Hanoi Founder Institute Opens Applications for the Spring 2016 Semester

Since launching in Hanoi in 2012, the Founder Institute has graduated over 15 companies in the region, including some of the area's fastest-growing startups like Appota, Beeketing, and more. In addition, our efforts in Hanoi have also been profiled by several top media channels.

Today, the Founder Institute is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Vietnam Summer 2026 Semester!

If you could benefit from expert training and advice to launch a technology startup in Hanoi, click here to apply today.

Those who apply by the Early Admissions Deadline (Apr 19, 2026) will have their application fees waived (typically $50), and if you enroll by the Early Deadline you are also eligible for Founder Institute Fellowships.

The Founder Institute is the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, with over 8,900 graduate companies spanning 200+ cities worldwide. In our four-month, part-time program, promising startup entrepreneurs "learn by doing" and launch a company through structured training courses and expert feedback from a large network of business mentors. Plus, you are not required to quit you day job to participate, so you can begin testing and developing your startup ideas without putting your livelihood at risk.

In order to celebrate the launch, the Hanoi Founder Institute will several free startup events for the general public, where you can meet top entrepreneurs and learn more about the program:

Vietnam Events:

[Vietnam] Startup Funding 101: From Idea to Investment: 4:00pm, Apr 15, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/395898
Product Development with AI: Building Smarter, Faster Products : 4:00pm, Apr 16, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/395901
B2B Business Development: From First Contact to Closed Deal: 4:00pm, Apr 22, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/395899
Leadership Development: Before You Scale the Business, Scale Yourself: 4:00pm, Apr 23, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/395902
Proof Over Promise: How VCs Evaluate Startups in 2026: 4:00pm, May 06, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/395903

Global or Regional Events:

Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
How to Go From Raw Idea to Polished Pitch using AI: 11:30pm, Apr 20, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/395723
[Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 11:00pm, Apr 21, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/395555
Turn Your Expertise Into an Audience on LinkedIn: 11:00pm, Apr 27, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/392366
How to Overcome the Fear of Starting Your Own Company: 11:00pm, Apr 28, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/393984
How to Get Your First 10 Customers Without a Marketing Team or Budget: 11:30pm, May 04, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/394487
How Anyone Can Become a Solo Founder with AI: 11:00pm, May 05, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/396516
Stop Guessing: How to Use AI to Validate Your Startup Idea in Days : 11:00pm, May 12, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/396680
How to Choose the Right Startup Idea Before You Build: 7:00pm, May 18, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/390256
How to Tell Stories That Win Clients and Investors with Lubna Forzley: 11:00pm, May 19, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/396346
[Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Get Unfiltered Feedback from Global Investors & Advisors: 11:00pm, May 26, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/395408
Inside the Founder Institute: Real Stories From Alumni: 11:00pm, Jun 02, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/390418
Startup Advisors 101: How to Find Advisors and Maximize their Impact: 7:30am, Jun 09, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/388455
Fundraising Reality Check: Startup Funding Q&A for Founders: 11:00pm, Jun 09, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/396180
Turn Startup Hesitation Into Action: A Founder Mindset Framework: 7:00am, Jun 16, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/393148
Stop Guessing, Start Raising: An Investor Q&A : 7:00am, Jul 07, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/392799
Stop Overthinking and Build a Great Startup Idea: 11:00pm, Jul 20, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/390556
From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 7:30pm, Aug 10, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/393271
Meet FI Alumni Founders: High-Growth Startups Panel : 11:00pm, Aug 10, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/391108
Build a Startup Idea Investors Won’t Ignore: 7:00am, Aug 19, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/391233
What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 11:00pm, Sep 01, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/392888
Break the Idea Loop and Decide What to Build: 7:00am, Sep 22, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/391512
From Idea to Traction: Lessons From Global FI Alumni: 7:30am, Oct 06, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/390832
From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 11:00pm, Oct 13, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/393401
From Founder to Funded: Interactive Q&A with Top Startup Investor: 12:00am, Nov 04, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/393601
From “Maybe” to Momentum: Building a Great Startup Idea: 8:00am, Nov 18, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/391380
From First Idea to First Funding: Global Alumni Stories: 12:00am, Dec 02, 2026 (Asia/Jakarta): https://FI.co/e/391083

See all upcoming events

The Hanoi Chapter will be led by local leaders Bobby Liu (Founder, Hub.IT), Quang Mai (Founder & CEO, Biaki), Tran Manh Cong (Cofounder, F88 Investment), and Pham Minh Tuan (Founder and CEO, TOPICA Edtech Group).

In addition, some of Hanoi's top entrepreneurs will help teach founders in the program, including:

Aaron Everhart: Former Vietnam Country Leader for Draper Startup House, HATCH!
Adrian Ho: Partner, Blueprint Ventures
Ahmed Mounir: Mr, Mindshift Ventures
Anh Tu Duong: Founder, Web3 X
Anna Leshchuk: Founder & CEO, Breamsresearch
Ben Berenson: Managing Partner, Asia SGE, Hong Kong
Bich Hoang Ngoc: President, Global Leaders/Crestcom Vietnam
Binh Do: Director, Global Business & Cooperation, VINASA
Cong Nguyen: Founder, Wellbeing
David Nguyen: Executive Director, Vietcham Singapore
Deepak Peschard: Founder & CEO, Digeto
Denise Thi: Founder/CEO, SYLVA
Dongmi Choi: Senior Manager, Chungbuk Center for Creative Economy & Innovation
Dr. Joe Hüg: Managing Director / Professor of Practice, IOAK, Corp. / iU University
Dr Marcuz Tan: Executive Director, CEO, Boustead APEX INC
DrWarren Linger: CEO, exmersive.ai
Duc Dang The: Lawyer, General Secretary, Vietnam Independent Directors Association (VNIDA)
Duc Vuong Anh: Director of Digital Transformation, Galaxy Holdings, SOVICO Group
Duc Hoang: Special Counsel, Duane Morris Vietnam
Duc Minh Nguyen: Partner, Consulting, EY Consulting Vietnam Joint Stock Company (EY Consulting Vietnam)
Dung Nguyen, IZZI Venture Studio (IVS)
Erdinç Ekinci: Managing Director, Founder Institute Japan/Korea/Taiwan
Eric Ha: CEO & Founder, Student Life Care
Esmeralda Herrera: Co-Founder, Well Invest
Giang Trịnh: Managing Partner, VMCG Capital
Giang Trinh: Country Director, Founder Institute Vietnam
GRAEME OGILVIE: Independent Advisor, Fractional Executive, Angel Investor , Who says I can't - Senior Partner
Hany Sayed: Chief Digital Officer, Gyozer Proptech
Hau Ly: Partner, Ascend Vietnam Ventures (AVV)
Hieu Tran: Co-founder, Not A Basement Studio
Hieu Tran: Investment Manager, DO Ventures
Hieu Tham: Senior Legal Manager, ThinkZone Ventures
Hieu Ngo: Principal AI Engineer, Backbase
HK Noh: Investment Manager, O3 Partners
Hoang Nguyen: CEO , VinHMS
Hoang Thi Kim Dzung: Country Director, Genesia Ventures Vietnam
Hung Ngo: Vietnam Investment Lead, Cocoon Capital
Huy Pham: Managing Director, Lotte Ventures Vietnam
Karin Wellbrock: Executive Leadership Coach and Co-Founder., Kay Group K.K.
Keir Zander, Freelance
Khiem Tran: General Partner, Expara SEA Ventures
Klaus Derendorf: Co-Founder/Partner, Crescenta Global Ventures
Le Hoang Quoc: Journalist, VTVDigital
Linh Lee: CEO, Links Group
Linh Le Hong: General Secretary / CEO, CFO Vietnam
Linh Nguyen: Investment Associate, Ansible Ventures
Louise Linh Pham: Founder/CEO, LOGIVAN
Luis Andrés Enriquez Arias: Partner & Co-founder, Bridge Latam Ventures
Maaike Doyer: Founder, Epic Angels
Mark Birch: Start Founder & Authoer, Community-in-a-Box
Mason Anh Bui: Investment Principal - VC, Kasikorn X Venture Capital (KXVC)
Minh Toan Duong: Director, UOB Venture Management
Nam Doan: Principal, ThinkZone Ventures
Ngan Tran: Founder/CEO, The New Leaders
Ngoc Nguyen Ba: Founder/CEO, ProtonX
Ngoc Anh Ly: CEO, VClass
Nguyen Tran Vu: President, AI Education
Nilay Jayswal: 5+ Years in B2B Growth Marketing (APAC, EMEA, LATAM) | Experienced in Advertising, Analytics and Automation | Mentor at GrowthMentor | TEDx Speaker, GrowthMentor
Phieu Le Minh: Lawyer, Founding & Managing Partner, LMP Lawyers
Phuc Thinh Nguyen: Founding Partner, Renaissanc.IO
Prashant Saxena: Regional VP, Revenue at Isentia | PhD from NTU | Adjunct Prof at ESSEC , Singapore
Quan Truong: Founder & CEO, Leanflag & OpenCommerce Group
Roger Do: CEO, Co-Founder, Watchdog Cyber Defense
Sean Kwon: Investor, 500 Global
Sheikh Masud Iftekher: Controller, Ericsson Malaysia
Sheyla Felix: Investment Strategy & AI, Sheyconomics
Steve Sidhu: Senior Director/Owner, CSS Partners LLC
Thao Ha: Venture Partner, Integra Partners
Toan Nguyen: Founder/CEO, Aniday
Tri Dung Tran: Program Manager in the Hanoi Region, The Swiss Entrepreneurship Program at J.E. Austin Associates Inc.
Trinh Nguyen: Investment Director, AiViet Venture
Valdis Sprogis: COO, i1x Ventures
Wilson Santoso: Co-Founder at Dabble, Director at Founder Institute Jakarta