with total assets of $150 million was launched on Monday to support technology and semiconductor start-ups in Việt Nam and the region.

VinVentures was founded by Vingroup Conglomerate, with Phạm Nhật Vượng as its chair.

The fund prioritises providing capital to projects in artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor, cloud computing and high technology products.

It is also open to supporting start-ups in other fields not related to Vingroup’s core businesses, if they have potential for growth and offer high-quality products and services.

To qualify for funding from VinVentures, start-ups should demonstrate sustainable growth potential and a good growth rate. They should offer practical and commercialisable products and services, and be led by experienced and trusted founders.

Of its $150 million of assets under management, $100 million is from Vingroup's existing portfolios while the remaining $50 million will be disbursed over the next three to five years.

Currently, VinVentures will focus on domestic start-ups in their early stages, known in the start-up community as the seed stage (Series A).

In the future, it will consider start-ups in the region, especially countries with similar development traits to Việt Nam such as Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The investment process will follow four main steps. First, start-ups and investors meet and exchange information about the products and targeted market; second, investment due diligence is conducted; third, they negotiate and sign agreements; and finally, the investment contract is signed.

It is anticipated that the period from a start-up's application submission to receiving funding will take from two to three months, or up to six months for larger projects. — VNS