Innovative city solutions in 12 key focus areas identified by the city governments and the smart city steering committees of Vietnam focused on affordable housing, energy efficiency, traffic management and smarter parking, drainage, sewerage and waste management, urban agriculture, water purification and delivery, public security and monitoring of natural disasters, ecotourism and environmental planning, health care, education, e-government services, and more greenery and public spaces.
This is the latest in a series of innovation challenges by MBI, which also pioneered the MIST: Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism challenge earlier this year. Innovation challenges in other industry verticals include MATCh for Agritech and the Vietnam Fintech Challenge. The MBI challenges are funded and supported by the Australian Government and the Asian Development Bank.
The details of the 15 shortlisted teams can be found in Annex B.
All finalists will compete in the Demo Day to showcase their solutions to local government authorities, potential corporate partners, and investors. Leading up to the Demo Day teams will be matched with noteworthy mentors within the Vietnamese ecosystem, offered co-working space, and connected with local companies and stakeholders.
Finalists will be evaluated on their concept’s relevance to address real urban challenges in Vietnam, the company’s business potential, uniqueness of idea, and the team’s ability to execute the plans.
Up to three winners will be selected at the Demo Day. They will receive cash prizes and be fast-tracked to the cities’ acceleration programs to help localize their solutions, thereafter securing projects if agreed milestones are met.
Other teams who applied for the Smart City Innovation Challenge still stand to gain from attending the demo day as it provides a platform for them to work with potential corporate champions and industry mentors, network with key stakeholders within Vietnam’s smart city community, meet investors and accelerators, and connect with co-creators within the industry.
| The Demo Day is being organized by MBI in cooperation with The National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Development (NATEC-MOST), HCMC Department of Science and Technology, Da Nang Business Incubator (DNES) and Vietnam Angel Investor Network (iAngel). |
