# French Tech Summit Vietnam 2025 Recap ![Image](https://upload.cafenono.com/image/slashpagePost/20250813/115051_noI9X0cFPguX17UBbG?q=80&s=1280x180&t=outside&f=webp) 1. Startup pitch sessions 1.1 Turn Green [Vietnam's eco-friendly packaging and single use items specialist.](https://www.turngreen.world/) - Founded year : 2024 - Industry : Packaging and materials - Product : Eco-friendly packaging made from 100% biodegradable, compostable and water soluble biopolymers - Business model : B2B - Traction : $2.7M revenue in 2024, serving major brands L’Oreal, Central Retail, Takashimaya, and Biti’s 1.2 Polaris Edge [Construction Management Software | Polaris Edge](https://www.polaris-edge.com/) - Founded year : 2023 - Industry : Construction - Product : One-stop digital solution to manage construction projects - Business model : SaaS - Traction : 6 new countries per year, 2 contracts of 10.000 USD per month per country, 70% retention after each year of subscription 1.3 TeenUp [TeenUp - Giáo dục toàn diện tuổi dậy thì](https://www.teenup.vn/) - Founded year : 2023 - Industry : Edutech + Wellness - Product : Tech-enabled wellness and training platform for teens, including life skills education, coaching & therapy, offline clinics/care hubs (planned), wellness retail marketplace (planned) - Business model : Direct to consumers (D2C), School adoption (B2B2C), Community-led growth - Traction : $830K revenue in 2024, 1500+ paying users (TeenCare), 51.7% retention rate (60-day) 1.4 QSee.ai [Qsee](https://qsee.ai/) - Founded year : 2025 - Industry : Apparel - Solution : Turn smartphone into an inspection device to detect flaws in apparel - Business model : Monthly SaaS fee per station ($299), Onboarding fees per use case 1.5 Xinchao Science Ed [https://xinchaoscienceedu.com/](https://xinchaoscienceedu.com/) - Founded year : 2019 - Industry : Edutech - Product : Steam Hub - Online digital STEAM course for students from 3-18 years old - Business model : Platform subscription & extra class model (B2B) ($96K/school/year), Charge per course model (B2C) ($30-50/course) 1.6 Houseoftech [Civitas](https://www.civitas.vn/en) - Founded year : 2025 - Industry : Real estate - Product : Civitas - A business intelligence platform that generates feasibility reports for investment evaluation by aggregating public and private real estate data - Business model : SaaS ($499/month), API access, custom modules or reports 1.7 Cotalent [COTALENT](https://www.cotalent.io/) - Founded year : 2023 - Industry : HRTech - Product : SmartScore - scoring model that evaluates a candidate on three dimensions: alignment, performance and compatibility - Business model : Pay-per-interview model - Traction : 6 acquired clients, 120M+ VND in revenue 1.8 Vietaime [Home](https://vietaime.com/) - Founded year : 2023 - Industry : BioTech - Product : Cultivation of microalgae as feed in aquaculture using innovative photobioreactors 1. Fintech/Crypto > Keynote: Vietnam - The thriving financial hub on the rise * Main takeaways **✅ Four major political resolutions structuring a new economic era** - Resolution 57: Innovation and digitalization - Resolution 59: Global integration - Resolution 66: Renovation of lawmaking and law enforcement - Resolution 68: Unleashing entrepreneurial dynamism **✅ Meteoric rise of fintech in Vietnam: 200M payment accounts, 17B cashless transactions, 9.1M mobile money accounts** **✅ The rise of blockchain in Vietnam** - Establishment of Vietnam Blockchain Association (Apr 2022) - Approval of National Blockchain Strategy (Oct 2024) - One Mount’s investment in building Blockchain Layer 1 network (Jan 2025) - Launch of 1Matrix (May 2025) **✅ Financial centers and attractive incentives** - Pilot financial centers: Ho Chi Minh City (international financial center) and Da Nang (regional financial center) - Tax advantages: Corporate income tax exemption for 2 years, then a 50% reduction for  4 years; For priority sectors: 10% CIT rate for the entire project duration - Visa facilities: Multiple-entry visas for expatriates and their families; Possibility of obtaining a limited-term resident status - Adapted regulations: Flexible regulatory framework through sectoral sandboxes; Simplified procedures and reduced administrative delays > Panel discussions: Digital identity, payments & innovation: Building a secure and inclusive financial future? * Main takeaways **✅ Digital identity & security** - Digital identity is the tech link between real-world humans and digital actions - As scams and deepfakes rise, securing a digital identity is essential to prevent fraud. - Most attacks happen at the interaction layer (e.g., user wallets, admin control) - Solution: automation, stronger transaction verification, open-source innovation, etc. **✅ Banking & payments infrastructure** - Bank: balance innovation and regulation, focus on instant, no-fee payment systems, and collaborate with fintechs - NAPAS: has supported banks and fintechs for over 20 years; their role is neutral infrastructure, enabling interoperability between traditional and new players; emphasis on keeping transaction fees among the lowest globally **✅ Regulation & innovation** - Vietnam’s regulatory framework is still nascent compared to Dubai, Singapore, or the EU - Several sandbox initiatives are underway, but implementation is slow - Key focus areas include accelerating sandbox adoption, establishing robust anti-money laundering (AML) mechanisms, and supporting tokenization and blockchain testing environments to attract global investment. **✅ The panelists envision a blockchain-based economic infrastructure, where:** - Assets are tokenized, allowing instant loans, transparent ownership, and programmable finance - AI may automate financial management, with blockchain serving as the “ground truth” of who owns what - Vietnam must focus on becoming globally competitive through policy innovation, digital identity systems, and investor-friendly regulation. 1. Gaming/Entertainment > Panel discussions: Local talent: How to identify, support and retain creative and technical minds * Main takeaways **✅ Companies are shifting from hiring primarily programmers to seeking designers, product managers, and creative professionals → Require a more diverse talent pool** **✅ Talent challenges** - Language proficiency and soft skills remain major barriers for Vietnamese talent aiming to work on global projects - Misconceptions about gaming as a trivial field need to be corrected; it is a serious industry with vast potential. **✅ Talent development approaches** - Provide meaningful, challenging projects with full local ownership and exposure to end-to-end project cycles - Bridge the gap between education and industry through initiatives such as internships, mentorships and curriculum input → align university output with industry needs. - Run structured mentorship programs and training initiatives inside companies to accelerate both technical (e.g., software, game engines) and soft skills (e.g., leadership, collaboration) - Provide clear career paths and specialization options (e.g., narrative design, system development) - Build a strong and attractive workplace culture **✅ Conclusion** - While foreign experts play a key role, the goal is to upskill and empower local talent - Vietnam is emerging as a hub for creative tech, and efforts should align with global standards without undermining local growth. 1. Investment/Venture Capital > Key note: Impact investing in Vietnam * Main takeaways **✅ Opportunities** - Massive emissions reduction potential: Vietnam emitted over 334 million tonnes of CO2 in 2023, with energy, industry processes, transport, and agriculture as top contributors - Multi-trillion net-zero investment opportunity:  According to BloombergNEF Net Zero Scenario, achieving net-zero by 2050 requires $2.4 trillion in investments across 2024 to 2050 - Government commitment to clean energy: Strong policy support with Vietnam’s PDP VIII targeting 28-36% renewable energy share by 2030. ✅ **Challenges** - Fragmented market & regulatory complexity - Lack of early-stage climate investment - Talent gap - Panel discussions: Is Vietnam the next hot spot for investment or a promise yet to be fulfilled? * Main takeaways **✅ Key challenges facing Vietnam’s investment landscape** - Vietnam has many startups, but few have sustainable, scalable business models - There is a scarcity of high-level financial and operational talent - Limited exits and underdeveloped capital markets hinder investment flows - Complex and slow regulatory approval processes, especially for M&A and foreign investment, delay deal closures. **✅ Opportunities and strengths** - Vietnam’s youth are digitally fluent and driven, offering substantial potential for tech-driven innovation. - Vietnam’s tech ecosystem has grown rapidly, with an increasing number of startups, particularly in AI and software. - Many startups are headquartered abroad (e.g., Singapore) but operate technically from Vietnam due to cost and talent advantages. - High industrial energy consumption creates an opportunity for renewable and energy-efficient solutions. **✅ Venture capital landscape** - VC activity dipped by ~60% in recent years, but average deal sizes are up, showing selectivity and cautious optimism. - Most activity has centered on early-stage funding, although there is a growing need for later-stage support and exits. - Vietnam’s VC trends mirror global shifts, from growth-at-all-costs to profitability and sustainable scaling. **✅ Advice to startups and investors** - Start early, be prepared: Engage investors before urgent need arises; regulatory and bank processes take time - Vietnam is full of potential: Despite external inefficiencies, insiders find significant utility and untapped opportunity - Invest in fundamentals: Emphasize strong technology, market timing, and clear competitive advantages ![On-site photos | Source: The Invention Lab](https://upload.cafenono.com/image/slashpagePost/20250813/115033_U8iRdVIudGSs6XILCZ?q=80&s=1280x180&t=outside&f=webp) For the site tree, see the [root Markdown](https://slashpage.com/theilab-blog.md).