Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2024

Since establishing an office in Hanoi in 2003 and subsequently in Ho Chi Minh City in 2014, Qualcomm has played an important role in the way people communicate in Vietnam – including 2G, 3G, 4G and now 5G. We have successfully collaborated with leading Vietnamese OEMs and mobile network operators for many years, and recently have been working with the industry and government to realize Industry 4.0 policy and “Make in Vietnam” objectives.
In December 2019, we launched the Qualcomm® Vietnam Innovation Challenge for innovative startups in promising new technology areas in Vietnam. This Challenge, which involves the support of Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology, has enabled the development of Vietnam’s rising technology ecosystem by identifying and nurturing innovative small- and medium-sized companies who are designing products in 5G, IoT, artificial intelligence, smart cities, wearable devices, and multimedia utilizing Qualcomm® mobile platforms and technologies and can benefit from our expertise in a number of areas.
The Challenge is open to any company or team that meets the application criteria (please see the official rules and FAQs for eligibility criteria). Based on the applications received, up to 10 companies will be invited to participate in the Challenge and given financial benefits and offered technical and business incubation support. Finally, a jury will select the top three companies who will receive prize money and post-Challenge support from Qualcomm Technologies.

2024 Program Benefits

Financial Grants and Awards to Support Incubation:  Up to 10 shortlisted companies will receive grants of USD $10,000 each to support incubation of their proposals. At the conclusion of the incubation period, the top three finalists will receive additional prize money of USD $100,000, $75,000, and $50,000 respectively. Qualcomm Technologies will not request any equity or intellectual property ownership in exchange for this financial support.

Patent Filing Incentive: Qualcomm Technologies will reimburse up to USD $5,000 in expenses incurred by shortlisted companies for utility patent applications filed with either the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam which relate to proposals for QVIC 2024.

Access to Accelerator Program Services: Qualcomm Technologies will provide workshops and training on a range of topics such as operations, customer development, competitive analysis, product management, global market entry strategy, mastering the pitch, intellectual property, and fundraising. Frequent coaching and mentoring sessions from subject matter experts in these areas will be provided free of charge to shortlisted startups.

Ongoing Technical and R&D Support: Qualcomm Technologies will offer technical support to shortlisted startups at no additional cost, which will include business and technical guidance, access to our lab in Hanoi, as well as problem-solving support from our local teams. Lab capabilities include ML/AI enablement, camera lab, audio lab, RF chamber, thermal, and modem troubleshooting.