On June 23, Beacon Fund and TIMEC International General Clinic signed an investment agreement, marking the first investment under Beacon Fund’s partnership with the Australian government, through Investing in Women’s “Innovation Window.”
The Innovation Window aims to expand access to finance for women-owned and women-led businesses, particularly those that continue to face barriers in accessing conventional sources of capital.
The transaction also represents an important milestone in TIMEC’s growth journey, providing additional resources for the company to further enhance service quality and expand its operations.
Founded in 2018 with the aspiration of building a modern, compassionate, and accessible healthcare model for the community, TIMEC has chosen a distinctive path: delivering high-quality healthcare services at affordable costs, rather than pursuing a high-cost international healthcare model.
Over the years, TIMEC has expanded its operations and invested in key specialties, including gastrointestinal endoscopy, colorectal care, dentistry, rehabilitation, corporate health screening, and a range of other specialised healthcare services. The clinic remains committed to supporting the community through disease prevention awareness-raising, early screening, and comprehensive healthcare education.
Having navigated the challenges of COVID-19 and the subsequent recovery period, TIMEC has gradually built a strong reputation among individual patients, corporate clients, and insurance partners.
Beacon Fund’s investment will provide additional resources for the company to strengthen its facilities, enhance clinical capabilities, develop its workforce, and expand healthcare services in the years ahead.
Vu Thi Phuong Nga, founder and CEO of TIMEC said, “We see Beacon not simply as an investor, but as a strategic partner accompanying TIMEC on our journey to improve healthcare quality for the people of Vietnam. Our partnership demonstrates that businesses creating meaningful value for society can find partners who share the same vision and mission.”
In addition to providing capital, Beacon Fund is committed to supporting TIMEC as a long-term partner in its sustainable growth journey through improvements in healthcare quality.
The loan has been structured with an impact-linked incentive mechanism, allowing TIMEC to receive up to a 2 per cent reduction in interest rates if the company successfully standardises its patient experience measurement and monitoring system and achieves agreed targets for improving patient satisfaction.
This mechanism directly links business performance with customer experience, while creating a strong incentive for the company to continuously improve healthcare service quality and strengthen its impact on the communities it serves.
Shuyin Tang, co-founder and CEO of Beacon Fund, said, “This deal marks the first investment under the Innovation Window, and I couldn’t think of a better company to open with. Under the Innovation Window, we committed to going smaller and earlier, and to more innovative lending structures – all with the goal of backing promising ‘missing middle’ SMEs that face challenges in accessing finance from conventional sources.”
“TIMEC stood out for their deep commitment to improving healthcare in Vietnam, a solid business foundation built up over eight years, and their openness to an impact-linked structure that ties a lower interest rate to improved patient experience.”
Beyond its growth potential, TIMEC also meets all Innovation Window eligibility criteria. The company is women-founded, women-owned, and women-led, with women representing more than 30 per cent of board members and over 40 per cent of management positions.
The investment also qualifies under three of the five 2X Challenge criteria for gender-smart investing: ownership, leadership, and quality employment for women.
The investment signing ceremony acknowledged that support from the government of Australia underpinned the Innovation Window and made the deal possible.
Kate Wallace, Australia’s consul-general, Ho Chi Minh City, outlined the rationale for Australia’s support, “Australia is pleased to support Vietnam’s ambition for inclusive economic growth driven by the private sector. Women-owned and -led businesses play a vital role in the Vietnamese economy, yet face a financing gap of $5-6 billion.”
“Closing this gap will unlock sustainable, inclusive economic growth for Vietnam. Australia is pleased to work with impact investing partners like Beacon Fund in Vietnam to pilot innovative financial structures that work for women-owned and -led small businesses. Australia welcomes this partnership between Beacon Fund and TIMEC, which will pave the way for a more gender inclusive financial system,” she said.
