US tech giant Qualcomm has launched its artificial intelligence (AI) research and development (R&D) centre in Vietnam, while early-stage venture capital firm ThinkZone Ventures has announced the completion of its acquisition of a controlling stake in BK Investments JSC.
Qualcomm sets up AI R&D centre in Vietnam
US tech giant Qualcomm on Tuesday launched its artificial intelligence (AI) research and development (R&D) centre in Vietnam.
The centre comes shortly after Qualcomm’s acquisition of MovianAI, the generative AI division of VinAI, which is part of Vietnam’s Vingroup ecosystem.
The new AI R&D centre will be integrated into Qualcomm’s global AI research team and will play a crucial role in advancing generative AI and agentic AI solutions. These innovations are aimed at various applications, including smartphones, personal computers, extended reality (XR) technologies, automobiles, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
Qualcomm has been operating an R&D centre in Hanoi since 2020, part of its broader network of research facilities outside its headquarters in San Diego, California.
The new centre aims to leverage Vietnam’s extensive talent pool to drive innovation in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
ThinkZone takes over management of BK Fund
Vietnam’s early-stage venture capital firm ThinkZone Ventures has completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in BK Investments JSC, thereby directly taking over the management of BK Fund – Hanoi University of Science and Technology Innovation Startup Investment Fund.
With this acquisition, ThinkZone has increased the number of funds under our management to 3, including: ThinkZone Fund I, ThinkZone Fund II, and BK Fund.
BK Fund was established in January 2021 by the alumni of Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), led by Dr. Pham Dinh Doan – Chairman of Phu Thai Holdings and Chairman of BK Fund.
BK Fund focuses on investing in deep-tech startup companies & projects founded by lecturers, students, and alumni of HUST. In 2022, ThinkZone Ventures raised $60 million for its second fund, making it the biggest homegrown VC vehicle backed predominantly by local conglomerates.
