Top 10 Women in Tech Groups and Resources in Viet Nam in 2026

Table of Contents

• The Bouquet Approach
• Women Techmakers HCMC
• Women in AI (WAI) Vietnam
• Women in Tech® Vietnam
• Viet Tech Mentorship Program
• EMpower Acceleration Program
• WISE Women in Climate Change Accelerator
• Google Women Techmakers Scholarship
• ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships
• Asia Foundation STEM Pathway Program
• Ladies That UX Vietnam / IxDF Ho Chi Minh City
• Arranging Your Bouquet
• Frequently Asked Questions

Women Techmakers HCMC

The Hub in Ho Chi Minh City

Late March in Ho Chi Minh City, over 500 women engineers, designers, and product leaders fill a venue for the annual International Women's Day Summit. This is the flagship event of the Women Techmakers HCMC chapter, Google's global initiative brought to life by senior women engineers at companies like VNG and Zalopay. It is arguably the most visible stage for women in Vietnamese tech - not a single event, but a year-round engine for visibility and skill-building within the broader Women Techmakers ecosystem.

From Visibility to Concrete Skills

Beyond the summit's energy, the community runs the intensive "$udo Code" program, a multi-week technical training track for women transitioning into software engineering roles. Participants receive free workshops in Python, cloud computing, and Android development, mentorship matching with senior engineers, and direct exposure to hiring pipelines. Many $udo Code graduates have secured engineering roles at Vietnamese tech giants such as VNG and Zalopay, where average mid-level salaries range from 25,000,000 to 40,000,000 VND per month.

Bridging the Confidence Gap

This structured support directly addresses a challenge many Vietnamese women engineers face: the confidence gap in a fast-moving industry. As top Vietnamese tech voice Tracy Ha observes, "Women in tech and web3 have to try even harder - this is an industry that moves fast, shifts constantly, and leaves little room for standing still." Women Techmakers HCMC provides the practice ground to build that resilience at no cost. If you are in HCMC, attend the next IWD Summit or a monthly workshop. If you are in Hanoi, follow the emerging chapter there - the community is actively expanding north.

Women in AI (WAI) Vietnam

Domain-Specific Support for AI Careers

Artificial intelligence is Việt Nam's fastest-growing tech sector. Companies like VinAI (Vingroup's research division) and FPT's AI Centre invest hundreds of billions of VND in R&D each year. Yet women remain underrepresented in AI research. The Women in AI (WAI) Vietnam chapter addresses this gap directly, creating domain-specific pipelines rather than general tech support. Senior researchers from VinAI, FPT, Vietnam National University, and RMIT Vietnam serve as regional ambassadors, connecting women pursuing machine learning and data science careers with targeted mentorship.

Webinars, Awards, and Global Access

Members gain free entry to monthly technical webinars covering topics like LLM ethics, computer vision in Vietnamese healthcare, and MLOps for production systems. The annual WAI Awards APAC recognizes outstanding Vietnamese women in AI with cash prizes up to 50,000,000 VND. Beyond awards, the chapter offers year-round one-on-one mentorship matching with senior AI leaders and access to a global network of women researchers and practitioners across the APAC region.

"Heterogeneous teams are more creative, better at generating new ideas and avoid 'groupthink.'" - Angélique Masse Nguyen, Industry Leader

Your Entry Point

If you are working on an AI project at a Vietnamese startup or university lab, prepare your application for the 2026 WAI Awards APAC when submissions open in Q1. For immediate engagement, register for the next free monthly webinar on Zoom - recordings are shared afterward. This community is actively building the diverse AI teams that Việt Nam's leading tech companies need to stay competitive globally.

Women in Tech® Vietnam

Bridging the Technical and the Strategic

Not every woman in tech writes code. The Women in Tech® Vietnam chapter of the global movement intentionally bridges the gap between technical engineers and women in tech-adjacent roles - product management, marketing, and operations. A steering committee of senior leaders from FPT, Viettel, VNG, and non-profits drives the agenda. Key ambassadors include Tien Hoang of PYCO Group and Anh Nguyen of Zalopay, as profiled on the Women in Tech Network Vietnam page. Quarterly meetups rotate between Ho Chi Minh City and Hà Nội, hosted at landmarks like FPT Tower and Viettel Headquarters.

Members gain access to a layered set of resources:

• Quarterly networking salons with CTOs and VPs from major Vietnamese tech firms
• Skill-building bootcamps in public speaking, negotiation, and technical leadership
• Internal job posting channel with exclusive opportunities at partner companies
• Country ambassador program - a visible leadership role for mid-career professionals with 5+ years experience

Stopping the Mid-Career Leak

Việt Nam's tech sector suffers from a "middle management leak" - women enter at strong rates but disappear from senior technical and leadership positions. This community directly targets that gap with executive sponsorship from influential decision-makers. In a market where the average mid-level engineer in HCMC earns between 25,000,000 and 40,000,000 VND per month, mentorship from a CTO or VP can accelerate career progression by 2-3 years. The first step is free: join the LinkedIn showcase page and introduce yourself on the next event post.

Viet Tech Mentorship Program

Structured Mentorship for the Next Generation

Every January, the Viet Tech Mentorship Program opens applications for a free, six-month journey connecting students and early-career professionals with senior engineers, founders, and product leads. The 2025 cohort matched over 150 mentees with mentors who possess at least five years of industry experience - a ratio that ensures personalized attention rather than surface-level advice. The program is fully remote, making it accessible whether you study at Bach Khoa in Hanoi or live in Da Nang.

What Participants Actually Receive

Mentees commit to bi-weekly video calls for the duration of the program. In return, they gain:

• One-on-one mentorship with personalized career guidance covering resume review, mock interviews, and study roadmaps tailored to specific goals
• Private Slack community of over 500 Vietnamese tech professionals for ongoing peer support and networking
• Priority application status for job openings at partner companies including VNG, Shopee, and KMS Technology

The most valuable outcome, however, is often invisible on paper: mentorship addresses unconscious bias in Vietnamese tech workplaces, where women are frequently overlooked for stretch assignments and technical leadership roles despite equal qualifications.

"My mentor helped me realize I wasn't 'not technical enough' - I was just in a team that didn't give women the same challenging tickets." - Past mentee, Viet Tech Mentorship Program

Your Application Window

If you are a current university student or a graduate within two years of finishing your degree, prepare your application now for the next cohort. Applications typically open in December for the January-to-June session. Be specific about your career goals - for example, "I want to become a machine learning engineer at VinAI within two years" - as this focus helps mentors match you effectively. Geography does not matter; only your readiness to invest in a structured six-month relationship matters.

EMpower Acceleration Program

A Structured Path from Prototype to Fundable

Every February and August, Zone Startups Vietnam opens applications for the EMpower Acceleration Program, a 10-week accelerator specifically designed for women-led tech startups. Cohort sizes are kept intentionally small - about 15 startups per cycle - to deliver intensive, personalized support. The program is free, and selected ventures receive 50,000,000 VND in in-kind support covering curriculum, mentoring, and investor introductions. Zone Startups operates with ties to Ryerson University's DMZ in Toronto and Việt Nam's National Innovation Centre, bridging local execution with global best practices.

What the Program Delivers

Participants move through a structured curriculum over ten weeks. The program provides:

• Structured curriculum covering product-market fit, fundraising strategy, legal setup, and customer acquisition for the Vietnamese market
• One-on-one mentoring from successful Vietnamese tech founders, including alumni of VNG and Tiki
• Investor introductions to angel investors and venture capital firms based in Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore
• Ongoing alumni support after the program concludes - a network that keeps delivering introductions and co-founder matches

Why It Matters for Vietnamese Women

Access to capital is the single biggest structural barrier for women founders in Việt Nam. While Project 939 provides initial loans of up to 50,000,000 VND, the EMpower program bridges the gap to venture-scale funding. Compared to accelerators in Singapore that require local incorporation and cost 5,000 to 15,000 SGD, EMpower is free and intimately familiar with Việt Nam's regulatory landscape and women-owned business registration process. The program actively prioritizes startups solving Vietnamese market problems - particularly in agriculture tech, fintech, edtech, and healthcare AI. If you have a minimum viable product and at least one female co-founder registered in Việt Nam, prepare a one-page traction deck for the August 2026 cohort.

WISE Women in Climate Change Accelerator

Green Tech, Female-Led, Fully Funded

As Việt Nam commits to net-zero emissions by 2050, the green tech sector is accelerating rapidly - yet women-led climate startups receive less than 2% of climate tech venture capital globally. The WISE Women in Climate Change Accelerator directly addresses this gap. Run by the well-established non-profit WISE Vietnam, the program accepts women-led SMEs and startups with a digital or technology component. Applications open in Q1 2026. No equity is taken, and selected participants receive a 30,000,000 VND grant in addition to free participation.

What Members Receive

Selected startups join a structured program that combines intensive learning with investor access. Participants gain:

• Strategic bootcamps (2-3 days each) held in HCMC and Hà Nội, covering climate tech product strategy, regulatory navigation, and scaling
• Mentorship from sustainability experts and tech leaders with experience in Vietnamese environmental markets
• Investor network access to impact investors and development finance institutions, including UNDP Vietnam and the Asian Development Bank
• Six months of ongoing support post-program for business development and fundraising preparation

Building a Pipeline for Climate Capital

Traditional venture capital in Singapore and Jakarta rarely prioritizes women-led climate ventures. WISE uses gender-lens investing principles and connections to development finance institutions - capital sources that actively seek women-founded enterprises. For non-tech women entrepreneurs who are unsure where to start, WISE also runs introductory workshops on digital transformation for small businesses. These workshops serve as an accessible entry point for upskilling before applying to the accelerator. As Việt Nam targets 27% women-owned enterprises by late 2025, programs like WISE ensure women founders are not left out of the green transition.

Google Women Techmakers Scholarship

A Prestigious Path to Google’s Ecosystem

Each year, Google opens applications for the Women Techmakers Scholarship, one of the most prestigious tech awards available to Vietnamese students. Eligible women pursuing degrees in computer science, data science, or related technical fields can apply through the global APAC track. The financial award of approximately 2,000 USD - roughly 50,000,000 VND - can cover an entire year's tuition at a public university in Việt Nam, such as Vietnam National University or Bach Khoa (HUST). Applications open in Q1 annually via the Google Careers portal.

Beyond the Financial Award

Recipients gain far more than tuition support. The scholarship includes an invitation to the annual Scholars Retreat (held virtually for APAC scholars), access to Google’s global mentorship network, and priority consideration for Google internships and full-time roles. Past Vietnamese recipients have gone on to intern at Google Singapore and later join major employers like FPT and VNG. The Google brand on a resume signals to Vietnamese companies - including Viettel, Samsung, and Intel - that the candidate has passed a rigorous global selection process, directly countering unconscious bias in local hiring.

Building Your Application

If you are a second- or third-year student at RMIT Vietnam, Bach Khoa, or Vietnam National University (HCMC or Hanoi), start preparing now. The application requires a personal statement on how you will advance women in tech, academic transcripts, and letters of recommendation from faculty. As The Asia Foundation’s analysis of girls in Vietnamese STEM highlights, a "full potential scenario for women in the workforce could add as much as $28 trillion to global GDP." This scholarship is one direct way to unlock that potential - starting with your own career. Women Techmakers communities across Asia also offer peer support during the application process.

ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships

A Fully Funded Gateway to UK Master's Degrees

For Vietnamese women aiming to break the educational glass ceiling, the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarship offers a transformative opportunity. Run by the British Council with UK government funding, this program provides full-ride Master's degrees in STEM fields at UK universities. The financial package is comprehensive: full tuition up to £25,000 GBP per year (approximately 780,000,000 VND), a monthly living stipend of roughly £1,200 GBP, airfare, visa fees, and a research grant for thesis work. Applications open in September for the following academic year, with about 20 scholarships awarded across all ASEAN countries annually, making it highly competitive.

What Recipients Gain Beyond Tuition

Selected scholars join a lifelong alumni network of ASEAN women STEM leaders. The program requires applicants to hold a STEM Bachelor's degree with two years of professional experience and a commitment to return to Việt Nam or the ASEAN region after graduation. Past recipients have leveraged this experience to secure senior technical leadership roles at multinational employers in Việt Nam, including Samsung, Intel, and Bosch. As highlighted by the British Council's ASEAN-UK SAGE program announcement, the initiative aims to "break barriers, bridge the gender gap, and shape the future of STEM together."

Preparing Your Application

Many Vietnamese women engineers plateau at the Bachelor's level due to family and financial pressures. This scholarship directly removes the cost barrier - a UK Master's that typically costs hundreds of millions of VND becomes fully accessible. If you have a STEM undergraduate degree and 2+ years of work experience at companies like Viettel, VNG, or a Vietnamese tech startup, research UK programs in AI, data science, or renewable energy. Prepare for IELTS (minimum 6.5, typically). Applications are rigorous, but the payoff - both in career trajectory and earning potential - is arguably the highest of any STEM scholarship available to Vietnamese women.

Asia Foundation STEM Pathway Program

Reaching Beyond the Cities

The deepest structural barrier for women in Vietnamese tech is not ability - it is geography. Women from provinces like Nghệ An, Quảng Nam, and Lào Cai face limited access to devices, internet connections, and role models. The Asia Foundation STEM Pathway Program targets precisely this gap. Operating through partner universities - including Vietnam National University - Hanoi University of Engineering and Technology, HCMC University of Technology, and Da Nang University - the program identifies incoming first-year women STEM students nominated by their faculties. There is no direct online application; students connect through their university's student affairs office.

What Recipients Actually Receive

Selected students gain a bundle of resources designed to remove multiple barriers simultaneously. The program provides:

• Annual scholarship of 15,000,000-20,000,000 VND to cover tuition and living costs
• A laptop or tablet for academic use - many recipients come from low-income families without personal computers
• Monthly mentorship workshops led by female engineers from Samsung and Intel
• Guaranteed internship interviews at partner companies

As The Asia Foundation's report on STEM in Vietnam notes, "a full potential scenario for women in the workforce could add as much as $28 trillion to global GDP." Success stories already validate the model: Trần Thị Thu Quỳnh overcame personal and financial hardships through a STEM scholarship and now works as a quality-assurance engineer at a multinational company - a tangible example of how targeted support transforms individual trajectories into national economic contributions.

Ladies That UX Vietnam / IxDF Ho Chi Minh City

Designing a Path from Non-Tech into Tech

When the national UXVN community completed its mission in 2024, a gap appeared for women in UX/UI design. Into that space stepped the IxDF Ho Chi Minh City chapter, the most active local design community in Việt Nam. Volunteer UX designers and researchers from Grab Vietnam, Tiki, and Momo run monthly meetups at co-working spaces like Dreamplex and Toong in District 1 and District 3. Membership is free for the first event, and IxDF offers a free trial membership for their online courses - making this one of the lowest-barrier entry points into Vietnamese tech.

What Members Actually Gain

Each meetup delivers practical, portfolio-building value. Members receive:

• Monthly design workshops covering prototyping in Figma, UX research methods, and portfolio reviews
• Networking with hiring managers from Việt Nam's top tech companies
• Discounted access to IxDF's online UX certification courses (normally 150,000 VND per month for full access)
• A supportive community for women transitioning from teaching, marketing, or other non-tech fields into UX

Accessible Learning for a Growing Field

UX design is one of the few tech fields in Việt Nam where women are already well-represented, but many learn on the job without formal training. The IxDF community fills this gap with structured learning pathways and direct connections to employers. For women in Da Nang or other cities without active chapters, the UXVN online community provides a starting point, and IxDF offers a clear framework for launching a new local chapter. If you are considering a career pivot into tech, bring your laptop to the next Saturday morning meetup in HCMC - your portfolio will thank you.

Arranging Your Bouquet

Your Career Stage, Your Stems

Instead of asking "Which group is best?" ask "Which stems belong in my bouquet right now?" Scan the list with abundance, not scarcity. Each resource addresses a different need: confidence, skills, capital, or community. Here is how to layer them by where you stand today.

• If you are a student: Apply for the Google Women Techmakers Scholarship (prestige plus 50,000,000 VND in financial support), complement it with the Viet Tech Mentorship Program for structured career guidance, and attend Women Techmakers HCMC events for exposure to hiring pipelines at VNG and Zalopay.
• If you are an early-career engineer: Join Women Techmakers HCMC for skill-building workshops, connect with Women in AI Vietnam if you are pursuing machine learning, and consider the ASEAN-UK SAGE Scholarship for a fully funded UK Master's degree worth up to 780,000,000 VND.
• If you are a founder: Apply to the EMpower Accelerator for a 10-week structured program with 50,000,000 VND in in-kind support, join WISE's Climate Change Accelerator for a 30,000,000 VND grant and impact investor access, and leverage Women in Tech Vietnam's ambassador network for investor introductions.
• If you are in Hà Nội: Most programs are HCMC-heavy, but Viet Tech Mentorship, the Google Scholarship, and ASEAN-UK SAGE are fully remote-friendly. For in-person connection, join the IxDF Hà Nội meetup if launched, or start a Women Techmakers Hà Nội chapter.

From Choosing to Connecting

Việt Nam's tech ecosystem is already abundant. The national government's Project 939 has supported over 118,000 women in starting businesses since 2017. The best women in tech communities globally have active Vietnamese chapters. The infrastructure is ready. What you need now is the map to your own arrangement. Start by attending one WTM HCMC event, then apply to a scholarship, then mentor someone. As UN analysis of digital inclusion in Viet Nam confirms, the ecosystem does not need you to choose - it needs you to connect. Walk into the market, pick your stems, and build something beautiful. The bouquet is waiting.

Frequently Asked Questions