One ASEAN Startup Awards 2025 launched in Ho Chi Minh City

The awards were launched in Ho Chi Minh City on May 23, by The National Innovation Centre (NIC), in collaboration with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO),

The preliminary application round for Vietnamese startups will open in June is expected to attract entrepreneurs, startup ecosystem stakeholders, policymakers, and academics, celebrating noteworthy startups across the ASEAN region, with a particular focus on AI development and regional climate goals.

At the launch event, Vo Xuan Hoai, deputy director of the NIC, said, "The NIC is committed to helping businesses from the idea stage to international market expansion, and eventually becoming tech unicorns. The One ASEAN Startup Awards are an invitation to connect and jointly create a thriving, sustainable startup future marked with Vietnam’s identity on the global innovation map."

Hiroshi Ishikawa, special advisor to the president of digital innovation at the ERIA, said, "We hope this platform will foster meaningful cross-border collaboration and serve as a launchpad for future tech unicorns."

The 2025 wards will be held in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia, with a focus on two main categories; AI and Net-Zero Solutions.

Winning teams from each country will compete in the regional finals expected to take place at the end of the year, with each receiving development funding of $10,000.

The awards aim to discover and support ASEAN-based startups to enter the Japanese market and expand regionally and globally. Some notable startups participating this year include EM&AI, Hekate, and ECOSOI.

ERIA is an international organisation established by ASEAN+6 leaders and has been operational since 2008, with headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, to promote regional economic integration, narrow development gaps, and support sustainable growth through policy research, strategic consultation, and practical implementation in areas such as trade, investment, innovation, small- and medium-sized enterprise development, energy, and green growth.

NIC is under the Ministry of Finance, was established by Decision No.1269/QD-TTg in 2019, tasked with supporting and developing Vietnam’s startup and innovation ecosystem, contributing to a new growth model driven by science and technology.

In recent years, the innovation startup ecosystem in Vietnam has developed strongly. Thanks to a national plan on the issue as well as the launch of initiatives like Techfest last week, Vietnam has risen from one of the least dynamic startup ecosystems in the region to rank 44th among over 130 countries in the Global Innovation Index for 2024, up four places from 2023.

Vietnam’s startup ecosystem is set to grow stronger on the back of new initiatives to develop qualified workers at home and abroad.

With a growing focus on sustainability and innovation, Vietnam’s climate tech sector is becoming a key component of its future growth. Juhern Kim, country representative to Vietnam of the Global Green Growth Institute, spoke with VIR’s Khanh Linh about the country’s proactive approach to harnessing the potential of this emerging market.