Honoring the National Champion of Innovative Startup Talent

Mr. Le Toan Thang, Director of the National Center for Creative Startup Support, speaks at the event. (Photo: BICH LIEN)

Within the framework of the National Innovation Startup Festival (TECHFEST Vietnam 2025), on the evening of December 12th, the National Innovation Startup Support Center (NSSC), the Department of Startups and Technology Enterprises ( Ministry of Science and Technology ), in collaboration with partners Startup World Cup Vietnam, Impact Square, and the Institute for Sustainable Development Management Research – MSD United Way Vietnam, co-organized the Final Round of the National Innovation Startup Talent Search Competition.

The event brought together the 10 best teams selected from hundreds of applications from both domestic and international sources. In this round, each team delivered a groundbreaking and inspiring presentation, showcasing their vision, business model, and practical technological solutions.

With the theme “Green Growth and Digital Transformation: Innovation for a Sustainable Vietnam”, the TECHFEST Vietnam 2025 competition is built on the orientation of promoting innovative startup models associated with social and environmental responsibility and a long-term vision, while highlighting projects that apply high technology, are environmentally friendly, and are closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – the foundation for Vietnam's digital economy and green future.

For the first time, the TECHFEST Vietnam 2025 competition welcomes international teams to participate in solving practical problems in Vietnam. This not only enhances the integration and professional quality of the competition but also creates a foundation for multilateral cooperation, connecting global knowledge and technology to address the country's development challenges.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Le Toan Thang, Director of the National Center for Creative Startup Support, emphasized: The TECHFEST 2025 competition is an important activity implementing the spirit of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in the development of science , technology, innovation and digital transformation of the nation and Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW on the development of the private economy.

According to Mr. Le Toan Thang, this year's competition is not only a place to select potential projects but also a process to support capacity building through multiple rounds of competition lasting from October to December 2025, helping startups refine their products, business models, and approach ESG standards.

From the co-organizing units, representatives from Startup World Cup Vietnam, MSD United Way Vietnam, and Impact Square all acknowledged the strong progress of the Vietnamese startup community.

Silvie Park, CEO of the Startup World Cup Vietnam and representative of Pegasus Technology Investment Fund, commented: The Vietnamese startup ecosystem is entering a strong development phase, demonstrated by the confidence, eagerness to learn, and adaptability of the competing teams.

According to her, many teams have reached a level of competitiveness comparable to startups in the region, not only in terms of technology but also in business models and sustainable development orientations. She stated that Startup World Cup will continue to partner with the TECHFEST competition to support outstanding Vietnamese projects in accessing international investment networks.

From the perspective of promoting open social innovation, Ms. Nguyen Phuong Linh – Director of MSD United Way Vietnam – stated that: One of the outstanding changes in the TECHFEST 2025 competition is the integration of criteria for assessing social impact, environmental impact, and sustainability – reflecting the national strategic direction and international trends. This not only brings technology but also sustainable solutions. Vietnam should not only pursue entrepreneurship for growth, but also for responsible development.

Ms. Linh also emphasized that the diversity of participants – from scientists and young entrepreneurs to women's leadership groups – is contributing to shaping a more open, equitable, and in-depth innovation ecosystem for the entire population in Vietnam.

In his concluding remarks, Timothy Dho, CEO of Impact Square, stated that the TECHFEST 2025 competition demonstrated effective collaboration between regulatory bodies, supporting organizations, and the investment community in promoting innovation. He praised the participating teams for their long-term vision, their ability to combine technological development with social impact orientation, thereby enhancing their competitiveness and readiness to scale their models. He emphasized that the teams' journeys will continue to be supported through collaborative networks and acceleration programs following the competition.

The runner-up prize went to the Volterra team.

Following the presentation and Q&A sessions, the Judging Panel conducted an independent evaluation based on criteria such as innovation level, implementation feasibility, operational model quality, expansion potential, and the impact value of each project. Based on this, the main awards of the TECHFEST 2025 competition were announced, reflecting the efforts and growth of the participating teams throughout the competition.

The Growlab team won the championship, receiving a cash prize of $20,000 and a ticket to represent Vietnam at the Startup World Cup 2026 in San Francisco (USA).

Accordingly, the organizers awarded the Grand Prize, with a cash reward of $20,000 and a ticket to represent Vietnam at the Startup World Cup 2026 in San Francisco (USA), to Growlab – a pioneering Vietnamese biotechnology company focusing on researching and developing high-quality plant varieties using tissue culture techniques, especially coconut and tropical fruit trees, aiming to provide sustainable agricultural solutions and enhance the value of Vietnamese agricultural products.

The runner-up prize, worth $7,000 in cash, went to the Volterra team. The third-place prize, worth $20,000 in cash, went to IDO E-commerce Services Co., Ltd. Volterra is a service platform aimed at developing and operating electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The third-place prize, worth $5,000 in cash, went to the IDO team.

In addition to the main awards, the Organizing Committee also announced two supplementary awards, each worth $15,000, awarded to the Dayladau team, reflecting the investors' confidence in the project's growth potential. Dayladau is a platform for booking homestays and apartments by the hour, for young people seeking private spaces in their own city.

The Outstanding Impact Award was given to the Plantner team in recognition of the project's practical contributions to sustainable development goals. Plantner is a startup that helps transform local agricultural waste into organic fertilizer, increasing crop yields while improving soil and restoring acidity.

Given that Vietnam ranks third in the world for soil pollution due to the overuse of chemical fertilizers, this solution could contribute to healthy soil care and lay the foundation for sustainable agriculture.

Following the final round, participating teams will continue to receive support from the Techfest ecosystem to commercialize their products, expand their markets, raise capital, and enhance their social impact. TECHFEST 2025 marks a new mindset: innovation must be for people, for the community, and for a green, digital, and sustainable Vietnam.

BICH LIEN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/vinh-danh-quan-quan-tai-nang-khoi-nghiep-doi-moi-sang-tao-quoc-gia-post929928.html