HCM CITY — Naiscorp Robotics Smart Technology JSC won the champion prize at the fifth season of the Qualcomm® Vietnam Innovation Challenge (QVIC) with an edge-AI home companion robot designed to support senior care.

Tensor Company Ltd won second prize for an AI-powered in-ovo sexing solution for sustainable poultry production, while VIOT Energy Efficiency Platform JSC (VEEP) took third prize with a cloud-based, AIoT-powered energy management solution aimed at reducing energy waste in buildings.

AIZ JSC and OpenMind Robotics Company Ltd received the Innovation Award for an AI enterprise platform for unified data, digital workforce and intelligent process automation, and OpenMind Eye, a robotics solution for logistics automation, respectively.

The five winners received a combined US$255,000 in cash prizes. Naiscorp Robotics received $100,000, Tensor $75,000 and VEEP $50,000, while AIZ JSC and OpenMind Robotics each received $15,000.

The winning teams will also join Qualcomm Technologies’ global network, gaining greater industry exposure and opportunities to participate in global trade shows and customer meetings.

Supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology since its launch in 2019, QVIC supports innovative startups through technical assistance, business coaching, intellectual property training and mentorship.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoàng Minh commended QVIC for expanding its reach beyond startups to include research groups, university-based projects and spin-off enterprises.

“This is precisely how science, technology, and innovation can truly create value – by bringing ideas and research outcomes to market and transforming them into products, businesses, and new sources of value for Việt Nam’s economy,” he said.

The QVIC programme encourages the development Việt Nam’s emerging technology ecosystem by identifying and nurturing small- and medium-sized companies developing innovative products in areas including artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing, 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, smart cities, automotives, and other technologies.

“The Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge exemplifies Qualcomm’s long-term commitment to supporting Việt Nam’s vision of becoming a leading innovation and AI hub in the region,” said ST Liew, vice president of Qualcomm Technologies Inc.

 “The outstanding quality of this year’s finalists demonstrates the strength of Việt Nam’s talent, entrepreneurial spirit, and growing deep-tech ecosystem,” he said, adding that QVIC helps bridge innovation and commercialisation by providing startups with access to technology, mentorship and global opportunities.

Sudeepto Roy, vice president, Engineering, Qualcomm Incorporated, said the 15 finalists reflected both the breadth and maturity of Việt Nam’s startup ecosystem.

He highlighted the diverse applications of on-device AI, spanning robotics, drones, enterprise AI, smart infrastructure, healthcare, climate technologies, semiconductors and fintech.

Over its six-year history, QVIC has supported 80 startups, whose innovations have resulted in more than 200 patent filings in Việt Nam and globally. More than 1,300 innovators have completed the free online L2Pro Vietnam intellectual property training programme. — BIZHUB