This year has been an incredibly fortunate one for me as I have dedicated myself fully to the startup journey. It feels like a fresh start, and the experience has been nothing short of exhilarating. Along this startup path, one of the most serendipitous encounters I’ve had is with the amazing “Chin Chin” sisterhood. Thanks to this fortuitous connection, I’ve had the opportunity to engage in various programs that support female founders.

This time, as the Founder of Smartos – a space management platform, I am once again participating in the EMpower program. This 10-week program is specifically designed to support and nurture the growth of startups with female founders. It provides invaluable resources, enabling startups to gain the knowledge necessary for fundraising and facilitating connections with angel investors or investment funds to expedite product development. Whether or not our fundraising efforts will succeed remains to be seen, simply being part of this network and having access to new knowledge while learning from exceptionally talented individuals has already propelled both myself and my startup forward. It all comes down to embracing the spirit of “continuous learning” and pushing forward with determination!

About my “brainchild” – Smartos 

Smartos is an integrated digital transformation solution that helps real estate rental owners increase efficiency in managing, operating, and selling their services to their customers. 

Born from practical experience operating the multi-campus co-working space Enouvo Space, Smartos was conceptualized and developed based on the difficulties of operating a building traditionally with books and Excel and countless risky manual tasks.

Smartos’s 3 products offer property providers solutions with lower fees and higher customization capabilities to boost sales, reduce risks and expenses, and increase efficiency and customer satisfaction, including:

• Smartos PMS – Smart Property Management System
• Smartos Marketplace – A listing platform connecting Space Providers & Space Finders
• White Label Solutions – Operational PMS with Web and app solutions for Brand loyalty.

Up to now, Smartos has gained certain achievements and successfully assisted numerous real estate owners in effectively managing their properties.

For me, Smartos is more than just a product, it’s our collective brainchild. With the support of EMpower program, I hope my “brainchild” will have more chances to come closer to startups or SMEs in need, becoming a powerful arm providing comprehensive solutions to support the building management and operation process. 

About EMpower 2023 

EMpower 2023 is a program organized by Zone Startups Vietnam, with the collaboration of Zone Startups Vietnam, Swiss EP, Epic Angels, AWS, and Sunwah Innovation Center. 

EMpower 2023 offers a complete package of services customized specifically for tech-savvy female entrepreneurs. The program includes a 3-day BootCamp, a thorough 10-week training course, and various networking events. It aims to deliver invaluable mentorship, expert training sessions, timely and constructive feedback, and opportunities to connect with potential investors. 

Globally, the funding gap for female-founded startups is still present today. In Southeast Asia, only 1.2% of total venture capital (VC) funding went to female-only founding teams in 2022, according to DealStreetAsia. 

“We do have a mountain to climb. This is an industry-wide problem. I don’t think this is a problem only with the founders but also with the ecosystem. We need to have more support, and VCs need to change,” said An Do, Principal at Patamar Capital.

Over the past 2 years, EMpower has accelerated 31+ female startups through 100+ hours of hybrid training and networking and fostered a supportive community of 200+ women entrepreneurs, angel investors, VCs, and startup support organizations.

Once again, I want to express my gratitude to Zone Startups Vietnam and SWISS EP Vietnam for collaborating with other parties to create this meaningful program, giving me the opportunity to comfortably practice my pitching skills.