Eddie Thai
Co-Founder & General Partner, Ascend Vietnam Ventures
Eddie is a co-founder & general partner of Ascend Vietnam Ventures (AVV), an early-stage VC firm with a mission to help Vietnam’s exceptional teams in building iconic companies. He is particularly on the lookout for breakthrough approaches in fintech, edtech, and enterprise SaaS. In addition to activity in investment and portfolio support, Eddie oversees firm operations, investor relations, and ESG & impact.
Eddie also continues to steward the Vietnam-focused fund of 500 Global, the early-stage VC firm and ecosystem builder headquartered in Silicon Valley. As a co-founder & general partner of 500VN he led more than 30 investments, including seed round investments in Axie Infinity (a16z-backed NFT gaming unicorn), ApplyBoard (edtech unicorn), Trusting Social (Sequoia-backed fintech centaur), and Base.vn (enterprise SaaS; acquired).
Prior to 500 Global, he had experience in strategy and finance for companies & clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 corporations, primarily in the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors but also financial services, manufacturing, and energy. He received degrees from Harvard University and Yale University, previously served on the global Board of Directors of the Harvard Alumni Association, and currently serves on the global Yale Alumni Association Assembly. He also volunteers in advisory board roles with UNICEF Vietnam and the UNDP (business integrity project).
Statement of Interest/Vision
When first I moved here in my 20s my impression of AmCham was that it was an “old boys club”. But I was ultimately warmly welcomed and have been pleased to see AmCham become a more welcoming place. I am a 5+ year attendee, 3+ year member, and co-launcher of AmCham’s “Entrepreneurship and Innovation Initiative”. I now count AmCham members – men and women, old and young – among my closest friends in this big city.
I want to see AmCham be the go-to port of call for
…any American coming to Vietnam to work, and
…any non-American in Vietnam wanting to work or partner with American companies.
To me, that means continuing AmCham’s positive progress in diversifying its membership and its programming. For example:
1) Experimenting with how to bring younger people (i.e. 25-34 year olds) into the picture, such as a regular low-cost/free “Welcome to the City” happy hour for new arrivals.
2) Continuing my effort to elevate digital innovation to members’ attention
3) Supporting AmCham’s recent initiatives around individual personal development (personal branding, storytelling, etc) (members across companies, industries, and generations can benefit from and appreciate such opportunities)
