Three startup models were awarded cash prizes totalling 28,000 USD at the final pitch of the Swiss Innovation Challenge (SIC) Vietnam 2017 competition in Ho Chi Minh City on September 13.

The “Share Car For Ads” initiative won the first prize worth 15,000 USD. It will also represent Vietnam in the final international competition to be held in Switzerland next month.

DropDeck, a platform designed to rank firms calling for investment and help investors find and assess potential startups in a fast and accurate manner, won the second prize worth 5,000 USD. 

The third prize of 3,000 USD went to “Smart assembling parking lot” initiative, using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, which helps increase parking space.

The organisers also awarded another 5,000 USD prize to the DropDeck project with the most convincing internationalisation strategy.

SIC Vietnam, funded by the Government of Switzerland, was co-organised by the HCM City University of Technology and University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. It was first held in Vietnam in 2015.

Nguyen Thi Anh Phuong, Director of the Executive Master of Business Administration-Management Consulting International (EMBA-MCI) of the HCM City University of Technology, said the competition aims to seek initiatives and innovation models and outstanding startups for both Vietnam and ASEAN.

It also connects the startup community and inspires all people and economic sectors to make Vietnam a startup nation, Phuong said.

Currently, it is a unique programme in Vietnam and Southeast Asia that comprehensively approaches and realises business and technology initiatives.

The University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland in partnership with leading local universities have held similar competitions in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.