
Building Cross-Border Bridges: Lessons from Berlin for Vietnam’s Innovation Leap
Friday, August 15th, 2025
BLOCK71 Saigon — Ho Chi Minh City
72 Nguyễn Cơ Thạch, An Lợi Đông, Thủ Đức, 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Vietnam’s startup engine is running fast — but global scale takes more than speed.
It takes systems. Governance. Financial discipline. And the right partners.
This special forum brings together founders, VCs, operators, and ecosystem leaders from Vietnam and Berlin to explore how AI, talent, and capital can move more intelligently across borders.
Vietnam doesn’t need to follow someone else’s playbook — it can write its own.
VanguardConnect is where that begins.
Why VanguardConnect
Most startup events celebrate exposure. We’re here for execution.
VanguardConnect is for founders ready to shift:
From messy cap tables to investable structures
From local hustle to international discipline
From pitching to planning — with global capital in mind
Backed by strategic partners like AsiaBerlin, we connect Vietnam’s most promising startups with global systems, investors, and scale-stage expertise.
Host & Moderator
Mike Nguyen brings over 25 years of expertise in semiconductors, spanning silicon intellectual property, advanced packaging solutions, and end-to-end product development. He has a proven track record in building and leading engineering teams, driving go-to-market strategies, and delivering growth across technology, manufacturing, and innovation sectors.
Mike currently serves as a Senior Principal Technical Consultant at the World Bank, where he advises on Vietnam’s semiconductor ecosystem. His strategic insights on advanced packaging and integrated circuit (IC) design have helped shape national semiconductor priorities and guide the scale-up of key industries.
Previously, Mike was Sr. Director of Strategy and Operations at Intel Vietnam, managing daily operations for its Assembly Test Manufacturing site and spearheading the site’s strategic growth. He partnered with the Vietnamese government to define a national semiconductor strategy, attract foreign investment, and strengthen local ecosystem capabilities. His career also includes leadership roles at GlobalFoundries, Micron, and Intel Corporation, where he contributed to product innovation and global market expansion.
Mike is passionate about bridging global semiconductor expertise with Vietnam’s emerging technology landscape, empowering the next generation of local talent and driving the country’s role in the global tech supply chain.
Mike Nguyen — Senior Principal Technical Consultant, World Bank
Partner
Marten Rauschenberg — Managing Director, AsiaBerlin
Marten Rauschenberg is the Managing Director of AsiaBerlin Forum, where he champions cross-border collaboration between Berlin and Asia’s leading innovation hubs. With over a decade of experience in international diplomacy, entrepreneurship, and public-private partnerships, Marten has played a key role in shaping Berlin’s global tech engagement strategy.
At AsiaBerlin, he leads strategic initiatives to connect startups, investors, and policymakers across Asia and Germany, fostering inclusive innovation and sustainable economic growth. His work has helped position Berlin as a gateway for Asian entrepreneurs entering Europe, while amplifying opportunities for German startups to scale in dynamic Asian markets.
Marten’s career spans roles at the German Foreign Office, where he focused on international development and economic diplomacy, and various advisory roles supporting impact-driven ventures. His expertise lies in ecosystem building, stakeholder engagement, and driving long-term innovation diplomacy.
Passionate about global collaboration, Marten believes in the power of networks to tackle shared challenges and accelerate tech-enabled progress across borders.
AGENDA
2:00 — 2:30 PM
ARRIVAL & NETWORKING, CHECK-IN
2:30PM
OPENING REMARKS
Establishing VanguardConnect’s mission to elevate operational excellence and reshape the future of Vietnam’s startup ecosystem.
WELCOME REMARKS
Cuong Dang, Founder & Chair, Vietnam Vanguard
2:10PM — 2:30PM
HOST INTRODUCTION: Block71
Edward Lim, Country Manager of Block71
PARTNER INTRODUCTION & REMARKS: AsiaBerlin
Marten Rauschenberg, Managing Director of AsianBerlin
Building Cross-Border Bridges: Lessons from Berlin for Vietnam’s Innovation Leap
2:30PM — 2:45PM
MOU SIGNING
Signing ceremony, inking the partnership between Vietnam Vanguard x AsiaBerlin
3:00PM — 3:45PM
FEATURED VIETNAMESE START-UPS:
Theme: AI Adoption | Growth Insights | Expansion Strategies | Challenges & Solutions
Nathan Do | Founder & CEO | bTaskee
Thinh Pham | Co-founder & CMO | Acie
Thien D. Nguyen | Founder & CEO | Triple AI
3:45PM — 4:00PM
Q&A SESSION
4:00PM — 5:00PM
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION
Scaling Smarter with AI: Bridging Vietnam and Berlin for Innovation, Capital, and Cross-Border Growth
moderated by Mike Nguyen
Marten Rauschenberg— Managing Director, AsiaBerlin
5:00PM — 6:00PM
NETWORKING
Hosted gathering with all attendees, speakers, Vanguard members, and regional guests. Opportunity for informal peer learning and cross-border introductions
Speakers
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Marten Rauschenberg
Managing Director — AsiaBerlin Forum
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Nathan Do
Founder & CEO — bTaskee
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Thinh Pham
Co-founder & CMO — Acie
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Thien D. Nguyen
Founder & CEO — Triple AI
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Mike Nguyen (moderator, host)
Senior Technical Consultant — World Bank
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Cuong Dang (host)
Founder, Chairman — Vietnam Vanguard