Startup Festival 2025 and Launch of the National Startup Program 2026

A series of activities organized by the Business Forum Magazine in collaboration with the VSMA, to be held on December 20, 2025, in Hanoi, under the direction of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). This is also the most outstanding activity of the National Startup Program in 2025.

The top 20 projects competed in the semi-finals ten days ago under stringent guidelines established by the organizing committee. The top ten were chosen to go to the finals on December 20th morning. The specific criteria for project selection are as follows: businesses or startups that have been in operation for no more than five years, have been practically implemented, and are making money; have products or services, the capacity to develop them, and the potential to expand into both domestic and international markets; have technological components, innovative changes, or social impact; be moving toward a circular economy model; and strive for a green economy.

The top 10 projects participating in the final round must draw lots for the order of presentation and then present their projects to the judging panel. The judging panel worked impartially to select the winning projects: 1st place (1 project), 2nd place (2 projects), 3rd place (3 projects), and Honorable Mention (4 projects). This year, the organizing committee requires project teams participating in the Finals to create one video clip to introduce their product.

Project teams are encouraged to submit English presentation slides in addition to Vietnamese ones so that the organizing committee can send them to the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Indo-Pacific, GEN Singapore, GEN Thailand, GITEX, and, most importantly, our Italian partner, a new innovation partner that the organizing committee is currently negotiating with. The goal of all of this is to assist entrepreneurs in locating funding possibilities and establishing connections with both domestic and foreign enterprises.

"The top 20 projects that made it to the Semi-finals and Finals are all highly feasible and are clearly divided into two groups," stated Mr. Vu Thanh Thang, Director of AI at SCS Cyber Security Joint Stock Company. He said, the first category includes eco-friendly and biological goods, such the BioWrap and EchoBags initiatives, that successfully tackle common environmental problems. The second group is made up of highly innovative technological initiatives in the domains of health, education, etc. Local specialty goods like Muop Village and Lam Ta Xua Tea are also highly valued for their distinctiveness and strong sense of local identity.

Additionally, GITEX, the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Indo-Pacific, GEN Singapore, Thailand, and an Italian innovation partner are among the organizations that will introduce and facilitate investment connections between startups and entrepreneurs/investors, coaches/mentors, and more at this year's Startup Festival. This is an attempt by the organizing committee to encourage networking opportunities and assistance for startups both locally and globally. Additionally, it's a fantastic chance for project writers to locate entrepreneurs, investors, incubators, and organizations that encourage startups to serve as mentors and sponsors for their projects, assisting young people in successfully realizing their ideas.

Expand North Star 2025 Award runner-up for the 2024 Startup Project Development Program, Green Choice, Durian-based Circular Product Set. With the help of GITEX, this project represented Vietnam in the exhibition in Singapore at the end of April 2025, gaining access to foreign markets and competitions. The North Star Asia 2025 Prize has been given to the project, which placed third in 2024 (5 Stars) for its application linking the building sector, home care, small repairs, and calling for qualified labor.

Expand North Star 2025 Award runner-up for the 2024 Startup Project Development Program, Green Choice, Durian-based Circular Product Set. With the help of GITEX, this project represented Vietnam in the exhibition in Singapore at the end of April 2025, gaining access to foreign markets and competitions. The North Star Asia 2025 Prize has been given to the project, which placed third in 2024 (5 Stars) for its application linking the building sector, home care, small repairs, and calling for qualified labor.

As 2026 approaches, the National Startup Program will keep coming up with new ideas and working closely with departments, ministries, and foreign organizations to help communities and schools and institutions around the country create and grow an open, creative startup environment. All pledges to remain a worthwhile playground that draws the involvement of the startup community, including young people, students, and young companies, in order to create numerous new startup opportunities, support the development of a creative entrepreneurial team in the future, and foster a creative startup nation.