Danang Business Incubator

What Danang Business Incubator does

Danang Business Incubator (DNES) is a Vietnam-based business incubator operating since 2016 as a structured public-private partnership between the Da Nang municipal government and the local business sector, legally registered as Công ty TNHH Đầu tư và Hỗ trợ Khởi nghiệp DNES Đà Nẵng. The organization serves early-stage startups, student entrepreneurs, and ecosystem partners in central Vietnam through its flagship FINC+ incubation program — a multi-month track combining workshops, 1:1 mentoring, and investor/partner introductions — alongside training services (Train the Mentor, pitching workshops), coworking space rental, event organization (SURF, GDG DevFest Central Region, Web3 Builders Summit), and consulting (marketing, IP/legal, business registration, IT digital transformation). DNES does not take equity from startups, charging only for advisory and incubation services, and operates an affiliated investment arm, Flying Fish Investment (FFI), which deploys seed capital of up to 500 million VND per startup from an annual 2 billion VND fund.

The company's technology stack is operations-based rather than product-based: there is no proprietary incubation platform, no public API or SDK, and no AI/ML components disclosed. Service delivery is supported by partnerships with AWS (up to $5,000 cloud credits per startup), Google Cloud (up to $3,000), StartupBlink (one of two Vietnam local partners since 2024), iAccelerate at the University of Wollongong (reciprocal soft-landing pad since 2019), Swiss Entrepreneurship Program, UNDP, ADB, and VinaCapital. Headcount is in the 11-50 range, with leadership comprising Chairman Võ Duy Khương, CEO Trần Vũ Nguyên, Deputy Director Đoàn Thị Xuân Trang, and an Australian Volunteers Program Entrepreneur in Residence.

Cumulative scale metrics disclosed are 76+ incubated startups, 29,000+ offline trainees, and 200+ founders and ecosystem partners, but no revenue, ARR, or audited financials are disclosed. A public capital contribution invitation (Thư mời góp vốn) is currently outstanding to attract new equity investors for operational scaling. Notable alumni outcomes include DatBike ($2.6M raise from Jungle Ventures), Cashbag (300% monthly growth, $400K raised), Easy Salon ($120K raised, present in 36 provinces and 2 countries), Umbalena (60,000 daily readers, Startup Wheel 2020 winner), and Delta X (robots shipped to nearly 30 countries).

Name

Danang Business Incubator

Legal name

Công ty TNHH Đầu tư và Hỗ trợ Khởi nghiệp DNES Đà Nẵng

Website

https://dnes.vn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DNES is a Da Nang-based public-private business incubator (founded 2016) that delivers its FINC+ incubation program, training, coworking, and consulting services to early-stage startups in central Vietnam, supported by a 200+ partner ecosystem and affiliated Flying Fish Investment seed fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubation / Startup Support Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (61171)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps (EDAMALAL)

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Business mentorship programs
• Seed investment connections
• Entrepreneurship training
• Coworking space rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Da Nang

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Incubation Program Fees: Charges for incubation and advisory services. DNES does not require equity from startups. Cost covers advisory and incubation activities only.
2. Training Programs: Revenue from conducting training courses, workshops, and startup education programs including Train the Mentor and pitching training.
3. Coworking Space Rental: Office leasing and co-working space services provided to startups and entrepreneurs. Incubation program participants receive 50% discount.
4. Event Organization: Design and implementation of innovation projects, event organization services for startup ecosystem activities.
5. Consulting Services: Marketing solutions, IP and legal consulting services, business registration support, IT digital transformation infrastructure services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DNES operates the FINC+ incubation program, a 4-6 month structured program (combining intensive workshops, 1-on-1 mentoring, and investor connection) that helps early-stage startups validate business models and prepare for fundraising without requiring equity. Beyond incubation, DNES delivers entrepreneur training (Train the Mentor, pitching workshops), coworking space, investment connection services (via Flying Fish Investment and partners such as VinaCapital and FUNGO), and event/competition management (SURF, GDG DevFest, Web3 Builders Summit) for the Da Nang startup community.

Product overview

Danang Business Incubator (DNES) operates as a public-private partnership business incubator that provides a comprehensive suite of startup support services centered around the FINC+ Incubation Program. The organization offers business validation, mentorship, training, investment connections, and event organization services to help startups develop sustainable business models and secure funding. DNES has incubated over 76 startups and trained more than 29,000 offline participants, serving as the central hub for Da Nang's startup ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FINC+: The primary incubation program founded and operated by DNES, designed to help startups validate their business models, increase chances of receiving investment, and build founder capabilities to lead and grow a startup ecosystem.
• FINC

Products and services

• FINC+ Incubation Program Flagship 4-6 month incubation program that helps startup founders validate business models, prepare for investment, and build capabilities through workshops, 1-on-1 mentoring, and connection to mentors, investors, and partners. No equity is taken from startups.
• Training Services Training courses for entrepreneurs and mentors including Train the Mentor (the first startup mentor training program in Central Vietnam), pitching training, and business model development workshops.
• Investment Connection Services Facilitates connections between startups and investors including angels, VC funds, and Flying Fish Investment (FFI), which allocates up to 500 million VND per startup from an annual 2 billion VND fund.
• Event Projects (SURF, GDG DevFest, Web3 Builders Summit) Organization of startup events and competitions including SURF (Da Nang Startup Innovation Festival), GDG DevFest Central Region, Web3 Builders Summit, hackathons, and pitching competitions.
• Coworking Space Shared workspace facilities for startups and entrepreneurs, with a 50% partner discount for FINC+ incubated startups.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of founders report they would spend significantly more without FINC program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• iAccelerate (University of Wollongong, Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2019Reciprocal soft landing pad program enabling startups to enter each other's or regional markets. Startups seeking to expand internationally can spend time building businesses in Da Nang or Wollongong. Part of iAccelerate's global innovation network.
• Swiss Entrepreneurship Program (Swiss EP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational startup support program connecting DNES startups to global resources and mentorship. MOU signed for connecting startups to world markets.
• National Office of Intellectual Property of VietnamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed for strategic cooperation in supporting startups to protect and leverage intellectual property assets. Deputy Director Do Duc Nam provided training on IP recognition.
• Da Nang Science and Technology DepartmentcoreOthersCity government department providing policy support and oversight for startup ecosystem development. Deputy Director Le Thi Thuc attended FINC+ 2025 opening ceremony. Resolution 54/2024/NQ-HDND provides pre-incubation support framework.
• StartupBlinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal startup ecosystem mapping organization. DNES became one of two local partners in Vietnam, supporting Da Nang's representation on global startup maps.
• Zone Startups VietnamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVietnam-based startup acceleration organization. Part of DNES's partner ecosystem for startup support.
• Vietnam National University of SingaporeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution with student delegation visits to DNES for startup ecosystem sharing sessions.
• UNDPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Development Programme partner in startup ecosystem support.
• The Dariu FoundationminorOthersFoundation supporting Vietnam startup ecosystem through DNES partnership.
• Shark Tank VietnamminorOthersPopular startup investment TV show partnership for ecosystem visibility.
• Dong A UniversityminorOthersDa Nang-based university partner in startup ecosystem activities.
• Trung tam khoi nghiep doi moi sang tao thanh pho Da Nang (SHi)coreOthersDa Nang Startup Innovation Center - key local government partner in startup ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Topica Founder Institute: Vietnamese chapter of Founder Institute, a global pre-seed accelerator. Runs founder training and validation programs for early-stage startups in Vietnam—directly overlapping with DNES's training and pre-incubation services.
• iAccelerate (University of Wollongong): Australian university-affiliated startup accelerator and incubator offering cohort programs, mentoring, and global soft-landing. Active DNES partner providing reciprocal market access. Direct peer in mission and services despite Australian geography.
• VIISA (Vietnam Innovative Startup Accelerator): Ho Chi Minh City-based early-stage accelerator backed by major Vietnamese corporates (FPT, VNG, etc.). Runs cohort-based programs with mentorship and seed investment—comparable business model with the key difference of taking equity, contrasting DNES's no-equity approach.
• Saigon Innovation Hub (SIHUB): Ho Chi Minh City government-backed innovation hub providing incubation, training, and ecosystem support for startups. Directly comparable as a Vietnamese PPP-style incubator operating in a similar service mix (incubation + training + coworking + events).
• Zone Startups Vietnam: Vietnam-based startup accelerator affiliated with Zone Startups (Toronto). Runs cohort-based acceleration programs in Ho Chi Minh City targeting early-stage Vietnamese startups—directly comparable to DNES's FINC+ program in terms of services, target customers, and revenue model. Already listed as a DNES partner.

Broad incumbents

• Startupbootcamp: Global accelerator running industry-vertical programs with mentorship and seed investment. Comparable in cohort-based incubation methodology, though typically equity-based and operating in larger markets. Useful benchmark for international scaling options.
• Antler: Global early-stage VC and accelerator running cohort programs across multiple continents including Southeast Asia. Provides an international benchmark for DNES's program structure, mentor model, and equity-vs-no-equity positioning.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator operating in 100+ cities with a structured founder validation program. Comparable to DNES's FINC+ in methodology (3-month intensive validation, mentor-driven), but operates globally and through licensed chapters rather than as a single PPP.

Regional players

• Hatch Ventures (now DO Ventures): Early-stage venture fund and former incubator in Vietnam. Comparable in early-stage focus but operates more as a fund than a full-service incubator, providing a useful comparison point for DNES's incubation + investment arm (Flying Fish).

Emerging players

• TEKUP (Da Nang): Da Nang-based university-affiliated startup training and incubation program. Operates in the same local market as DNES with overlapping founder community, providing direct local competition for student and pre-incubation founders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/Finc.dnes
• Facebookfacebook.com/dnes.vn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dnes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Danang Business Incubator