HCM City: 10 collectives, individuals win innovation and start-up awards
Ten outstanding collectives and individuals were honoured as winners of the 2021 Ho Chi Minh City Innovation and Startup Awards (I-Star 2021) on December 14.
HCM City (VNA) – Tenoutstanding ꦛcollectives and individuals were honoured as winners of the 2021 Ho Chi Minh City Innovation and Startup Awards (I-Star 2021) on December 14.
Held annually by themunicipal People’s Committee, the fourth edition of the awards attracted 310entries this year.
Star Global 3Dwas honoured as the best innovative start-up for its 3D/360 smart interactive web/applicensed by the US.
The website "Go🐻 shopping for people", 4.0 vocation orientation app JobWay and community-based traffic congestionwarning system UTraffic received the best innovative solution awards.
Meanwhile, pressworks on innovation and start-ups by Vietnam Television, the newswire of Radio the Voiceof Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam Investment Review also won the awards. Nguyen Tat ThanhUniversity Innovation Incubator Centre, University of Economics Ho Chi MinhCity’s Institute of Innovation and Zone Start-ups Vietnam venture fund werehonoured for their active contributions to innovation and start-ups in Vietnam. The same day, the municipal Departmentof Science and Technology wrapped up the Week for Ho Chi Minh City Innovation,Startup and Entrepreneurship (WHISE) which was held both online and offline, featuringover 20 events with the participation of 30 units in local start-up ecologicalsystem and over 6,000 visitors. As many as 99 start-up projects were introducedon digital platforms. Director of the municipal Department of Scienceand Technology Nguyen Viet Dung said despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a record of 1.1billion USD in adventure investment was poured into 37 start-up deals in the city this year, accounting for 60percent of capital and 70 percent of deals of the country's total./.
The developer of Bizzi, a software as a service (SaaS) which simplifies invoice processing, has successfully raised 3 million USD during a pre-Series A round.
The National Startup Support Centre of Vietnam (NSSC) and other organisations in the country on November 11 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Crafts of the Czech Republic (AMSP ČR) with the aim to develop the two countries’ start-up ecosystem and entrepreneurship.
A seminar on introducing products of innovative start-ups to supermarkets and distribution channels took place in Hanoi on November 18. It was a bid to create a spillover effect contributing to further improving the efficiency of local production and business.
Karamba Security, an Israel-based security startup, has announced that it received additional 10 million USD in the series B round led by Vietnamese auto maker VinFast, a member of Vietnam’s VinGroup conglomerate.
The course aims to promote knowledge exchange between scientific and educational schools from different countries, while deepening participants’ expertise in modern technology and technical education. It comprises two main specialisations of electronics-automation and nuclear technology.
ANTARA and VNA can design global-scale cooperation programmes or joint media campaigns, demonstrating the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as the cooperation between the two national news agencies.
As Vietnam’s digital transformation accelerates, both the frequency and severity of cyberattacks are growing. The National Cybersecurity Association (NCA) reported that in 2024 alone, there were some 659,000 separate cybersecurity incidents, impacting around 46.15% of government agencies and businesses.
A key highlight will be the technology cluster pavilion, showcasing top enterprises selected for their innovation, market potential, and practical applications. These firms will display flagship products and solutions, supported by government policies to strengthen the tech sector.
Since 2022, more than 500 Vietnamese startups have engaged in Google’s Startup Academy, Google for Startups Accelerator, and Google Startup Masterclass. Nearly 100 of these firms received support to develop and improve their products, benefiting more than 300,000 customers and creating over 300 new jobs through successful fundraising and team expansion amidst Vietnam’s competitive economy.
Over the past three decades, Binh Duong has cemented its status as one of Vietnam’s most dynamic industrial hubs, building a robust foundation in manufacturing, exports, and investment. The province now has 30 operational industrial parks spanning over 13,000 hectares, with an occupancy rate exceeding 90%.
The diplomat emphasised that Vietnam places the highest priority on the development of science, technology, and innovation, viewing them as critical drivers for the country’s advancement in the new development era.
The PM revealed Vietnam’s plan to develop nuclear power in the near future, and called on the Swedish side to assist Vietnam in developing and refining legal and policy frameworks for the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; training and developing human resources; ensuring nuclear safety; and conducting training and drills to improve incident management capabilities.
More than an art showcase, the second “Technology with heart” contest seeks to inspire innovation and spotlight the humanistic values that technology can bring into daily life, expected to contribute to a sustainable digital future.
The average speed of the national mobile broadband network remained stable, with download speeds reaching 76.86 Mbps and upload speeds reaching 26.98 Mbps.
Under the MoU, AMD will support several key initiatives spearheaded by HCM City’s authorities, including piloting policies, co-hosting innovation events, and evaluating the investment environment within the Saigon Hi-Tech Park.
The centre is a joint initiative between Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology, with PTIT and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) serving as co-leads, and global telecommunications giant Nokia as founding industry partner.
The new centre, staffed by a team of scientists, researchers, and AI specialists working in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, forms part of Qualcomm’s global AI research group.
As a flagship initiative of the community project “Digital Literacy for All”, the programme forms part of a national scheme to equip 20 million young people with digital business skills.
The organisers hope the competition will help shape a generation of exceptional engineers who will make significant contributions to Vietnam’s scientific and technological progress in this era of transformation.
In the digital age and amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution, IP plays an increasingly critical role, not only in safeguarding inventions but also in reducing copyright infringement and curbing piracy.
Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu laid stress on the significance of the Hanoi Convention, particularly to the Asia – Pacific, to handling legal gaps in international cooperation against rapidly increasing global cybercrime.
The week features a rich lineup of activities, including a plenary conference on blockchain and AI development, thematic seminars on future technology trends and investment visions, applications of blockchain and AI in business, the Super Vietnam PitchFest, as well as forums for blockchain and AI.
At the awards ceremony (Photo: VNA) 
