HO CHI MINH CITY : US tech giant Qualcomm has announced the acquisition of MovianAI, the generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) subsidiary of Vietnam’s Vingroup, for an undisclosed sum.
MovianAI, founded in 2024, was previously a division of VinAI, another firm within the Vingroup ecosystem. This acquisition is expected to accelerate Qualcomm’s development of advanced AI solutions for smartphones, PCs, and software-defined vehicles.
The deal follows Nvidia’s December 2024 acquisition of VinBrain, a Hanoi-based AI healthcare company, as part of a growing trend of US tech firms investing in Vietnam’s AI sector.
Vietnam has been strengthening its commercial ties with the US, particularly as its US$123.5 billion trade surplus with Washington in 2024 has come under scrutiny and may lead to potential tariffs under the Trump administration.
VinAI, initially launched as Vingroup’s research institute, became a standalone subsidiary in 2021 with a charter capital of 425 billion dong (S$22.3 million). VinBrain, which focused on AI-driven healthcare solutions, was established with an investment of 126.6 billion dong.
