French Tech Summit Vietnam 2025 Recap

1. Startup pitch sessions

1.1 Turn Green

1.2 Polaris Edge

1.3 TeenUp

1.4 QSee.ai

1.5 Xinchao Science Edu

1.6 Houseoftech

1.7 Cotalent

1.8 Vietaime

2. Fintech/Crypto

✅ 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

✅ 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.

3. Gaming/Entertainment

✅ 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.

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4. Investment/Venture Capital

✅ 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

✅ 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