VietNamNet Bridge - A number of startups successfully called for millions of dollars from foreign investors in 2017.



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Tiki received $54.5 million from three investors



1. Tiki, an e-commerce website, received $54.5 million from three investors – VND, JD.com from China and STIC from South Korea

Tiki.vn ranks fourth on the list of e-commerce websites with the highest numbers of visitors. E-commerce in Vietnam has great potential but it is risky because of the cutthroat competition. Many e-commerce firms have left the market.

Before the appearance of investors from China and South Korea, VNG was believed to be the biggest shareholder of Tiki with a 38 percent stake. However, as Tiki continuously takes losses, VNG’s capital decreased by VND170 billion. 

2. Kyber Network, a startup run by a Vietnamese CEO, made an ICO in September 2017 (initial coin offering). On September 15, Vietnam time, Kyber’s KNC sale began, and by the end of September 18, the sale was completed globally. Kyber Network collected 200,000 Ethereum, equal to $56 million in September and $155 million now.

E-commerce in Vietnam has great potential but it is risky because of the cutthroat competition. Many e-commerce firms have left the market.

At present, one KNC of Kyber Network is $2-3. The total capitalization value, according to Coinmarketcap, is $333 million.

Kyber Network’s ICO was taken seriously because its list of advisors includes Vitalik Buterin, the author of Ethereum.

3. VnTrip, the online hotel room booking tool, after receiving $3 million worth of investment capital from a foreign fund in 2016, received another investment sum of $10 million from Hendale Capital in November 2017.

In Vietnam, 48 percent of the population use smartphones to search for information about hotels, while 42 percent search for information about flights. The high proportions are why investors continue pouring money into startups related to tourism technology.

4. Hoa Yeu Thuong (Flower of Love), the flower sale and delivery service, received $1 million worth of investment from Greenwings, a Dutch flower exporter. Hoa Yeu Thuong became a prominent service thanks to combined e-commerce and traditional flower delivery. 

Hoa Yeu Thuong pledges to ensure the high quality of flowers and the availability of service in all 63 cities/provinces. It plans to expand market share to 5 percent in the south, and march toward the northern market where it will compete with Chinese flowers. It is also eyeing the Cambodian market.

5. Gcall received a $1 million investment at Shark Tank, a TV program where startups appear before investors calling for investments in exchange for a certain proportion of their stake. 

One of the investors of Gcall is Australia’s largest telecom company.


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