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Operator-led GTM · Vietnam & SEA

Expand to Vietnam.
Unlock Southeast Asia.

Your fast track to navigate, expand, and win in the region's fastest-growing markets — led by operators who have built and scaled here.

No fluff. No filler.

Book a discovery call Get the SEA Entry Playbook
Built by 15+ years operating across SEA

— 01Why Vietnam & SEA

The next decade of growth is being decided now.

$1TSEA digital economy
by 2030
670MPeople in SEA · half
under thirty
7%Vietnam GDP growth
fastest in SEA
$25BVietnam record FDI
in 2024
i.

The region

Southeast Asia is 670 million people, more than half under 30, with 70%+ smartphone penetration. The digital economy will pass $300B GMV in 2025 and reach $1 trillion by 2030 (Google, Temasek, Bain). It is one of the world's most digitally fluent consumer markets and the fastest pool of capital deployment in emerging markets today. The companies that build a credible SEA story now will own the next decade.

ii.

Why Vietnam is the foothold

Fastest-growing economy in SEA — 7% GDP growth and a record $25B FDI in 2024. The middle class will triple from 13M to 33M by 2030 (HSBC). E-commerce is on track to hit $63B by 2030. 60% under 35; 80% urban digital adoption. The window is roughly ten years.

iii.

The cost advantage

China+1 is real, and Vietnam is its number-one destination. Senior engineering and professional talent run 30–40% of Singapore. The companies moving here aren't experimental — NVIDIA ($200M AI factory with FPT), SAP (€150M HCMC R&D), Marvell (third-largest global R&D hub), Google (local entity, April 2025). Korean FDI grew 37.5% YoY to $7.06B.

Build your cost base in Vietnam. Capture revenue across SEA.

— 02Momentum from day one

Entry into Vietnam & SEA is a sequence of foundation moves. Get them right early.

01.

Hiring

The right Country Manager and senior team set the trajectory. A strong first hire compounds; a wrong one costs $1–2M before the signal is clear. Building a strong local team takes language fluency, real market knowledge, and the right sourcing channels. Global and remote payroll, FX, and contributions need to be handled correctly from day one — not retrofitted six months in.

02.

Distribution

A few key retail chains hold the keys to Vietnam's modern trade. ~70% of B2B SaaS in the SEA region sells through partners. Picking the right channel mix on entry — and pricing it correctly — unlocks revenue from month one.

03.

Regulatory & sector compliance

Compliance is a foundation move, not a post-launch patch. Vietnam's PDPD carries VND 5B fines, with ~90% of foreign tech firms still non-compliant. Indonesia's OJK runs 12–24 months. Built into the entry plan from week one, regulation stops being a ceiling and starts being a moat.

04.

Corporate, tax & banking setup

The right entity, treasury, and tax structure compounds over years. Vietnam requires a legal representative resident in-country. The Philippines caps foreign ownership at 40% in many sectors. Foreign Contractor Withholding Tax and 30–90 day SBV FX approvals are predictable when designed for, expensive when retrofitted.

05.

Pricing & product localization

Local payment methods are conversion-critical. UI language, currency display, and packaging tiers need to be designed for the market, not translated into it.

06.

Brand positioning & local narrative

Naming, messaging hierarchy, founder narrative, and proof points need to be re-anchored to local economic and cultural context.

Orchestrated well from day one, the foundation builds the momentum that carries everything else. That is the work we do alongside you.

See the full Playbook

— 03Success stories

Companies we've built, scaled, and exited — alongside their founders.

Schola

Consumer Tech

Độc Mộc Nature

D2C

Khang Hy Group

Retail

BrightChamps

Consumer Tech

Pancake

SaaS

Ngọc Dung Beauty

Consumer

Tokyo Life

Retail / D2C

eDoctor

Healthcare

— 04About us

Operators, not consultants.

Every engagement is led by us directly. We own the strategy, the founder relationship, and the senior decisions in market.

Nhu Tran

Nhu Tran

Managing Partner · Growth & Operations
BasedHo Chi Minh
City

15+ years scaling businesses across Vietnam and SEA. Co-founded Schola, exited to BrightChamps at a $15M valuation. SVP at BrightChamps ($650M valuation), leading regional growth and integration. Former Business Manager at Meta, $50M+ portfolio across consumer and digital brands in SEA. Distribution, marketing, sales, hiring, on-the-ground execution.

A trusted partner network.

A vetted bench of specialists in product, technology, legal, tax, accounting, payroll, banking, and compliance — the people we have personally worked with. Right specialist, right moment, no friction.

Aditya Gupta
Partner · Product & Technology

Aditya Gupta

COO and Partner at Pancake, SEA's leading SaaS platform for conversational commerce. Co-founded Schola; exit to BrightChamps. Former PM at Facebook.

Portrait
Partner · Legal
Portrait
Partner · Tax & Accounting
Portrait
Partner · Hiring & Payroll
Portrait
Partner · Banking

— 05How we work with you

A subscription to senior operators in market.

One core retainer. Specialist add-ons when the work calls for them. Nothing you don't need.

Core engagement

Embedded GTM Partner

Senior operators inside your team — strategy, decisions, and execution from day one. The full playbook, applied to your business.

Cadence3-month minimum · monthly retainer
What's included
  • i.GTM PlaybookLiving document and insights, updated quarterly.
  • ii.90-Day Launch Plan, customisedBespoke to your business. Go/no-go decisions, week-by-week operating plan.
  • iii.Vendor Shortlist with Pre-negotiated RatesLegal, tax, accounting, payroll, banking, compliance. Quoted before you start, not after.
  • iv.Hiring Scorecards for senior rolesCountry Manager, Head of Sales, Head of Product. Interview rubric, comp benchmark, sourcing channels.
  • v.Channel Partner MapPre-vetted distributors, resellers, marketplaces, by sector.
  • vi.Pricing & Localization FrameworkLocal payment methods, tier design, margin map, and channel cuts.
  • vii.Weekly Office Hours with youOpen Q&A, 60 min, recorded.
  • viii.Monthly 1:1 Strategy Review90 min, your time alone with the client's senior team.

— 06Add-ons

Specialist capability, on demand.

Stack any of these on top of the core retainer. Activated when the work calls for them — paused when it doesn't.

i.

Brand & Narrative Activation

  • Local market positioning and messaging framework.
  • Refined messaging hierarchy tailored to each market.
  • Customer-facing one-pagers and refreshed sales pitch materials.
ii.

Pricing & Localization Sprint

  • Local payment integration roadmap (MoMo, ZaloPay, QRIS, GCash, PayNow).
  • Pricing tier and packaging recommendations.
  • A/B testing plan with defined success metrics.
iii.

Channel & Partnership Activation

  • Warm introductions to key decision-makers.
  • Partnership term sheet templates and revenue-sharing models.
  • Onboarding and activation plan post-signing.
iv.

Talent Search

  • Search brief and ideal candidate profile definition.
  • Candidate sourcing across multiple channels.
  • Reference and background checks.
  • Compensation benchmarking against local market standards.
v.

Regional PR

PR strategy and execution to strengthen market presence and credibility.

vi.

Sales-as-a-Service

Outsourced sales development and lead generation support across target markets.

Book a discovery call orEmail the team

— 07Ready to look at SEA?

Let's pressure-test your market in 30 minutes.

A short call with Nhu. No pitch — a working conversation about whether SEA is the right next market, and what entry would actually look like for your business.

Book a discovery call Send us a note

Operators on the ground in Vietnam & Southeast Asia.

— 08Get in touch

Tell us about your market move.

Send us a note and we'll reply within one business day, from Ho Chi Minh City. Prefer a live call? Book 30 minutes with Nhu.