Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam – Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison has expanded its SheHacks initiative internationally through a benchmarking programme in Vietnam aimed at supporting women-led technology startups from Indonesia and strengthening regional innovation links across Southeast Asia.
The initiative forms part of SheHacks, the company’s technology-driven programme focused on advancing women’s participation in the digital economy.
The programme brought five startups from the 2025 minimum viable product accelerator to Vietnam to explore market opportunities and develop connections within the regional startup ecosystem.
The participating companies operate across several priority digital sectors in Indonesia and include DoctorTool, which develops an AI-based healthcare ecosystem for patients, healthcare institutions and medical professionals, Hear Me, which provides technology-enabled communication tools designed to support the Deaf community, Serenic.ai, which focuses on clinical AI solutions that automate hospital administrative processes and assist with medical documentation, and Katalis AI, which provides digital marketing tools supported by AI and data analytics.
“This program is designed to create real opportunities for Indonesian women in the global digital economy, reflecting Indosat’s commitment to inclusive empowerment, where women play a vital role in nation-building,” Reski Damayanti, chief legal and regulatory officer of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, shared.
“We want women founders to forge strong connections with the global digital ecosystem, unlock funding opportunities, and transform their innovations into solutions that create meaningful impact for communities.”
During the programme, founders took part in a series of structured activities aimed at strengthening their readiness for regional expansion. These included meetings with investors, mentoring sessions with specialists in AI, business strategy, legal frameworks and community development, including with organisations involved in Vietnam’s startup ecosystem. The programme also focused on refining business strategies and strengthening the sustainability of the participating companies’ operating models.
Among the institutions involved were Vietnam’s Department of Science and Technology, the Startup and Innovation Hub, the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation Department, the Business Startup Support Centre and the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre. Their participation is expected to support market entry initiatives and facilitate regulatory and ecosystem access for Indonesian startups seeking to operate in Vietnam.
Through the initiative, Indosat aims to expand the reach of the SheHacks programme across the region while encouraging collaboration between innovation ecosystems in Southeast Asia.
The Vietnam engagement is intended to serve as a model for future cross-regional programmes designed to support women entrepreneurs and strengthen connections between technology startups, investors and public sector institutions across Asia.
