On the morning of September 29th, 2021, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, has announced the top three finalists of the inaugural season of the Qualcomm® Vietnam Innovation Challenge (QVIC). Quang Trung Software City (QTSC) has been a media partner since the very beginning of the QVIC in 2019.

The QVIC 2021 Challenge provided 9 promising startup teams with business coaching, engineering resources, and patent filing incentives, with three finalists receiving total cash prizes of $225,000. Finalists gained a host of benefits in the form of technical and business incubation, patent-filing incentives, industry exposure, networking opportunities, expert mentorship, expense reimbursement, and more. Especially, after the QVIC 2021, the teams participating in the program will become members of Qualcomm’s global network and be encouraged to participate in tradeshows, customer meetings, etc.

Established in 2019, QVIC launched with support of Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and aims to incubate innovative startups in promising new technology areas. The program facilitates, without taking any equity, the development of Vietnam’s emerging technology ecosystem by identifying and nurturing innovative small- and medium-sized companies who are designing products in important technology areas like 5G, IoT, artificial intelligence, smart cities, wearable devices, and multimedia technologies, and by utilizing Qualcomm Technologies Inc.’s cutting-edge mobile platforms and technologies.

The Virtual Finale Event of Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2021 at 9:00am on September 29th, 2021

“Congratulations to the finalists of the first Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge,” said Alex Rogers, President, Qualcomm Technology Licensing & Global Affairs, Qualcomm Incorporated. “This Challenge is designed to encourage startups to come forward with innovative ideas and demonstrate the strength and creativity of Vietnam’s startup ecosystem. These three finalists impressed the jury, and we believe they have great potential in helping the world connect through innovation and collaboration, which is absolutely necessary in building and sustaining a prosperous future with an innovation-driven economy.”

“Vietnam is entering a new era of 5G, AI, cloud computing, and diverse IoT technology applications,” said Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Mr. Tran Van Tung “Programs such as the Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge provide Vietnamese startup companies the support they need to become members of the global business ecosystem. We’d like to applaud these three finalists and encourage all of our local startup companies to continue in their demonstration of Vietnam’s ability for accelerated innovation.”

The finalists for QVIC21 are:

1st Place: Rostek - Rostek’s autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) and fleet management system offer a high-tech, digitized solution to moving goods around warehouses & factory floors, setting the stage to help Vietnam realize its Industry 4.0 goals.

2nd Place: AIOZ - AOIZ’s BeetleBot indoor delivery robot uses artificial intelligence and a voice interface to deliver things like food or parcels in indoor settings. BeetleBot is well suited for use in hospitals during Covid-19, supporting socially distanced deliveries.

3rd Place: BusMap (Phenikaa Maas) - BusMap’s bHub AI-enabled camera system lets users monitor various safety factors in driving, adding in strong on-device image recognition and monitoring capabilities to help ensure both driver and passenger safety.

Applications for next year’s QVIC 2022 are officially open. For more information or to apply, please go to: https://www.qualcomm.com/qvic