The Solution

Why We Were Positioned to Lead This Research Since 2016, Evergreen Labs had been building upstream solutions across Southeast Asia. We understood from direct experience what upstream innovators actually need versus what support systems typically offer. We had relationships with innovators, universities, funders, and policy makers across Vietnam's emerging ecosystem.

Most importantly, we approached the research not as academic observers, but as practitioners who needed this ecosystem to work better. Our own ventures—ReForm Plastic, Glassia Water, HealthyFarm—had navigated these same challenges. We knew what questions to ask because we'd lived the problems.

Mapping the Invisible Ecosystem Our approach was comprehensive: map every upstream solution we could find, understand what innovators actually needed through in-depth interviews, identify all ecosystem stakeholders, and analyze gaps between needs and available support.

Solution Mapping: We identified 45 upstream solutions across three categories: elimination (reducing unnecessary packaging), reuse/refill systems (circular packaging models), and material circulation (biodegradable alternatives, agricultural waste utilization).

Innovator Interviews: Instead of surveying what support organizations thought innovators needed, we conducted detailed interviews with entrepreneurs to understand their real challenges, resource gaps, and success factors.

Stakeholder Analysis: We mapped 70 ecosystem participants including universities, incubators, accelerators, investors, competitions, NGOs, and government agencies—documenting what each offered and how they connected (or failed to connect) with others.

Gap Analysis: We compared what innovators needed with what support systems provided, identifying specific mismatches that prevented promising solutions from scaling successfully.