Draft:UpYouth

UpYouth is a student-led, nonprofit technopreneurial ecosystem providing best resources for Vietnamese entrepreneurs from 18 to 25 years old to found REAL tech startups. UpYouth vision is to become the most prestigious technopreneurial ecosystem for young entrepreneurs in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

History
Founded in late 2020 by Brian Minh Tran and Nam Doan, UpYouth initiated operations with concurrent programs in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Founding Stage
Brian Minh Tran, graduated from a US high school, returned to Vietnam and observed a gap in support systems for student startups. He saw that most activities focused on short-term competition wins rather than fostering sustainable ventures. Additionally, a lack of belief by VCs in student success rates hindered young entrepreneurs.

Brian, along with Nam Doan and eight other founding members, then established UpYouth. Their vision was to create a robust technopreneurial ecosystem specifically for Vietnamese youth. UpYouth aims to provide an optimal environment where promising young minds can cultivate and launch successful real-world startups.

Growth and Global Reach
After three years, UpYouth grows a network of over 100 UpYouthians (UpYouth members) spread across the world. Currently, the active membership comprises around 50 individuals residing and studying in various countries, including Vietnam, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Hungary, France, South Korea and more.

TechYouth Incubator
UpYouth's flagship program "TechYouth Incubator", is the first student-led incubator in Vietnam dedicated to nurturing young Vietnamese tech startups. The program has a successful track record, having run for two seasons in 2022 and 2023. Currently, it's undergoing its 2024 season.

The TechYouth Incubator offers a comprehensive support system for early-stage tech startups, equipping them with the resources they need to thrive include providing workspace, mentorship from experienced professionals, access to potential funding opportunities and networking opportunities.

Coffee Chat & Webinar
Coffee Chat x Webinar Series is UpYouth's project with a goal to dispel misconceptions about startups, inspire and nurture entrepreneurial ambitions for young Vietnamese talents. Specifically, Webinar Series introduces startup basics for the mass groups, while Coffee Chats cater to driven individuals eager to become successful founders.

HackYouth
HackYouth was a 72-hour startup hackathon organized by UpYouth, held in collaboration with HackMIT as a strategic partner. The program allowed aspiring founders to select and tackle real-world problem statements.

The project ran successfully in 2022 and 2023. However, as of 2024, UpYouth no longer organizes HackYouth.

Achievement & Recognition
Since 2020, UpYouth has been actively empowering 30,000+ students, nurturing 30+ startup founders and launching 40+ startups including Vucar, Drippy , Chợ Deli , Trà Đá Mentor , Finful , LeapEd. UpYouth has built a community with 3,500+ enthusiastic members and a network of 30+ prestigious partners, including Antler, Hubspot, Mixpanel, Airtable, Amazon Web Services, Zendesk, Singapore Management University, VinUniversity, Enactus.

UpYouth has also been featured on prestigious press including VnEconomy, VnExpress , Dân Trí , Thanh Niên , VTV4.