Gma live tv stream

GoStream will use the new tremendous funding to expand operations

GoStream was founded in 2017 by three seasoned engineers with track records in digital enablement. GoStream is an easy-to-use platform for any type of user, even for those with little or no technical knowledge. It enables users to reach a larger audience from different platforms to increase visibility and get more views. Currently, the company is serving multiple corporate clients and facilitating over 100,000 livestreaming sessions daily.

GoStream is dedicated to providing an interactive experience that encourages viewer participation in live videos. This increases viewer engagement and contributes to the building of a larger and more loyal community that follows a user’s content.

Marketwise, social networks are recognised as the next most common channel for online shopping in Vietnam, just behind e-commerce sites. According to PwC Social Surveys, Vietnam ranked seventh in the world in the number of Facebook users (68 million) which accounted for 68.7 per cent of the country’s entire population. In 2020, Vietnam’s “digital economy” reached $14 billion and is expected to grow to $52 billion in 2025, according to a recent report by Google, Bain & Company, and Temasek.

Trung D. Hoang, partner at VinaCapital Ventures, commented, “We are excited to invest in GoStream, which has been leading the way in integrating livestreaming across a number of sectors. Their innovative streaming technology is helping more businesses reach more viewers and customers, and we look forward to working with them as they further expand their capabilities and play an even greater role in Vietnam’s growing digitalisation.”

In November 2020, GoStudio – a product of GoStream Technology JSC – won first prize at Vietnam Techfest 2020. The contest’s organising committee recognised the product’s ease-of-use and adaptability to a range of online channels, including social commerce (livestream commerce), online training (e-learning), online entertainment (live gameshows). This became especially important as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. GoStudio does not require software downloading or installation and it is stable and compatible with popular web browsers, enabling more users to apply livestreaming across various sectors.

Vietnam tops the list of destinations for venture investors for the next 12 months.

Live video streaming startup GoStream secures 7-digit funding

GoStream, a fast-growing Vietnamese startup that provides multi-platform livestream broadcaster for social sellers, marketers, and content creators, has announced that it has secured a 7-digit USD funding from VinaCapital Ventures.

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Startups expand with fresh funding and portfolios

In February, ELSA, a smartphone app that helps non-native English speakers develop grammar and speech skills, wrapped up a $15 million investment in financing rounds co-led by Vietnam Investments Group and SIG. Existing investors including Google’s Gradient Ventures, SOSV, and Monk’s Hill Ventures’ AI-focused venture fund joined the company’s Series B funding phase.

ELSA, which stands for English Language Speech Assistant, was co-founded in 2015 by Vietnamese entrepreneur Vu Van and engineer Xavier Anguera and focuses on the three markets of Vietnam, India, and Japan. With the fresh fund, the startup plans to penetrate Latin American countries as well as accelerate expansion across Asia this year.

Another million-dollar deal was secured by e-wallet MoMo in January, bagging over $100 million in its series D financing from leading global investors. The fund will be used to establish a new super-app platform, enhance MoMo’s ecosystem which serves millions of Vietnamese end users, and launch MoMo Innovation Ventures – an initiative to invest in Vietnamese companies with potential to be integrated into MoMo’s ecosystem for the benefits of access to a broader market and user base.

Also in January, live streaming platform GoStream announced that VinaCapital Ventures had invested $1 million into the company. Founded in 2017, GoStream is an easy-to-use platform that enables users to reach a larger audience from different platforms to increase visibility and get more views. Currently, the company is serving multiple corporate clients and facilitating over 100,000 live-streaming sessions daily.

Trung D. Hoang, partner at VinaCapital Ventures commented, “We are excited to invest in GoStream, which has been leading the way in integrating live-streaming across a number of sectors. Their innovative streaming technology is helping more businesses reach more viewers and customers, and we look forward to working with them as they further expand their capabilities and play an even greater role in Vietnam’s growing digitalisation.”

Meanwhile, startup e-wallet firm Gpay, a member of G-Group Technology Corporation, completed its Series A investment with the participation of KB Fina, which is a joint venture between G-Group and South Korean KB Financial Group. KB Financial Group invested VND425 billion ($18.4 million) in Gpay through KB Securities, its representative in Vietnam.

Elsewhere, other startups including Vietnam-based proptech startup Rever is reported to be raising $8-10 million in the new funding round. Meanwhile, South Korea’s STIC Ventures-backed hotel booking platform Go2Joy Vietnam has raised $2.3 million in a Series A+ funding round led by HB Investments, as reported by newswire Dealstreet Asia.

Vietnamese startups such as VNPay, Tiki, Yeah1, and others began to rise in popularity in 2019, raising $1 billion that year. Investors have since returned to Vietnam in the second quarter of 2020 thanks to the recovery of the economy and positive GDP growth in the country.

Le Hoang Uyen Vy, CEO of Do Ventures, said this year’s investment prospects should be bright for Vietnamese startups, especially in healthcare and fintech.

She noted that Vietnamese startups mainly raise venture investment capital from South Korean, Japanese, and Singaporean funds, and there is a high potential to attract investment from American venture capital funds.

“Hopefully, after the pandemic, Vietnamese startups will secure more deals from global funds, and Do Ventures is committed to supporting Vietnamese startups during this challenging time,” Vy added.

In another case, domestic AI startup Palexy picked up $1 million in funding in December to help offline stores achieve e-commerce-like success through real-time consumer data. The round, co-led by Do Ventures and Access Ventures, will fuel Palexy’s expansion across Asia and the Middle East this year.

500 Startups, the most active venture capital investor in Vietnam, made 15 new investments in 2020, increasing its portfolio to more than 70 companies. 500 Startups aims to reach its target of 80 companies invested in cumulatively in 2021.

“In the past five years, the tech entrepreneurial ecosystem has evolved even faster than we could have even imagined. And yet there’s still a lot of room to run and grow,” said Eddie Thai, general partner at 500 Startups. He cited a survey conducted in late 2020 about priority markets for venture capitalists in Southeast Asia. For the first time, Vietnam was ranked top, ahead of Indonesia.

Reporter: Vietnam took advantage of all opportunities when it assumed the ASEAN Chair in 2010 and the host country of APEC in 2017 to promote its beautiful image to international friends. However, how did the Covid-19 pandemic make it difficult for Vietnam to achieve its goal during its ASEAN Chairmanship Year in 2020?

Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang: Before taking over the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020, we had built a plan to disseminate information in 2020, expecting this would be an opportunity to promote beautiful images of the country, people and potentials of Vietnam. All of the preparations were completed, but the coronavirus spread throughout the entire world as a highly contagious pandemic. Facing such a situation, at the end of March 2020, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc officially informed leaders and heads of ASEAN members of the need to change the schedule of the 36th ASEAN Summit and the format of the meetings.

Following the Prime Minister’s decision, we needed to change the contents and methods of external information dissemination into taking full advantage of local resources. For Vietnamese media and press agencies, foreign language channels needed to be promoted. For foreign press agencies, it became important to pay attention to reporters and resident offices in Vietnam.

Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang (first from the right) at a press conference on 37th ASEAN summit and related summits

In accordance with the spirit of “proactively adapting” and in order to adapt to the current “new normal” state, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Press and Information Department actively changed the way of providing information to reporters. We operated the International Press Center as usual and tried to create the most favorable conditions for international and domestic reporters who could not come to the events. We live streamed the opening and closing ceremony and press conferences on ASEAN 2020 website systems and social networks. In addition, reporters were able to get videos and photos on the ASEAN website.

The biggest concern of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was how to promote Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 as well as the country’s image via virtual meetings. We produced 6 videos to review the ASEAN community’s achievements according to the roadmap of Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 and to introduce its achievements in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and gradually restore socio-economic development. The videos were broadcast in online meetings, on domestic and regional TV channels, and posted on the ASEAN website or through Vietnamese representative agencies abroad.

Instead of halting activities during the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020, the activities and events boomed. At first only about 200 meetings were planned, but the actual number in 2020 reached 550 virtual meetings, including 20 high-level meetings, including ministerial-level meetings and ADMM and ADMM +. On average, there were two meetings per day related to ASEAN.

As the host country, Vietnam ensured technical infrastructure for online meetings, and met all newly arising requirements. For example, at the end of the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-53), when the press conference was about to begin, the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta (Indonesia) said that ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi also wanted to participate in the event. So we quickly coordinated with relevant agencies to set up an online press conference in parallel with the direct meeting.

Reporter: In your opinion, what new direction will the organization of online conferences open for information dissemination work in the future?

Ms: Le Thi Thu Hang: The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of global socio-economic life, and caused serious consequences. But I think that the pandemic has also had positive effects, thus opening up new directions for the present and the future. It can promote digital transformation in all fields, especially in communication.

Regarding the method of providing information, I think that it is necessary to promote and take advantage of information methods on digital platforms.

Firstly, we can regularly hold virtual press conferences. During the last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained regular online press conferences, thereby ensuring information on official communication channels. In the future, we can uphold this form, even livestream regular press conferences to attract the participation of more journalists.

Secondly, we should promote digital media products to meet the requirements of online activities, and show them on digital platforms. In 2020, there were more than 40 messages, speeches and interviews from senior leaders and leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conducted virtually. This is the first time all senior leaders including Party General Secretary, State President Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan have had online speeches at the main sessions of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 75).

Regarding working conditions for media and press agencies, we can organize meetings or events by hybrid format. It means that we can hold both on-site and virtual press centers, and provide accounts so that reporters can receive information, photos and participate in press conferences and interviews. So, the foreign press agencies also join these events in an effective way.

Reporters: Thank you so much!

Translated by Lam Anh