VinCSS appoints Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree to board

Hai Nguyen was one of the three Vietnamese startup CEOs recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in 2017. Photo courtesy of VinCSS

The new CFRO appointment is one of the strategic additions of VinCSS Cyber Security Services, a prominent subsidiary of Vingroup, marking a pivotal step for the company's future endeavors.

Before joining VinCSS, Hai Nguyen co-founded the Canavi project and brings over a decade of experience in the tech startup sector. His leadership has facilitated the creation of more than 4,000 jobs and attracted investments from firms such as ESP Capital, Hustle Fund, and NIK Capital.

He previously led a company funded by the former chairman of Oracle's Asia-Pacific operations and has been a board member for several other funded tech startups.

Committed to expansion

The appointment signals VinCSS move to underscore commitment to propelling the company forward with premium "Make in Vietnam" products and services that hold strong competitive advantages on the international stage.

In recent years, VinCSS has consistently marked its presence with a plethora of cybersecurity services and strong authentication solutions that meet international standards.

In a crowning moment at the end of 2022, VinCSS received the Enabling Technology Leadership Award in the SEA Passwordless Authentication Industry category from Frost & Sullivan under the Best Practice Recognition category.

In July 2023, VinCSS successfully onboarded Philip Hung Cao, an acclaimed expert from the APAC region who spent nearly a decade with the global security leader Palo Alto Networks. He now serves as deputy CEO, overseeing strategy, market development, business, and marketing.

Most recently, VinCSS collaborated with the FIDO Alliance and the Authority of Information Security of Vietnam to successfully host the FIDO APAC Summit 2023. Sponsored by the Ministry of Information and Communications, the event saw participation from hundreds of delegates across government sectors and global tech enterprises.

In the week of the event, VinCSS expanded its collaboration network, signing agreements with eight partners. This aligns with their comprehensive open strategy to drive market development, leveraging not just internal resources but also the strengths and experience of external partners and tapping into external capital sources to elevate their position.

According to Simon Trac Do, CEO and Founder of VinCSS, after nearly half a decade it is now on the cusp of reaching its financial equilibrium and is formally initiating its Series B funding round, targeting both regional and global market expansions.

"Leveraging our robust suite of services in passwordless authentication, identity management, and continuous development of the VinCSS Zero Trust platform, we are strategically positioned for success," Do said.

Besides that, he also mentioned that the addition of Hai Nguyen, with his vast fundraising expertise, further reinforces the executive team's capabilities at VinCSS, ensuring that they are optimally positioned to conclude a Series B round in 2024 and strategically navigate VinCSS's future growth.

"I am truly honored and proud to join the VinCSS Collective, a technology startup that's making commendable strides globally. It's exhilarating to be part of the challenge of navigating the regional market as a Vietnamese startup, starting with progressively attracting investments from international backers, not only into VinCSS but also benefiting the broader Vietnamese startup ecosystem," Nguyen said.

The capital raised in the Series B round will be invested in market expansion, bolstering R&D activities, and maintaining VinCSS's pioneering stance in the APAC region.

VinCSS Cyber Security Services JS, a subsidiary of Vingroup, specializes in the research, development, manufacturing, and delivery of cybersecurity services and innovative passwordless authentication solutions.

Established in 2018, VinCSS rapidly evolved into a successful startup, achieving significant milestones in various domains such as IT system cybersecurity, identity and access management, IoT security, and security solutions for smart automobiles.