The Multi-Trend Expo & Global Business People’s HUB (Mega Us Expo) 2025, a multi-sector exhibition between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK), kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on August 14, gathering over 200 units from 15 major industrial cities across the RoK and startups in Vietnam, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency.

The three-day event was jointly organized by the municipal Department of Science and Technology, the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Jeonbuk Creative Economy Innovation Centre (JBCEIC) of the RoK, the Startup & Innovation Hub of Ho Chi Minh City (SIHUB) and the Korea-Vietnam Trade Promotion Centre (Koretoviet).

This year’s expo is expected to strengthen trade and investment cooperation between the two countries in technology, innovation, and commercialization.

It brings together representatives from more than 30 startup support centers, research institutes, and universities and innovation support organizations from both countries, helping to promote sustainable cooperation and foster incubation programs, joint manufacturing ventures, and technology commercialization between Vietnam and the RoK.

Focusing on four trending sectors, including food, cosmetics, technology, and lifestyle products, the event is to foster robust business connections between the two nations.

Particularly, the event features the Hybrid Exhibition & B2B Matching program, connecting over 200 businesses from both countries, both in-person and online. With this hybrid model, Mega Us Expo 2025 offers a comprehensive, modern, and cost-effective trade experience for enterprises.

Notably, to foster entrepreneurship and innovation among young people, the Expo also hosts the Student Startup Idea contest (Univ.Star) and the Venture Star investment pitch program.

At Venture Star, Vietnamese and Korean startups present directly to investment funds, explore trade connections, and transfer technology. The top three projects will receive sponsorship to participate in investor meetings and pitching sessions in the RoK, along with access to co-working space at SIHUB. The program aims to generate deep collaborations in funding, commercial application, technology transfer, and joint production across multiple sectors.

The Univ.Star competition attracted over 170 projects from more than 600 students of 37 universities in Ho Chi Minh City and 11 universities in the RoK. Beyond sparking startup ideas, the competition also focuses on coaching and mentoring students to enhance their creativity and develop projects toward complete business models.

With its diverse activities, Mega Us Expo 2025 is expected to attract over 9,000 visitors and feature at least 2,000 B2B matching sessions.

In his opening remarks, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Dung stressed that the event is not only a business forum but also a vivid demonstration of the deepening, enduring, and increasingly strong strategic partnership between Vietnam and the RoK, particularly between Ho Chi Minh City and its Korean partners.