On April 1, Vingroup announced that it transferred all shares in Movian AI Joint Stock Company to Qualcomm. The move separated Movian AI from Vingroup’s portfolio, which included VinMotion, VinBigData, VinRobotics, VinITIS, VinHMS, VinCSS, and VinTech.
Originally part of VinAI’s generative AI branch, Movian AI was established as a separate entity in November 2024. The acquisition integrated VinAI’s research with Qualcomm’s in-house R&D and expedited the creation of AI solutions for smartphones, personal computers, and software-defined vehicles.
Qualcomm, known for its Snapdragon chip line and its presence in the Vietnamese technology market, reinforced its commitment with the opening of an R&D center in Hanoi in 2020. The acquisition reinforced Qualcomm’s intent to strengthen its presence in Vietnam and accelerate development of AI-powered products and applications. Its move into generative AI research aimed to enhance the suite of AI development tools and support industry innovation cycles.
“We are ready to contribute to Qualcomm's mission of making breakthroughs in fundamental AI research and scale them across industries, including smartphones, PCs, software‑defined vehicles, and more,” said Dr. Hung Bui, Founder and CEO of VinAI, according to Forbes. His experience in building VinAI’s expertise in generative AI, machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing was expected to accelerate development of new solutions.
“By bringing in high‑caliber talent from VinAI, we are strengthening our ability to deliver cutting‑edge AI solutions that will benefit a wide range of industries and consumers,” said Jilei Hou, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm, according to Forbes. Hou added that the acquisition underscored Qualcomm’s commitment to dedicating resources to research and development, an initiative viewed as a driving force behind future AI research.
The transaction followed Qualcomm’s earlier acquisition of Edge Impulse, a German company with expertise in artificial intelligence and Internet of Things solutions, and marked the chipmaker’s second purchase of the year. With Movian AI’s charter capital of 226.766 billion VND and a focus on generative AI, the move aligned with Qualcomm’s strategy to integrate AI research with its core technology platforms. The company anticipated that the integration of generative AI capabilities would accelerate development of AI solutions for its product lines.
Movian AI’s headquarters at the Symphony Office Building in Hanoi’s Vinhomes Riverside Urban Area signaled Qualcomm’s investment in the region. Over the past two decades, Qualcomm built collaborative ties with Vietnam’s technology ecosystem, and the acquisition deepened that relationship. The integration of Movian AI into Qualcomm’s global R&D framework highlighted efforts to harness local talent and innovation and reinforce its competitive edge in the AI market.
Vingroup, controlled by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong, restructured its focus by selling Movian AI while retaining its other subsidiaries. The divestment aligned with Vingroup’s strategy to reallocate investments in AI and scientific research. For Qualcomm, the purchase broadened its technology portfolio and strengthened its ability to expedite creation and deployment of AI solutions across devices and industries. The acquisition represented a convergence between Qualcomm’s expertise in semiconductor technology and Movian AI’s capabilities in generative AI research, with Qualcomm aiming to drive innovations that would transform technology and deliver AI‑powered applications to consumers and businesses.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.