Indosat has expanded its SheHacks women’s empowerment programme to Vietnam, marking the initiative’s first run in the country and signalling a push to build cross-border startup links in South-East Asia.
The trip centred on a Global Market Benchmarking programme in Ho Chi Minh City, introducing a group of Indonesian women-led startups to Vietnam’s investor and innovation ecosystem. It combined business matching, mentoring, and meetings with public-sector bodies involved in innovation and startup support.
Five startups from SheHacks’ 2025 MVP Accelerator took part, spanning healthcare, accessibility, marketing technology, and language learning products that use artificial intelligence and data tools.
DoctorTool presented an AI-based digital ecosystem for patients, healthcare facilities, and medical professionals. Hear Me showcased a technology-based communication product for the Deaf community. Serenic.ai highlighted a clinical AI product for hospital administration, including claims optimisation and medical-record documentation based on doctor-patient conversations.
Katalis AI introduced a digital marketing product combining AI and data analytics. Lunar Interactive showcased a gamified system for building foreign-language speaking skills.
Market exposure
The Vietnam programme combined commercial and policy engagement. Participating founders joined a structured set of activities focused on investment conversations, partnership discussions, and exchanges with local practitioners.
The schedule included 51 business-matching sessions and mentoring with experts in AI, business strategy, legal, economics, and community building. It also included discussions with government innovation institutions, investors, and ecosystem organisations.
SheHacks also built connections across Vietnam’s ecosystem, including six investors, six government agencies, and nine potential partners. Indosat presented these relationships as a platform for ongoing collaboration between Indonesian founders and Vietnamese institutions.
Reski Damayanti, Chief Legal & Regulatory Officer at Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, described the trip as part of the company’s broader approach to inclusion and international market access for women founders.
“This program is designed to create real opportunities for Indonesian women in the global digital economy, reflecting Indosat’s commitment to inclusive empowerment, where women play a vital role in nation-building. Through cross-border collaboration, stronger institutional networks, and investor access, SheHacks is extending its reach from Indonesia to Southeast Asia. We want women founders to forge strong connections with the global digital ecosystem, unlock funding opportunities, and transform their innovations into solutions that create meaningful impact for communities.”
Institutional ties
Indosat highlighted engagement with local institutions involved in science, technology, and startup development, including the Department of Science & Technology, the Startup & Innovation Hub, the HCMC Innovation Department, the Business Startup Support Centre, and the Investment & Trade Promotion Centre.
Indosat said the involvement of these organisations points to potential soft-landing and market-access support for Indonesian startups seeking to operate in Vietnam. Soft-landing programmes typically include introductions to local networks, guidance on regulatory requirements, and assistance with early operational setup.
Mentoring and market briefings were another element, with a focus on Vietnam’s regulatory landscape and practical considerations for expansion. The programme also covered business-model work for a regional market context, with sessions on commercial positioning and growth planning.
Sessions with Do Ventures and DMZ Ventures gave founders opportunities to present their products, meet investors, and build connections in Vietnam.
Regional playbook
Indosat positioned the Vietnam programme as a template for future SheHacks activity outside Indonesia, linking it to a broader ambition to strengthen regional startup collaboration and increase investor visibility for women-led technology companies.
The emphasis on AI reflected the mix of participating startups, from healthcare administration tools and marketing analytics to accessibility technology and language-learning software. Indosat said the trip aimed to test cross-border market fit and build relationships that could lead to partnerships and investment discussions.
Indosat plans to use the Vietnam programme as a model as it considers expanding SheHacks to other Asian markets.