Accelerator

Topica Founder Institute

Ho Chi Minh City / Hanoi, Vietnam

The Vietnamese chapter of the global Founder Institute pre-seed accelerator network.

Location:
Ho Chi Minh City / Hanoi, Vietnam
Duration:
9 weeks

What you need to qualify

  • Technology and technology-enabled businesses that can scale through technology.
  • Companies less than two years old with under $500,000 in annual revenue.
  • Open to founders across the whole pre-seed stage: aspiring founders still in a full-time job, solo founders, teams, and founders of established companies that are pre-funding.
  • Not for companies that already have substantial funding, traction or revenue, for service businesses, or for founders looking for a quick exit.
  • Each co-founder applies separately and names the same company on their application.
  • The Vietnam chapter runs "100% online, with in-person networking opportunities."

Eligibility

Eligible stages
All stages
Countries
Global, subject to the provider’s eligibility and approval

How to apply

  1. 1

    Create a Founder Institute account on the chapter page

    Start at https://fi.co/vietnam. The form asks for first name, last name, email and a password, or you can sign in with Google or LinkedIn, then pick the option under "Which of the following best describes you?" that matches your stage.

  2. 2

    Complete the written application for this chapter

    Apply to the "Vietnam Autumn 2026" cohort, naming your company. Each co-founder submits their own application listing the same company name.

  3. 3

    Take the Entrepreneur DNA Assessment

    A required assessment that takes about 30 minutes and is completed after the written application. fi.co/admissions lists it first in the review criteria, ahead of the written application, professional background and input from local leaders.

  4. 4

    Wait for human review by the admissions team

    Applications are reviewed by people, not only by score, with input from the chapter directors. Admissions are rolling within a cohort, so fi.co/admissions notes that applying earlier improves your chances.

  5. 5

    Pay the entrance fee to enroll

    The Vietnam chapter page shows an early entrance fee of $399, rising to $599. The fee is 75 percent refundable before the third session, and teams pay a multiple of it (1.5x for 2 to 3 founders, 2x for 4 to 5). Apply or check status at https://fi.co/apply/vietnam.

Frequently asked

No. The Founder Institute now runs the Vietnam chapter under its own name at fi.co/vietnam, with GiangTrinh Minh listed as Country Director, Founder Institute Vietnam. The Topica-branded site tfi.topica.asia no longer resolves in DNS. Topica Founder Institute was the Founder Institute chapter for Vietnam, so this catalog entry points at the live Vietnam chapter.

fi.co/enrolling lists "Vietnam Autumn 2026" with an Application Deadline of Oct 07, 2026, which is also the first day of the programme. The chapter page publishes an earlier discount cut-off, "Early Deadline Sep 1, 2026", after which the entrance fee rises from $399 to $599.

The chapter page shows Program Dates "Oct 07, 2026 Dec 10, 2026", about nine weeks, and states the programme "will be run 100% online, with in-person networking opportunities."

Create a Founder Institute account at fi.co/vietnam or fi.co/apply/vietnam, complete the written application for the Vietnam Autumn 2026 cohort, then take the Entrepreneur DNA Assessment, which takes about 30 minutes. A human admissions team then reviews it with input from the Vietnam directors.

Each chapter charges its own entrance fee, which is 75 percent refundable before the third session; payment plans run through Partial.ly with a 5 percent service fee, teams of 2 to 3 pay 1.5x the fee and teams of 4 to 5 pay 2x. The Founder Institute does not invest cash: fi.co/faq states "The Founder Institute does not invest directly in alumni companies." About two thirds of the way through the program, companies pledge 2.5 percent of their future equity as a Warrant to the Equity Collective. fi.co/equity states "As of 2022, the Equity Collective for all FI programs is 2.5%. The Equity Collective was previously 4%, but we reduced the percentage in 2022 based on customer and market feedback." The Warrant only becomes exercisable on a Qualified Equity Financing of $100,000 or more from outside investors, so FI is not a shareholder until then.

The core program runs about four months, and each chapter publishes its own start and end dates. fi.co/faq states that roughly 30 percent of applicants are admitted and that fewer than 30 percent of accepted founders generally make it through the program.
General

Related programs

Applications close 7 October 2026.Open now

Do I qualify?

4 things decide this one. Check yourself against them before you spend time on the form.

Stage
Idea, Pre-seed
Where it runs
Vietnam. In person, so you need to be able to take part there
What you give up
2.5% equity
Deadline
7 Oct 2026

That is the rulebook. What we cannot show you here is whether your startup clears it, how this ranks against the other programs you qualify for, and what to fix if you do not.

Check what I qualify for

Five questions, about a minute, no account needed.

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