Mekong Capital has always had a strong ESG focus since its first fund in 2001. The involvement of various development finance institutions as our LPs and partners did help us at various times to articulate clear ESG standards and goals. More recently we have aimed to align our efforts with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and our personal purposes and commitments in life, which we seek to fulfill through our work at Mekong Capital.
We believe that access to high quality education and career development opportunities is a critical foundation for a stable and prosperous future. Our investments in Vietnam Australia International School (K-12 school chain) and Yola (after school English & test preparation) reflect our belief. These investments may support affordable and quality learning and lifelong skills development, empowering individuals and strengthening communities through knowledge, growth. While not explicitly designed to advance SDG#4, they may indirectly contribute to inclusive and equitable education outcomes.
Vietnam Australia International School (VAS) is one of the largest private K-12 school groups in Vietnam. They operate 5 mega-campuses with a wide range of indoor and outdoor facilities. They were a pioneer in introducing a dual curriculum, featuring both Vietnam’s national curriculum (MOET) and U.K. Cambridge curriculum, with classes delivered in in both Vietnamese and English.
Yola is a test preparation and English language training service that has assisted over 60,000 Vietnamese students to improve their English skills and apply for study abroad. Yola currently operates 12 English language training centers in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mekong Capital encourages extensive training and coaching programs at our investees, both technical skills as well as soft skills such as leadership and communication.
Starting around 2009, a number of Mekong’s investee companies chose to engage in corporate transformation programs, led by an affiliate of Landmark Education. This original group of companies included MobileWorld, PNJ, DigiWorld and Nam Long. MobileWorld in particular became well-known in Vietnam for its strong culture of integrity of customer-orientation, and inspired other private Vietnamese companies to engage in their own journey of leadership development and organizational transformation. This in turn led to subsequent generations of Mekong’s investees, as well as companies with no investment from Mekong, joining similar programs, often led by affiliates of Landmark Education, such as VANTO Group.
Mekong Capital’s impact on investee companies via a transformation-based approach was highlighted in a 2020 case study, Mekong Capital: Adding Value through Transformation, written by Professor Dr. Gregory C. Unruh, the Arison Professor of Values Leadership at George Mason University, and published in the Thunderbird case study system.
By 2025, there is a large community of companies in Vietnam that have engaged in corporate transformation programs, with strong clusters of transformation both in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and a rising number of service providers who deliver such programs in Vietnam.
