Japan’s Nikkei Asia website has placed VNG, Vietnam’s top internet company, on a list of ten Asian companies to watch in 2023.

A recent article posted by Nikkei Asia noted that VNG, Vietnam’s first unicorn, has emerged as one of the country’s most watched companies, with a possible initial public offering (IPO) this year.

The tech company has registered to trade some of its shares on a local exchange for unlisted firms, a move that is often used for companies to test the stock market before an official IPO. VNG is also reportedly eyeing a US listing.

It has become one of Southeast Asia’s rising tech stars, offering services in gaming, messaging, mobile payments, artificial intelligence voice assistants, and cloud computing.

Founded in 2004, VNG started out as an online game publisher and developer called Vinagame. Its cash cow business has expanded to other Asian markets, where it competes with rivals like the Singapore-based Sea.

With users in more than 130 countries, VNG aims to reach 320 million customers globally in 2023.