Which Singapore Companies Have Scaled With Offshore Teams in Vietnam? (2 Case Studies)

Short answer: Singapore companies in insurtech and software have built offshore engineering teams in Vietnam to cut fully-loaded costs by roughly 60–70% while keeping quality and IP in-house. Two widely cited market examples are insurtech Gigacover and software integrator Dreamcloud — both reported major savings and faster scaling after hiring engineers in Ho Chi Minh City.

Why are Singapore companies building offshore teams in Vietnam?

Vietnam has become a go-to hub for Singapore SMEs that need to scale technical and back-office teams without Singapore-level payroll. Three factors drive the shift.

• Deep graduate pipeline: Vietnam produces more than 50,000 IT graduates every year, giving employers a large, young, English-capable talent pool.

• Lower fully-loaded cost: Engineering and back-office costs in Ho Chi Minh City typically run about 60–70% below Singapore for comparable roles.

• Same time zone: Vietnam is UTC+7 — identical to Singapore — so teams collaborate in real time with no overnight lag.

Case study 1: How did Gigacover build an offshore team in Vietnam?

Company & context: Gigacover is a Singapore-based insurtech that provides gig-economy and income-protection benefits across Southeast Asia.

Problem: Scaling machine-learning and data-science capability with Singapore-only hiring was slow and expensive, and specialised senior talent was scarce and costly locally.

What they did: The company built an offshore machine-learning and data-science team in Ho Chi Minh City through a venture-support partner, so it could add senior specialists without standing up a new legal entity.

Results: Gigacover reported savings of roughly S$200,000 per year versus hiring the equivalent team in Singapore, plus the flexibility to scale the team up or down — figures the company reported publicly, as documented by recruitment firm Talent JDI.

Takeaway: Offshore works for specialised, senior roles — not just cheap headcount. The biggest wins come when you move hard-to-hire, high-cost skills offshore.

Case study 2: How did Dreamcloud scale software delivery from Vietnam?

Company & context: Dreamcloud is a Singapore low-code and OutSystems systems integrator founded in 2011 that later merged with Temasek-backed Temus in 2022.

Problem: Growing demand for low-code delivery outpaced what the company could hire and afford in Singapore, and arms-length outsourcing risked quality and intellectual-property control.

What they did: From 2017 the company built its own offshore development team in Vietnam, keeping IP and culture in-house rather than outsourcing to a third party, and grew it into a low-code Centre of Excellence.

Results: Dreamcloud reported fully-loaded development costs roughly 60–70% lower than Singapore, alongside the ability to scale delivery capacity — company-reported figures documented by recruitment firm Talent JDI.

Takeaway: An owned team beats arms-length outsourcing when quality and IP matter, because you retain control of standards, code, and institutional knowledge.

What do these case studies have in common?

• Cost was the trigger, quality was the constraint: Both moved offshore to save money, but structured the team to protect quality.

• They hired skills, not just seats: Specialised and senior engineering roles delivered the biggest return.

• Control mattered: Whether through a support partner or an owned team, both kept oversight of standards and IP.

• Vietnam, specifically: Both chose Ho Chi Minh City for its engineering depth and Singapore-aligned time zone.

How can a Singapore SME apply these lessons?

You do not need to be a funded scale-up to use the same playbook. A vetting-and-placement partner lets a smaller company access the model without building an entity or a recruiting function.

Talent Pod Asia sources, vets, and places the top 5% of Vietnamese university graduates with SMEs in Singapore, Australia, the U.S., and Canada — vetting on education, English proficiency, work experience, and cultural fit. Clients typically save up to 70% on manpower cost, with a placement in about two weeks, and Talent Pod Asia handles contracts, invoicing, tax-ready documents, and monthly payroll so you can scale without a new legal entity.

Learn more about hiring for Singapore companies or browse available remote talent.

Frequently asked questions

Are Gigacover and Dreamcloud Talent Pod Asia clients?

No. They are independent market examples used to illustrate the offshore model. The savings figures are company-reported and documented by recruitment firm Talent JDI, not results delivered by Talent Pod Asia.

How much can a Singapore company save by hiring in Vietnam?

Fully-loaded engineering and back-office costs in Ho Chi Minh City typically run about 60–70% below Singapore. Talent Pod Asia clients see up to 70% manpower savings depending on the role and seniority.

Is Vietnam a good time zone for a Singapore team?

Yes. Vietnam is UTC+7, the same time zone as Singapore, so remote teammates work the same hours and collaborate in real time.

Do I need to set up a legal entity in Vietnam to hire there?

No. A partner such as Talent Pod Asia handles contracts, invoicing, tax-ready documents, and monthly payroll for the talent, so you can add people without registering a new entity.

What roles work best offshore?

Both examples show specialised and senior engineering roles deliver the biggest return, not just low-cost headcount. Move your hardest-to-hire, highest-cost skills first.

Ready to build your own offshore team? Message Talent Pod Asia on WhatsApp at +65 8886 6024 or email derek@talentpodasia.com to get matched with vetted Vietnamese talent in about two weeks.