Qualcomm Acquires MovianAI: Boosting Generative AI Capabilities with Vietnamese Startup's Expertise

Qualcomm acquires generative AI division of Vietnamese startup VinAI | TechCrunch

The move marks Qualcomm's continued expansion into the AI tooling sector. VinAI, which was founded by former DeepMind research scientist Hung Bui, develops a range of generative AI technologies, including computer vision algorithms and language models. "This acquisition underscores our commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to R&D that makes us the driving force behind the next wave of AI innovation," Qualcomm SVP of Engineering Jilei Hou said in a press release. "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." VinAI, which Bui started in 2019, primarily focuses on AI-powered automotive products, but also conducts higher-level AI research. Backed by VinGroup, a Vietnamese conglomerate, the company creates solutions like in-cabin monitoring, security, and "smart parking" systems for carmakers and customers in other verticals. In a 2023 interview with Forbes, Bui said that VinAI had around 200 employees spread across the startup's offices in Hanoi, the U.S., and Australia. Bui said that he expects VinAI will contribute to a number of Qualcomm's product families, including its software and chips for smartphones, PCs, and vehicles. "Our team's expertise in generative AI and machine learning will help accelerate the development of innovative solutions that can transform the way we live and work," he added in a statement. Bui, who serves as VinAI's CEO, will join Qualcomm following the close of the acquisition, according to the aforementioned press release. The VinAI acquisition is Qualcomm's second this year following its purchase of Edge Impulse, a German AI and internet of things company, in early March. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon recently called edge AI -- AI that can run on devices without the need for data center infrastructure -- a "tailwind" for the tech giant.

Qualcomm acquires Vingroup's AI division for talents

According to a press release, Qualcomm has acquired MovianAI, the former generative AI division of VinAI, which is part of the Vingroup. This acquisition will enhance Qualcomm's R&D capabilities, potentially fostering significant innovations. Qualcomm said VinAI is known for its expertise in generative AI, machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing. The company added that for over two decades, it has collaborated with Vietnam's tech ecosystem, contributing to advancements in 5G, AI, IoT, and automotive sectors, which have spurred growth in Vietnam's ICT industry and supported local companies' entry into global markets. Jilei Hou, senior vice president of engineering at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., stated, "This acquisition highlights our commitment to R&D, positioning us as a leader in AI innovation. By integrating top talent from VinAI, we enhance our capability to deliver advanced AI solutions across various industries and for consumers." Hung Bui, founder and CEO of VinAI and a former Google DeepMind scientist, expressed readiness to support Qualcomm's mission in advancing AI research across various industries, including smartphones and software-defined vehicles. He noted that his team's expertise in generative AI and machine learning will drive the development of transformative solutions. Established foundation In 2019, Vingroup established VinAI, a machine-learning lab focused on AI development in sectors like autonomous vehicles, healthcare, and consumer services. In 2021, Nvidia's blog highlighted Vingroup as the first Southeast Asian company to install the Nvidia DGX SuperPOD AI supercomputer. This system significantly boosts VinAI's data processing capabilities, particularly for developing level 3 autonomous driving for VinFast, Vingroup's automotive arm. The DGX SuperPOD is projected to accelerate AI model training tenfold, allowing daily updates using real-world data from vehicles in the US and Europe. Collaborative innovations VinAI and Qualcomm launched GuardPro in 2023, an AI-powered system for safety and compliance monitoring in smart cities. GuardPro uses AI and computer vision to analyze up to 150 camera streams per AI accelerator, detecting non-compliance and security issues in real-time for residential and commercial buildings.

Qualcomm acquires MovianAI to bolster its AI capabilities - SiliconANGLE

Qualcomm Technologies Inc. today announced that it has acquired MovianAI, a Vietnamese artificial intelligence developer. MovianAI is the generative AI arm of VinAI Application and Research JSC, a machine learning research lab. VinAI, in turn, is a unit of Vingroup, one of Vietnam's largest conglomerates. The latter company operates hotels, manufactures cars and competes in several other markets. "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, Qualcomm's senior vice president of engineering. VinAI, MovianAI's parent organization, is led by former DeepMind research scientist Hung Bui. It has published multiple papers on generative AI since launching in 2019. VinAI has also uploaded dozens of open-source projects to GitHub. About two years ago, VinAI researchers presented a new approach to building image generation models. The technique involves using an existing image generation model to train a smaller algorithm that can perform the same tasks using less hardware. According to VinAI, the technology reduces the need for training data and thereby eases development. Besides new machine learning techniques, the lab has also developed several open-source AI models. One of its image generation algorithms combines three different neural network designs: the diffusion, Transformer and Mamba architectures. Mamba is a relatively new alternative to the Transformer architecture that can be more hardware-efficient in certain situations. VinAI's research efforts also extend beyond image generation. It has developed a custom large language model, RecGPT-7B, that is optimized for recommendation generation tasks. "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 VinAI CEO Hung Bui, who is joining the chipmaker as part of the deal. MovianAI's model development expertise could help Qualcomm enhance its suite of AI development tools. Those tools make it easier for companies to deploy machine learning applications on devices powered by the chipmaker's processors. Qualcomm provides a library of preconfigured AI models optimized to run on its silicon. Those algorithms remove the need for companies to train new algorithms from scratch, which speeds up development. For software teams that nevertheless wish to build custom models, Qualcomm provides tools that help optimize those models' performance. The MovianAI deal comes less than a month after the chipmaker acquired Edge Impulse Inc., another AI development specialist. The latter company's software makes it easier to build AI models that can run efficiently on connected devices. Prior to the deal, Edge Impulse raised about $54 million in funding and built up an installed base of more than 170,000 developers.

Qualcomm Aquires VinAI's Subsidiary MovianAI to Boost Capabilities

Qualcomm announced the acquisition of MovianAI Artificial Intelligence (AI) Application and Research JSC (MovianAI) on Tuesday. MovianAI is the former generative AI division of VinAI Application and Research JSC (VinAI) and a part of the Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup. With this move, the San Diego-based tech giant has acquired a 65 percent stake in the company. The financial details of the move were not disclosed by either of the parties involved in the acquisition. Qualcomm said the move will allow it to expedite and scale generative AI research and product development. In a newsroom post, the chip maker announced the acquisition of the Vietnamese AI firm. MovianAI was established in November 2024 after Vingroup split its AI subsidiary VinAI into two entities. The acquired entity specialised in AI research and development and had a charter capital of nearly $9 million (roughly Rs. 77 crore). The chip maker said that it has been working closely with the Vietnamese technology ecosystem for more than 20 years to create and develop solutions in the areas of 5G, AI, IoT, and automotive. Alongside the acquisition, Qualcomm also announced that VinAI's founder and CEO, Hung Bui, will also join Qualcomm. He previously worked with Google DeepMind. With this move, Qualcomm aims to scale its generative AI research and development capabilities. MovianAI will help the tech giant in expediting the creation of AI solutions for products such as smartphones, PCs, software-powered vehicles, and more. "This acquisition underscores our commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to R&D that makes us the driving force behind the next wave of AI innovation. 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, Qualcomm Technologies. "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. Our team's expertise in generative AI and machine learning will help accelerate the development of innovative solutions that can transform the way we live and work," added Bui.

Qualcomm acquires VinAI division to boost Gen AI

Qualcomm has announced the acquisition of MovianAI Artificial Intelligence (AI) Application and Research JSC (MovianAI), the generative AI division formerly belonging to VinAI Application and Research JSC (VinAI), a part of the Vingroup ecosystem. The acquisition aims to enhance Qualcomm's research and development capabilities in generative AI, with the objective of accelerating the creation of advanced AI solutions for a range of products, including smartphones, PCs, software-defined vehicles, and related technologies. VinAI is recognized for its expertise in generative AI, machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing. According to Qualcomm, the integration of VinAI's generative AI research and development capabilities with Qualcomm's existing research efforts is intended to expand the company's capacity for innovation. The acquisition will result in Dr. Hung Bui, the founder and CEO of VinAI, joining Qualcomm. Dr. Bui's background includes experience at Google DeepMind. VinAI's generative AI team is described as possessing expertise in AI research, customized AI model development, and engineering. Qualcomm has stated that it has maintained a relationship with the Vietnamese technology ecosystem for over 20 years, providing solutions in areas such as 5G, AI, IoT, and automotive. The company has indicated that its contributions have supported the growth of Vietnam's information and communication technology (ICT) industry and facilitated the participation of Vietnamese companies in the global market. Regarding this Jilei Hou, senior vice president of engineering, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc, said: This acquisition underscores our commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to R&D that makes us the driving force behind the next wave of AI innovation. 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. Dr. Hung Bui, founder and chief executive officer, VinAI, added:

Qualcomm: strengthens position in AI with acquisition of MovianAI

Qualcomm announces the acquisition of MovianAI, the former generative AI division of VinAI, to strengthen its artificial intelligence R&D capabilities. The acquisition is aimed at accelerating the development of advanced AI solutions for smartphones, PCs and software-defined vehicles. Indeed, integrating the advanced generative AI R&D capabilities of VinAI, a leading AI research company, with Qualcomm's decades of innovation will strengthen its ability to develop solutions. In addition, Dr Hung Bui, founder and CEO of VinAI, joins Qualcomm. This acquisition underscores the group's commitment to investing the necessary R&D resources to continue driving the next wave of AI innovation, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. said. By integrating top talent from VinAI, we strengthen our ability to deliver cutting-edge AI solutions that will benefit a wide range of industries and consumers. Copyright (c) 2025 CercleFinance.com. All rights reserved.

Qualcomm acquires Vingroup's AI subsidiary Movian AI - VnExpress International

On Tuesday Vingroup announced it had transferred all its shares in Movian AI, ending its status as its subsidiary. Qualcomm confirmed the deal the same day, saying Bui Hai Hung, founder and CEO of VinAI, will join Qualcomm as part of the acquisition. Movian AI was established in late November 2024 as one of two companies Vingroup split its AI subsidiary VinAI into. It has a charter capital of nearly VND227 billion (US$9 million), with Vingroup holding a 65% stake, and specializes in AI research and development. Qualcomm, known for its Snapdragon semiconductors, is a major global supplier of smartphone processors that is currently benefiting from the burgeoning demand for AI-powered mobile devices. In Vietnam, the company established a R&D center in Hanoi in 2020. Vingroup has several other technology and AI subsidiaries like VinAI, VinMotion, VinBigData, VinRobotics, VinITIS, VinHMS, VinCSS, and VinTech. In December 2024 the conglomerate, led by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong, sold another AI company, VinBrain, to U.S. tech giant Nvidia.