[Latest News] HCM City Aims for Global Top 100 in Startup Ecosystems by 2030

Ho Chi Minh City has set an ambitious goal to rank among the top 100 innovation startup ecosystems worldwide by 2030. According to the latest ranking from the international research and advisory organization StartupBlink, HCM City is currently ranked 110th globally - a rise of one spot compared to 2024, and a significant improvement from its 225th place in 2020. The information was stated at the working session of the Ministry of Science and Technology delegation with Ho Chi Minh City on November 29.

🏙️ What HCM City has going for it

• The city is home to over half of Vietnam’s startups, nearly 40% of the country’s incubators, and attracts around half of all venture-capital investment in Vietnam.

• It boasts a dense network of innovation infrastructure: more than 140 universities and research institutes, over 80 startup-supporting or co-working spaces, and 16 major data centers.

• In 2025, the city earmarked a significant budget for science and technology - investing more than 5,373 billion VND, equivalent to 1.84% of its total budget, surpassing the national target of 1.5%.

📈 The roadmap to Top 100

City leaders plan to accelerate growth through:

• Expanding its innovation-center network and establishing venture-capital funds to back promising startups.

• Investing heavily in high-performance computing infrastructure to support advanced sectors like AI, digital technology, and data-driven industries.

• Reforming policies to shift from incentives based on scale to incentives based on real innovation outcomes; and promoting shared infrastructure between universities and businesses to reduce redundancy and foster experimentation

💡 Why this matters

If successful, HCM City could become a major regional - even global - innovation hub. This would attract more talent, more capital, and more technology-driven businesses, boosting the city’s economic growth and digital economy.

But the path ahead remains challenging. To reach the Top 100, HCM City must overcome structural bottlenecks - including building supportive infrastructure, strengthening regulatory frameworks for innovation and digital assets, and ensuring consistent, effective policy implementation.