The HCMC K-Brand Expo 2026 opened in Ho Chi Minh City on August 27, featuring nearly 200 exhibition booths, with technology and artificial intelligence (AI) accounting for more than 40% of the total.
Running from August 27 to 29, the event is being held for the fifth consecutive year, with the aim of strengthening trade and innovation links between Vietnam and South Korea.
The expo is jointly organised by South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, the Jeonbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center (JBCEIC), the Startup and Innovation Hub of Ho Chi Minh City (SIHUB) and the Korea-Vietnam Trade Promotion Center.
One of the key highlights is Venture.Star 2026, a program designed to connect startups with domestic and international investment funds. Across previous editions, the program has linked 40 Vietnamese and South Korean startups with 17 investment funds.
The expo has recorded significant participation since its launch. During its four editions from 2022 to 2025, the event attracted more than 700 South Korean startups and businesses and over 30,600 visitors.
It also generated more than 5,020 business-matching meetings and approximately 800 memoranda of understanding between companies and startups from the two countries.
More than 50 South Korean organisations supporting startups and innovation have participated in the program, helping expand opportunities for technology cooperation, investment and business partnerships.
Google translate