Startup competition opens in Ho Chi Minh City

The ‘Next Wave of Startups 2025’ competition was the highlight of the ‘Incubation Meetup – Vietnamese Startups, The Global Stage’ event aimed at connecting Vietnam’s startup ecosystem with leading international incubators.

The event was co-hosted by WorkFlow JSC, the Open Innovation and Technopreneur Institute (OITI), and Business Finland, Finland's government agency for trade and investment promotion.

The competition is held in connection with the Open Innovation Day 2025, as part of the sixth Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum, set to take place from November 24 to 30 this year.

AI, Blockchain, and Climate Tech – the focus of the competition – are seen as the backbone of Vietnam’s next wave of innovation.

“I think the Vietnamese startup ecosystem is growing,” Annamari Soikkeli, global mobility and startup manager at Business Finland, told Tuoi Tre News.

She underlined that Vietnam’s startup ecosystem has room to further expand and holds potential for collaboration with Finland.

“We believe a ‘Next Wave’ is forming in Vietnam – a generation of founders who are leaner, more agile, and globally minded,” said Nguyen Dinh Quy, CEO and co-founder of Workflow, which is an integrated platform catering to the trend of deliberate working with real-time access technology support, allowing users to choose their own efficient work style and space.

“They are small teams of just three to six members, operating with limited capital, yet creating high value.

“In the next one to two years, this wave will become more visible, so the ‘Next Wave of Startups’ competition is our effort to discover and support this new generation."

‘Incubation Meetup’ is not just about knowledge sharing, it is about connecting with incubators and innovation communities at home and abroad, offering opportunities for Vietnamese startups to reach new heights, Quy said.

At the event, the organizer also introduced a special activity called Pizza Pitching, which will run throughout the competition.

Pizza Pitching is expected to become a friendly platform for Vietnamese startups to practice, exchange ideas, and grow together.

Registration for the competition, projected to draw over 300 startups nationwide, will close on August 31.

The awards ceremony for the contest will be held on November 30, on the sidelines of the sixth Ho Chi Minh Economic Forum.