University Meetup NTTU – Understanding Investment Funds – Enhancing Fundraising Opportunities for Young Startups

Recently, Nguyen Tat Thanh University organized the University Meetup program themed “Understanding Investment Funds – Enhancing Fundraising Opportunities for Young Startups” for over 50 students and members of the university’s innovative startup projects. The program provided practical knowledge about investment funds, pitch deck design, financial model building, and investor persuasion skills.

Representing the Organizing Committee was MSc. Huynh Hong Mai – Deputy Director of the Center for Innovation and Startup Incubation at Nguyen Tat Thanh University. The program also featured teaching accompaniment from experienced experts in the fields of investment, corporate governance, project development, and startup fundraising.

Over 50 students and members of innovative startup projects attended the program

Understanding how investment funds perceive a startup project

Starting a business does not merely begin with a new idea. To turn an idea into a product capable of reaching the market, project teams need resources, financial strategies, and the ability to persuade stakeholders. Among these, properly understanding investment funds and the fundraising process is one of the key conditions helping startups become more proactive on their development journey.

Stemming from this reality, the program aims to equip students with foundational knowledge about the structure, evaluation criteria, operational methods, and perspectives of investment funds toward a startup project. Instead of approaching fundraising solely as an idea-pitching activity, learners are guided to perceive it as a process of proving value, growth potential, and the execution capability of the founding team.

Mr. Sang Nguyen – Co-founder of Viet Cardano Community presented the training content

In the first thematic session, Mr. Sang Nguyen – Co-founder of the Viet Cardano Community, presented on “Overview of Investment Funds and the Fundraising Ecosystem”. Through the operational mechanisms and activities of funds, the speaker helped students gain a clearer understanding of the factors investors care about when evaluating a project. The session’s content also helped clarify the relationship between startups and investors. Besides capital, an investment decision also involves strategic alignment, risk management capabilities, market potential, and the project’s prospects for sustainable development.

Mr. Le Xuan Vu (Steven Le) – Co-founder of AirCity, General Director of K-City presented the training topic

Continuing the program was the session on “Designing a Professional Pitch Deck and Fundraising Financial Model” by Mr. Le Xuan Vu (Steven Le) – Co-founder of AirCity and General Director of K-City, which brought learners closer to fundraising realities.

Drawing from his direct experience in pitching and successfully closing two fundraising rounds, Mr. Le Xuan Vu shared how startups can build their project narrative, select core information, and present necessary contents in a fundraising profile. Real-world scenarios and official information sources introduced during the program provided students with additional grounds to benchmark, analyze, and finalize their project pitch decks.

An effective pitch deck is not merely a well-designed presentation file. This document must clearly demonstrate the market problem, solution, target customers, business model, competitive advantage, development plan, and capital utilization needs. The selected data must be verifiable while aligning with the financial model and growth orientation of the startup.

Through this session, students were guided to build professional financial thinking, learning how to connect the core values of the project with the needs of investors. This serves as a foundation for startup teams to gradually narrow the gap between ideas and implementation resources.

MSc. Nguyen Le Kha – Director of Sigma Investment Trading Joint Stock Company presented the training topic

In the third session, MSc. Nguyen Le Kha – Director of Sigma Investment Trading Joint Stock Company and Chairman of the SIHUB IPO Club, shared insights on “Practical Pitching Skills and Preliminary Negotiation”. In addition to introducing the operations of angel investor networks, the speaker analyzed legal risks that may arise during the process of connecting, negotiating, and receiving investment capital. This content helped students realize that fundraising is not only about seeking funds but also requires caution regarding agreements, rights, obligations, and responsibilities among parties.

From practical scenarios, MSc. Nguyen Le Kha also shared methods for grasping the psychology of listeners and customers, choosing appropriate communication approaches, handling feedback, and enhancing persuasiveness when presenting projects. The speaker particularly emphasized the spirit of learning, self-improvement capacity, and serious preparation of students before embarking on their business-building journey.

These knowledge areas are not only useful for teams preparing to raise capital. Presentation skills, critical thinking, negotiation, and legal awareness are also essential preparation for students to adapt to a volatile career and business environment.

Expanding connection spaces for NTTU students

Through three interrelated thematic sessions, the program established a knowledge roadmap ranging from understanding investment funds and preparing fundraising profiles to presenting and negotiating with investors. Students not only received knowledge but also had the opportunity to directly exchange views with experts, entrepreneurs, and mentors operating within the startup ecosystem.

Furthermore, the program demonstrated that startup training at Nguyen Tat Thanh University is implemented with a direction closely linking knowledge to practical experience. Students are encouraged to develop ideas while being equipped with financial thinking, communication skills, legal awareness, and risk management capacity before bringing projects to the market.

The University Meetup “Understanding Investment Funds – Enhancing Fundraising Opportunities for Young Startups” continues to affirm the role of Nguyen Tat Thanh University in fostering a learning environment associated with innovation. The program contributes to connecting students with experts and investment networks, thereby supporting projects within the University in enhancing their capacity, refining their models, and gradually accessing necessary resources for development.

News: Dai Hai

Photos: Media Team