At the GenAI Open Innovation Vietnam 2025 event in Ho Chi Minh City this July, 88 startup–enterprise matches were formed, with 43.8% progressing to Proof of Concept (PoC) discussions.

The program, backed by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and implemented by Renova Cloud, drew over 400 registrations and nearly 300 in-person attendees.

GenAI Fund CEO Laura Nguyen said the mission is to harness the transformative power of GenAI to deliver tangible value to businesses. She noted Vietnam is entering a breakthrough phase of innovation, and the program provides a platform for startups to scale strategically while helping enterprises confidently adopt GenAI.

First launched in Vietnam in 2024 and expanded to Singapore in April 2025, GenAI Open Innovation brings together enterprise challenges with tailored startup solutions. The latest edition gathered 233 GenAI startups from Vietnam and across the region, along with 11 leading companies in finance, manufacturing, healthcare, and consumer services, including HDBank, MBBank, Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam, KFC Vietnam, VNG Games, and VNDirect.

The event highlighted Vietnam’s growing readiness for GenAI adoption, with companies allocating dedicated AI budgets, fast-tracking pilot approvals, and offering “sandbox” environments for real-data testing. AWS’s role as a leading cloud provider was emphasized, with its ecosystem startups benefiting from PoC funding and reliable deployment processes.

Of the 88 matches, 31 PoC projects have already been launched, providing startups direct customer access and enabling enterprises to accelerate innovation. The initiative will expand to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan to broaden its regional impact.

PV