For Thái Thị Thu Thủy, born in 1993 in North Quy Nhơn Ward, entrepreneurship began with a desire to make her family’s traditional dishes more accessible through convenient packaging.
In late 2021, she started developing packaged bánh canh and fish noodle soup products that retained their familiar flavours while offering greater convenience.
Her decision to avoid preservatives, however, significantly extended the development process.
Several trials resulted in the loss of tonnes of flour, fish and spices. Despite the setbacks, Thủy spent three to four years refining recipes, processing techniques and packaging methods. The products finally achieved stability in May 2025.
“My guiding principle is to preserve the authentic traditional flavours in every product,” she said. She hopes to develop more regional specialties and introduce international consumers to Vietnam’s culinary diversity beyond phở and bánh mì.
A different entrepreneurial journey began with Nguyễn Anh Khoa, born in 2004 and director of FTES Educational Technology Solutions Co., Ltd. in An Bình Ward.
Khoa and his friends initially formed a mentoring group to support IT students at FPT University’s Quy Nhơn campus. Their initiative subsequently developed into FTES, an AI-powered learning platform connecting students, mentors and university communities.
The platform offers learning materials, exercises and course modules, alongside AI-powered question-and-answer tools and personalised learning functions.
Since its launch in March 2025, FTES has attracted positive feedback but encountered significant server and AI operating costs. The team also recognised that technical expertise alone was insufficient to sustain a business.
“We realised that being good at technology was not enough. We also needed to understand management and operations,” Khoa said. The team subsequently established a company to manage cash flow and maintain stable operations.
For Nguyễn Quốc Duy, born in 1992 and deputy director of AI Native Lab Co., Ltd. in North Quy Nhơn Ward, entrepreneurship meant returning home to build a technology business.
After studying and working in Hanoi, where he researched artificial intelligence and developed solutions for domestic and international markets, Duy returned to his home province in October 2024 to establish AI Native Lab.
The company specialises in AI training, technology transfer and information security. With AI adoption still limited locally, Duy initially organised knowledge-sharing sessions before expanding into specialised training and practical technology projects with agencies, organisations and businesses.
Meanwhile, Nguyễn Chiêu Hoàng Linh, born in 2005 in Quy Nhơn Ward, and fellow students at FPT University’s Quy Nhơn campus developed PawsTag, a solution addressing the difficulties of reuniting lost pets with their owners.
Their product combines NFC technology and QR codes in a waterproof, battery-free identification tag that stores pet information digitally. Anyone finding a lost dog or cat can scan the code or tap the tag with a smartphone to access its profile and send the animal’s location to its owner.
The project addresses the limitations of paper-based identification, which can be lost or become outdated. For Linh and his teammates, the challenge is not simply developing the technology but ensuring the product is practical and easy to use.
Building businesses and expanding market reach
These initiatives are gradually moving beyond development into commercial activity.
At Vĩnh Phú Food Production Co., Ltd., founded by Thủy, products including snakehead fish bánh canh, eel bánh canh, vegetarian bánh canh, tuna noodle soup and various spices have reached consumers.
Beyond her family’s store and restaurant, she sells through TikTok, Shopee and Lazada and has secured placement in supermarket chains in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Her snakehead fish bánh canh received provincial OCOP certification in 2025.
FTES, meanwhile, has expanded from its initial student community to learners at FPT University’s Quy Nhơn campus and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology.
According to project data, the platform has 6,311 users, including 2,070 paying subscribers, and generated approximately VND 1.17 billion ($44,600) in revenue between 2025 and 2026. The team continues to develop AI-powered learning tools and connect students with alumni mentors.
AI Native Lab is also expanding its product portfolio to serve different customer groups. DoctorX.vn supports cross-border sellers with product research, design, order management and fulfilment, while AegisDome provides data security solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Other products include Dr. Reach, which monitors real-time social media engagement, and Dr. AI Signal, designed to identify potential trending products.
Duy said the company planned to expand training and technology transfer while seeking resources to strengthen its workforce and develop additional products.
He also called for more support mechanisms to attract investment and help local technology businesses connect with external resources and realise their potential.
PawsTag began selling through Facebook in September 2026, marking its first commercial step. The team sees the identification tag as a starting point for reaching pet owners, testing demand and refining its product.
Linh said the longer-term ambition was to develop a platform connecting pet owners with care providers, rescue centres and potential adopters, making pet care and protection more convenient.
The experiences of these young entrepreneurs highlight different approaches to building businesses, from preserving traditional cuisine to developing technology-driven solutions. Their progress also reflects the challenges of refining products, managing operating costs and establishing market demand.
For them, entrepreneurship is not simply about launching an idea, but about steadily transforming practical solutions into sustainable business opportunities.
