WISE Vietnam (Women’s Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship)

What WISE Vietnam (Women’s Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship) does

WISE Vietnam (Women's Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship) is a Hanoi-based nonprofit social enterprise founded in 2017 by CEO Bà Từ Thu Hiền to support women entrepreneurs across Vietnam. The organization operates a portfolio of free programs targeting women founders, co-founders, and owners of small and medium enterprises, including a 6-month incubation and acceleration program, a mentorship matching service, capacity-building training in finance, marketing, operations, and leadership, and the #SheExports Accelerator for women-owned SMEs targeting European Union markets. Program reach spans a community of 35,000+ women entrepreneurs and over 1 million women trained, with 128 businesses graduated from accelerator/incubation programs and supported startups collectively raising more than $10 million in early-stage capital.

The organization's product surface includes the HerVenture mobile app (launched 2018 with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women), providing free business education in Vietnamese on iOS and Android; WISE Academy (Học viện WISE), the dedicated training division established in 2022; a B2B e-commerce platform connecting women-owned businesses with international buyers; and the WEAVE project integrating app-based learning with international mentorship. WISE also published an Export Handbook for Agricultural Products to European Market in December 2022 as part of the #SheExports initiative. The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary and partnership-dependent, with HerVenture developed jointly with the Cherie Blair Foundation.

WISE's business model is grant-funded and nonprofit: programs are offered at no cost to participants, and operations are sustained by grants from international organizations, governments, and corporations, including the Australian Government's Investing in Women program, the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Vietnam, Meta, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), and the World University Service of Canada (WUSC). Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization employs 8 staff and distributes services directly to participants, through partner organization referrals, and via the HerVenture mobile application and WISE Academy online platform.

Name

WISE Vietnam (Women’s Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship)

Legal name

Women's Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship (WISE)

Website

https://wisevietnam.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WISE Vietnam is a Hanoi-based nonprofit founded in 2017 that supports women entrepreneurs in Vietnam through a 6-month accelerator, mentorship matching, capacity-building training, and the #SheExports export program, funded by grants from international organizations and governments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAEAL

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship support
• Startup acceleration programs
• Business mentorship services
• Capacity building training
• Women-led SME support

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanoi

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Program Support: WISE operates as a nonprofit social enterprise that relies on grant funding and program support from international organizations, governments, and corporations to sustain operations and deliver programs to women entrepreneurs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WISE Vietnam is a nonprofit social enterprise that runs a multi-program support ecosystem for women entrepreneurs in Vietnam, including a 6-month business accelerator (WISE Launch), one-on-one mentorship, capacity-building training, financial connections to investors, the HerVenture mobile learning app, and export/B2B e-commerce programs. All programs are offered free of charge and are delivered in Vietnamese and English to individual women entrepreneurs as well as women-owned SMEs.

Product overview

WISE Vietnam operates as a non-profit social enterprise focused on supporting women entrepreneurs in Vietnam through a multi-faceted approach. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including the 6-month Incubation and Acceleration Program, Mentoring Program with experienced business advisors, and the #SheExports Accelerator for export market expansion. Key digital offerings include the free HerVenture mobile app (available since 2018) providing business learning in Vietnamese, and a B2B e-commerce platform for connecting women-owned businesses with international buyers. The WEAVE project, implemented in partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, combines app-based learning with mentorship. WISE Academy serves as the training division delivering capacity building programs across Vietnam. Together, these offerings form an integrated ecosystem supporting women from business idea development through acceleration, mentorship, and market access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WISE Launch (6-Month Accelerator Program) A six-month accelerator program that takes women entrepreneurs and women-led SMEs from idea stage through to scaling, providing structured curriculum, mentorship, investor matching, and ongoing support. Targeted at aspiring and early-stage women founders in Vietnam.
• One-on-One Business Mentorship Program Personalized mentoring that connects women entrepreneurs with experienced business mentors to address specific business challenges and growth opportunities. Targeted at women entrepreneurs and women-owned SMEs participating in WISE programs.
• HerVenture Mobile App A mobile learning application co-developed with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women that delivers business and entrepreneurship training content to women entrepreneurs. Available on iOS and Android in Vietnamese and English. Targeted at women entrepreneurs, including those in rural and underserved areas.
• WISE Academy (Capacity-Building Training) Training programs covering business management, marketing, accounting, and other foundational entrepreneurship skills, delivered through in-person sessions and webinars. Targeted at women entrepreneurs seeking foundational business skills.
• #SheExports Accelerator Program A specialized accelerator program designed to help women-led SMEs access export markets and cross-border e-commerce opportunities. Targeted at women-owned SMEs in Vietnam seeking to internationalize.
• WEAVE Project (Women-led Enterprise Acceleration in Vietnam) A project focused on advancing women-led enterprises in Vietnam, including support for women in the textile and garment sector and other industries. Targeted at women entrepreneurs and women-led SMEs across Vietnam.
• B2B E-commerce Platform An e-commerce platform that supports women-led SMEs in accessing domestic and international B2B markets. Targeted at women-owned SMEs in Vietnam seeking market access beyond direct-to-consumer channels.
• WISE Investor Connections Service A service that connects women entrepreneurs and women-led SMEs with potential investors, financial institutions, and capital sources to support business growth. Targeted at women entrepreneurs and SMEs seeking growth capital.

Named customers5 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Cherie Blair Foundation for WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor international partner for the WEAVE project and HerVenture mobile app. WISE collaborates with CBF on capacity building programs, mentorship, and the International Mentor Connection program. HerVenture app developed in partnership with CBF provides free business education to women entrepreneurs.
• WUSC (World University Service of Canada)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting the #SheExports program and initiatives for women entrepreneurs in Vietnam.
• Spring ActivatorsupportingTechnology or IntegrationInternational partner providing export expertise and services within the #SheExports program network.
• Sales in MotionsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartner providing sales expertise and services in the #SheExports program international partner network.
• AB ConsultsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner in the #SheExports program providing advisory services to women-owned businesses.
• PUMsupportingTechnology or IntegrationExpert network partner supporting the #SheExports program with specialized knowledge.
• Innovation HubsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartner in the #SheExports program network providing innovation expertise.
• Impact HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact Hub co-organizes the Cartier Women's Initiative launch events in Vietnam, supporting international startup program for women entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Village Capital: Global nonprofit supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs through accelerator programs and investor networks. Provides comparable incubation and venture-development services to WISE's accelerator track.
• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: Global nonprofit supporting women entrepreneurs in Africa and Asia, including direct partnership with WISE through the WEAVE/HerVenture programs. Operates the HerVenture app that WISE distributes in Vietnam.
• Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE): Membership network supporting SMEs in emerging markets, with active chapters in Southeast Asia. Operates similar capacity-building and ecosystem coordination functions for small-business support organizations.
• Spring Activator: Impact-focused accelerator supporting entrepreneurs building sustainable businesses. Listed as a WISE international partner in the #SheExports program and operates a comparable accelerator model targeting women and impact founders.

Broad incumbents

• TechnoServe: Global nonprofit operating in Vietnam providing business development services to entrepreneurs in agriculture and emerging industries. Comparable in targeting women-led SMEs and using market-based approaches to poverty alleviation.
• Investing in Women (Australian Government): Australian Government initiative promoting gender equality and women's economic empowerment across Southeast Asia. Functions as a major funder of WISE and operates a portfolio of comparable women entrepreneurship programs in Vietnam and the region.
• Mercy Corps Ventures: Global humanitarian organization with entrepreneurship programs in Vietnam. Provides business capacity building and financial access for underserved entrepreneurs, with comparable women-empowerment themes.
• SheTrades (International Trade Centre): UN-affiliated initiative connecting women entrepreneurs to international markets. Overlaps with WISE's #SheExports program targeting women-owned businesses in export development.

Others

• 2X Global: Industry body mobilizing capital for women entrepreneurs and SMEs. Adjacent to WISE's mission of unlocking capital access for women-owned businesses in Vietnam through its financial connection program.

Regional players

• Impact Hub Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnam-based coworking and incubator network supporting impact entrepreneurs. Co-organizes Cartier Women's Initiative events with WISE and offers comparable accelerator and community programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wise-vietnam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 WISE Vietnam (Women’s Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship)