TECHFEST 2020 officially underway

TECHFEST 2020 is expected to create a useful playground for startups

Since early October, the organisation board of TECHFEST 2020 – an annual contest specialised in aiding potential startups – has been calling for participating startups from Vietnam and overseas. Accordingly, the short-listing round has taken place from October 8 to November 8, and the semi-finals and the finals will be held on November 24 in Ho Chi Minh City and on November 28 in Hanoi.

Mandy Nguyen, head of the programme’s organisation board, said that Vietnamese startups’ demand is larger than the competition, in other words, they need a big playground where they can improve their abilities through training programmes and other activities.

“Therefore, this year's contest focuses especially on training and linking startups to experts and related consultants, as well as organising demo pitching to aid capital mobilisation,” said Nguyen. “Particularly, many new awards will be offered to promote creativity and innovation among startups specialised in healthcare, finance, export-import, and sustainability, among others.”

The contest reflects the determination of the Ministry of Science and Technology as well as other organising members like SVF and Startup World Cup in enhancing the quality of local startups in the international playground while promoting the image of the Vietnamese startup ecosystem to all partners across the globe.

Cassie Nguyen, co-founder and COO of Abivin – the champion of TECHFEST 2018, shared, “Thanks to the competition, we had a great opportunity to meet and connect with influential people in the Vietnamese startup circle.”

Accompanying the annual programme are businesses and organisations that have long experience in technology and innovation such as K-Group Vietnam, SunShine Holding, VMED Group, VinaCapital Ventures, and others.