HCM-UTE Launches Student Startup Competition to Select Projects for the National SV.STARTUP Contest

On the morning of September 23, 2026, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Engineering (HCM-UTE, formerly Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education) held the launch ceremony of the HCM-UTE SV.STARTUP 2026 competition. The university-level startup competition aims to identify, nurture and select student ideas and projects to take part in the national Students with Startup Ideas competition (SV.STARTUP).

Attending the program, the HCM-UTE Center of Innovation, Startup and Technology Transfer was represented by Le Tan Cuong, M.Eng., Deputy Director in charge of the Center and Head of the Organizing Committee of the competition; Mai Tuan Khoi, M.Eng., Deputy Director of the Center; and the Center’s lecturers and staff. The accompanying partners were represented by Nguyen Anh Toan, M.A., Investment Consultant at Maybank Investment Bank; Dang Ngoc Hau, MBA (Solvay Brussels), Founder and CEO of PnB Education and PnB Compass; and Mr. Do Xuan Doan, Founder and CEO of VADO SPORT.

Speaking at the program, Le Tan Cuong, M.Eng., Deputy Director in charge of the Center of Innovation, Startup and Technology Transfer and Head of the Organizing Committee of HCM-UTE SV.STARTUP 2026, said that the competition gives students the opportunity to shape their ideas, develop an entrepreneurial mindset, and build up knowledge and experience with the support of experts, mentors and alumni. From the university-level competition, promising ideas and projects will be selected to go on to the national competition. He expressed the hope that students would take part with enthusiasm, be proactive in learning, and remain open to feedback so as to refine their projects and gradually bring their startup ideas into practice.

As part of the launch ceremony, three speakers offered different perspectives on the startup journey. Nguyen Anh Toan, M.A., spoke on “The Financial Story in Startups”; Mr. Do Xuan Doan discussed “Starting Up from Zero in the Digital Age”; and Dang Ngoc Hau, MBA, presented “The Startup Journey and Business Lessons That Do Not Come from Theory”. Through these three topics, students gained access to real-world stories and experience from the startup journey, from forming and developing an idea and building a business in the digital age to questions of finance and investment.

Beyond the presentations, participating students were able to exchange views, ask questions and hear real-life stories from the speakers. This gave them a clearer view of the issues that may arise in the course of a startup, from forming an idea and running a business to matters of finance and investment.

HCM-UTE SV.STARTUP 2026 is organized to inspire an entrepreneurial spirit and to create an environment in which students can develop their creativity and gradually turn their ideas into concrete projects. The activity reflects the University’s commitment to building students’ capabilities and widening their opportunities for hands-on experience and personal development alongside their studies and research. Through the competition and its accompanying activities, students can meet entrepreneurs and experts, learn from practical experience and receive feedback to refine their projects. In this way, HCM-UTE can identify and nurture promising ideas and select projects to represent the University at the national Students with Startup Ideas competition (SV.STARTUP).