Key Takeaways
- • Ho Chi Minh City will step up startup support by promoting venture capital investment, according to Truong Minh Huy Vu, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, speaking at the "SAIH: Applied AI Lab Demo Day 2026" event.
- • The city plans to offer CPU and GPU computing infrastructure, data centers, AI centers, and matching funds for venture investments, in addition to data access.
- • Ho Chi Minh City says it is willing to share investment risk with investors and founders to help promising technology products reach the market.
- • The event marked the completion of the first intake of Saigon AI Hub, an applied AI initiative involving Vietnam National University HCMC, VNG, and Google Labs' AI Futures Fund.
- • Future Saigon AI Hub intakes are to focus on city databases covering real estate, tax, and finance, and on AI-enabled solutions for business and government problems.
Summary
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest economic hub, will expand its support for startups by promoting venture capital investment, according to Truong Minh Huy Vu, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. Vu made the remarks on Thursday at the "SAIH: Applied AI Lab Demo Day 2026," hosted by Google AI Futures Fund. The event marked the completion of the first intake of Saigon AI Hub, an open research and applied AI initiative run as a cooperation between Vietnam National University HCMC, local technology group VNG, and Google Labs' AI Futures Fund.
Vu said the city aims to widen funding opportunities for technology projects as it develops its role as Vietnam's international financial center. Beyond access to data, the city plans to provide startups with CPU and GPU computing infrastructure, data centers, AI centers, and matching funds for venture investments. He stressed that the city is willing to share risks with investors and founders, particularly the uncertainty inherent in venture capital, to help promising technology products reach the market.
For subsequent Saigon AI Hub intakes, Vu urged organizers to prioritize building the city's database on real estate, tax, and finance, and to address practical problems. Le Hong Minh, chairman and founder of VNG, said later intakes should focus on solving the issues of businesses and government agencies using AI.
Vu said the city aims to widen funding opportunities for technology projects as it develops its role as Vietnam's international financial center. Beyond access to data, the city plans to provide startups with CPU and GPU computing infrastructure, data centers, AI centers, and matching funds for venture investments. He stressed that the city is willing to share risks with investors and founders, particularly the uncertainty inherent in venture capital, to help promising technology products reach the market.
For subsequent Saigon AI Hub intakes, Vu urged organizers to prioritize building the city's database on real estate, tax, and finance, and to address practical problems. Le Hong Minh, chairman and founder of VNG, said later intakes should focus on solving the issues of businesses and government agencies using AI.
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