South Korean startups explore opportunities, partnerships in Vietnam
Thirdty South Korean startups visit Hanoi to seek partners, test solutions and explore Vietnam’s fast-growing innovation and startup ecosystem.
THE HANOI TIMES — Thirty South Korean startups in AI, edtech, fintech, gaming, healthcare and media have gathered in Hanoi to seek market opportunities, test solutions and explore user behavior.
Do Tien Thinh, Deputy Director of the National Innovation Center, and Nguyen Huong Quynh, CEO of BambuUp, visit the event. Photo: PLO.vn
The event was part of the Vietnam Immersion Week Roadshow 2025 hosted by South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Vietnam's National Innovation Center and others on September 10.
During the roadshow, Korean startups and Vietnamese experts and partners had some 200 B2B discussions. Some of them were able to form collaborations and expected to roll out products in three to six months.
According to Kim Young Rock, CEO of Next Challenge - the host of the event, the partnerships between South Korean technology developers and Vietnamese companies with innovation dynamics will foster sustainable cooperation.
Do Tien Thinh, Deputy Director of the National Innovation Center, said that Vietnam is now "the land of golden opportunities" for both Vietnamese and Korean startups and businesses.
"With incentives and supportive policies, the Vietnamese government creates the best environment for both local and international startups," he said.
Nguyen Huong Quynh, CEO of market report business BambuUP, noted that only startups with serious investment, market understanding and strong integration with Vietnam’s ecosystem can succeed.
The event is a two-way bridge, enabling Korean businesses to access the Vietnamese market while offering the domestic startup ecosystem valuable international partnerships, she said.
Vietnam currently hosts about 4,000 startups, including unicorns like MoMo and Sky Mavis whose capital has exceeded US$1 billion.
The domestic startup ecosystem is supported by over 200 investment funds, 84 incubators, 40 accelerators and more than 20 business support centers.
According to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025, Vietnam rose one place to 55th worldwide and maintained its fifth position in Southeast Asia with major startup hubs in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Danang.
