UFM Successfully Hosts the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Festival and the Semifinal Round of UFM STARTUP 2025
UFM hosted the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Festival and the Semifinal Round of UFM STARTUP 2025 on September 21, attracting nearly 2,000 students, more than 20 exhibition booths, and 20 competing teams. The event also featured cooperation agreements with Hubbiz and HUBSAIGON. In its second season, the competition attracted 61 teams and offered a total prize value of more than VND 300 million, emphasizing experience, learning capacity, perseverance, and social responsibility. At the conclusion of the Semifinal Round, the Judging Panel selected the Top 11 teams to advance to the Final Round. The program also included UFM Techfest and an inspirational talk show.
On the morning of September 21, the University of Finance – Marketing (UFM) successfully organized the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Festival and the Semifinal Round of the UFM Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition – UFM STARTUP 2025. The event was jointly organized by the Department of Research Management and Innovation and the UFM Youth Union. It attracted nearly 2,000 students, featured more than 20 booths from startup enterprises across Ho Chi Minh City, and brought together 20 competing teams from universities and colleges nationwide.
Prior to the main festival activities, a formal opening ceremony was held, together with the signing of cooperation agreements between Hubbiz Co., Ltd., Health & Education Hub Acc245 Joint Stock Company (HUBSAIGON), and the University of Finance – Marketing. The event welcomed the participation of Mr. Nguyen Tan Huy, General Director of HUB Saigon; Secretary General of the Vietnam Business Science Union; Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute for Enterprise and Talent Development; and Chairman of the Professional Advisory Council of the Vietnam Startup Incubator; Dr. Cao Thi Thu Van, Executive Director of Dragon Solutions Consulting Company, Human Resource Training Consultant, former Human Resources Director of Kinh Do Group, and former member of the Board of Directors of Cuu Long An Giang Import-Export Company; Mr. Le Hong Danh, Director of Hubbiz Co., Ltd.; Dr. Pham Thi Hong Phuong, Senior Advisor at the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City; Ms. Tran Thi Kim Lien, Deputy Head of the Division of Intellectual Property Management and Innovation, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology; representatives of the Gold Sponsor; and other distinguished guests. Representing the University of Finance – Marketing were Dr. Le Trung Dao, Vice President of UFM; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Thi Thu Suong, Head of the Department of Research Management and Innovation; Dr. Tran Thi Kim Oanh, Deputy Head of the Department of Research Management and Innovation; Dr. Truong Thanh Cong, Dean of the Faculty of Data Science; MSc. Nguyen Thi Kim Phung, Deputy Head of the Department of Admissions, Communications and Corporate Relations; MSc. Nguyen Tien Khoi, Secretary of the UFM Youth Union; together with a large number of Youth Union members and UFM students.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Le Trung Dao, Vice President of UFM, stated that the UFM Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition – UFM STARTUP 2025 was designed to provide students with an additional platform to develop creative thinking, interdisciplinary networking, leadership, and presentation skills. The competition also aims to foster an entrepreneurial mindset, equip students with practical entrepreneurship knowledge and skills, identify innovative and feasible ideas, and provide consultation, incubation, and resource connections to help transform promising ideas into viable projects. This is the second season of the competition, with a total prize value exceeding VND 300 million. The competition attracted 61 teams from universities and colleges across the country. Dr. Le Trung Dao emphasized that regardless of the final results, the most valuable outcomes are the experience gained, the capacity to learn, perseverance, and a sense of responsibility toward the community. These are fundamental values of entrepreneurship and also reflect the identity of UFM.
Dr. Le Trung Dao, Vice President of UFM, delivers remarks at the event
University leaders and representatives perform the opening ceremony
UFM leaders present flowers and letters of appreciation to members of the Judging Panel for the Semifinal Round of the UFM Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition – UFM STARTUP 2025.
The event also featured the signing of cooperation agreements between Hubbiz Co., Ltd., Health & Education Hub Acc245 Joint Stock Company (HUBSAIGON), and the University of Finance – Marketing. These agreements demonstrate the parties’ commitment to accompanying, supporting, and sharing resources to create favorable conditions for promising startup ideas to be developed into practical ventures.
Immediately after the opening ceremony, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Festival – UFM Techfest took place, featuring more than 20 booths from startup enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City and 20 competing teams from universities and colleges nationwide. Each exhibition booth served as a dynamic platform where teams presented and introduced their startup projects. This was an important component of the competition, helping the Judging Panel identify the top-performing teams to advance to the Final Round. The teams gathered at UFM in a vibrant atmosphere, bringing enthusiasm, commitment, and entrepreneurial spirit to showcase projects that had been carefully developed. This year’s ideas were particularly diverse, spanning areas such as industry, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, healthcare, education, culture and tourism, finance and banking, as well as business models designed to generate positive social impact. Each team brought its own distinctive creative approach. Some developed technological products and digital applications to address practical challenges in everyday life, while others pursued green business models aimed at reducing waste and promoting environmental sustainability. Other teams focused on solutions to improve community health or enhance the learning experience. The exhibition area therefore became an “open laboratory” where students could test their ideas, receive direct feedback from judges and visitors, and refine their business models based on real-world input.
At the event, knowledge acquired in the classroom was transformed into product prototypes, operational processes, and commercialization plans. Ideas that had previously existed only on paper were gradually developed into feasible products and solutions. From problem identification and user research to financial planning and market-entry strategies, the teams demonstrated systematic thinking and a strong willingness to learn. This convergence of ideas and expertise created not only a festival of innovation but also a platform that stimulated entrepreneurial energy, strengthened connections between academia and industry, and opened up opportunities for collaboration, incubation, and investment in promising projects.
Competing teams present their startup ideas to the Judging Panel
Another highlight of the festival was the participation of more than 20 startups and small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the Vietnamese market. Their presence provided students with valuable opportunities to present their products and ideas directly to investors, startup businesses, and SMEs. Participating enterprises not only explored new ideas but also provided advice and strategic guidance to student teams and, in some cases, identified potential opportunities for project incubation and collaboration. This interaction created an especially dynamic environment in which the energy and creativity of young entrepreneurs were connected with the experience, expertise, and professional networks of established businesses.
Participating enterprises at the Festival
The festival also featured the talk show “Entrepreneurship and Innovation”, providing students with an opportunity to engage and exchange perspectives with Mr. Nguyen Tan Huy, General Director of HUB Saigon, Secretary General of the Vietnam Business Science Union, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute for Enterprise and Talent Development, and Chairman of the Professional Advisory Council of the Vietnam Startup Incubator; Mr. Nguyen Doan Viet Phuong, Lecturer at the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Finance – Marketing; and Pham Thi Thuy Trang, a UFM student and representative of the startup project “Literacy and Mathematics Learning Device for Visually Impaired People”. Through the talk show, students were able to broaden their understanding of entrepreneurship while gaining insights from real-world stories, inspirational experiences, and valuable lessons shared by experts and entrepreneurs. The program thereby contributed to fostering a stronger spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship among young people.
Students enthusiastically participate in the “Entrepreneurship and Innovation” talk show.
Following an intensive and impartial evaluation process, the Semifinal Judging Panel, comprising Dr. Cao Thi Thu Van, Executive Director of Dragon Solutions Consulting Company; Dr. Nguyen Thai Ha, Deputy Head of the Marketing Management Division, University of Finance – Marketing; Dr. Truong Thanh Cong, Dean of the Faculty of Data Science, University of Finance – Marketing; Mr. Le Hong Danh, Director of Hubbiz Co., Ltd.; Dr. Pham Thi Hong Phuong, Senior Advisor at the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City; Ms. Tran Thi Kim Lien, Deputy Head of the Division of Intellectual Property Management and Innovation, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology; and MSc. Nguyen Tien Khoi, Secretary of the UFM Youth Union, decided to select 11 outstanding teams instead of the originally planned 10 to advance to the Final Round. The UFM Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition – UFM STARTUP 2025 is expected to be more than an intellectual playground where students can demonstrate their capabilities, creative ideas, and entrepreneurial ambition. It also provides a valuable opportunity for students to strengthen their innovative thinking and problem-solving skills and, more importantly, to transform their aspirations into practical initiatives.
Best wishes to all competing teams as they demonstrate their capabilities and strive for outstanding performances in the Final Round.
Hoàng Nam.