The Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) in coordination with the Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), with support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) organized the event.
The forum attracted nearly 200 investors, financial funds and businesses from both Vietnam and abroad.
During the forum, participants focused on seeking financial solutions to connect Vietnamese enterprises with global impact investment flows, promoting economic growth aligned with sustainable development goals.
Expanding new capital channels for businesses
The forum is part of the “Impact Investment Readiness in Vietnam” (IIRV) project funded by Canada and implemented since 2022. So far, the project has mobilized about US$12.5 million in impact investment for Vietnam and supported capacity-building for nearly 250 social impact enterprises.
In his remarks at the forum, Mr. Nguyen Loc Ha, Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, stated that the city continues to serve as the country’s largest economic hub and a dynamic destination for investment attraction, business development and innovation promotion. In its development process, the city places strong emphasis on improving the quality of investment flows, encouraging sustainable business models and fostering innovation.
Alongside traditional funding sources, new financial models such as impact investment are opening up additional opportunities for businesses. This form of investment not only targets financial returns but also generates positive social and environmental impacts, aligning with trends toward green growth, the circular economy and inclusive development.
Ho Chi Minh City is currently accelerating the development of sectors such as the green economy, clean energy, high technology, innovation and digital transformation. The city is also focusing on strengthening its startup and innovation ecosystem while studying appropriate policy mechanisms to create favorable conditions for new business models to grow.
Channeling global capital toward sustainable goals
Sharing the same view, Mr. Jim Nickel, Ambassador of Canada to Vietnam, emphasized Canada’s commitment to cooperating with Vietnam in building an inclusive and sustainable economy.
At the global level, the world currently needs around US$4 trillion to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, strong financial infrastructure is required to channel private capital to the sectors that need it most. Vietnam has many advantages in attracting such capital, as it has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and is developing a dynamic community of impact enterprises, said Mr. Robert Kraybill, Chief Investment Officer of Impact Investment Exchange.
At the forum, investment funds and financial institutions such as FinDev Canada, Beacon Fund, Clime Capital and Sweef Capital also shared insights on assessing market opportunities, identifying bottlenecks in capital flows, and outlining the conditions that Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises need to meet to access impact investment in the coming years.
Expanding impact investment channels can help businesses access new capital and promote sustainable models that address social and environmental challenges, while supporting Vietnam’s green growth and deeper integration into global investment flows.
