Nguyen Cong Nam Hien : The toy entrepreneur

It is tough to get investors excited about a toy startup. But for Nguyen Cong Nam Hien, the founder of Vietnamese toymaker Mato.vn, it was about converting his childhood passion into a visible business plan. Along the way, investors took notice. Incubated at Hatch!, the company recently raised an undisclosed amount of funding, after getting three angel investors excited about its offerings. Cong Nam’s broader vision for Mato.vn – which has already sold over 10,000 units through 60 retail stores in Hanoi, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh – is to expand the customer base by aligning with schools and retailers. Nam Hien says the company’s long term success lies not just in expanding or venturing abroad, but in its ability to connect with kids and making fun toys that can aid the learning process and get children engaged.  Edited excerpts from the interview.