The mentorship and orientation program was organized as the Top 20 prepared to enter the Semifinals - one of the key stages of the 2026 Hai Phong Innovation Startup Talent Search Competition, themed “Smart City Operations – Vận hành thành phố thông minh.”
During the program, participating teams received detailed guidance on the competition format, content, and evaluation criteria for the Semifinals. The program also provided an opportunity for the Top 20 teams to present their projects directly to experts, receive critical feedback, and gain practical guidance for further development.
Focusing on Project Refinement from a Practical Perspective
Throughout the sessions, teams were guided to review and refine their Pitch Decks, project storytelling, presentation skills, and approaches to responding to critical questions.
Rather than focusing solely on product presentations, teams were challenged with questions closely related to the actual development journey of a startup project, including: What real-world problem needs to be solved? Who are the target customers? Does the solution create differentiated value? To what extent has the product been validated? What is the market opportunity and how viable is the commercialization pathway?
Through presentations and critical discussions, many teams continued to review and refine various aspects of their projects, helping their pitching become more focused, structured, and compelling for the Semifinals.
The program also dedicated dedicated sessions to in-depth one-on-one mentoring, providing experts with the opportunity to work directly with individual project teams and address their specific challenges and development needs.
The mentors supporting the Top 20 included: Dr. Nguyen Huu Tuan – Deputy Head of the Training Division, Vietnam Maritime University; Dr. Do Minh Thuy – Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and Director of the Center for Research & Innovation Entrepreneurship, Hai Phong University; Ms. Nguyen Thi Cam Huong – Director of the Hai Phong Center for Innovation and Science & Technology Application; Ms. Duong Thi Tu Anh – Deputy Head of the Information Technology Division, Department of Science and Technology; Ms. Pham Hang Nga, MSc. – Incubation Program Director at KisStartup; Startup Mentor and Expert, Faculty of Economic Law, FPT University Hanoi; Dr. Nguyen Ha – Mekong–Japan Logistics Training Center, Vietnam Maritime University; Mr. Hoang Van Cong – Director of An Bien Software Joint Stock Company.
Tailored Mentorship for Each Stage of Project Development
Accordingly, the mentoring approach was tailored to the development stage and specific needs of each project.
For teams that are still at the idea formation stage, mentors focused on clarifying the problem to be addressed, customer needs, the value proposition of the solution, and the product development direction.
For projects that already have an MVP or prototype, mentoring sessions focused on validation, testing, and solution refinement based on real-world needs.
Meanwhile, projects with completed products or those already entering the commercialization stage received guidance on business models, customer segments, market opportunities, scalability, and commercialization strategies.
Organizing mentoring around the specific needs of each project gave participating teams the opportunity to examine their projects from multiple perspectives, while gaining greater clarity on the issues that should be prioritized before entering the Semifinals.
Preparing for a Key Stage of the Competition
After three days of intensive sessions, the Top 20 completed the main activities of the mentorship and orientation program. The experts’ feedback provides a valuable basis for the teams to further refine their Pitch Decks, products, business models, and presentation strategies ahead of the Semifinals.
For the participating projects, this process is not only an opportunity to prepare for the next stage of the competition, but also a valuable opportunity to reassess the feasibility of their ideas, identify remaining gaps, and define their development priorities for the period ahead.
The upcoming Semifinals will represent another important stage of assessment for the Top 20 projects, helping identify projects with strong potential, innovative approaches, and practical applicability aligned with the direction of the 2026 Competition.
Under the theme “Smart City Operations – Vận hành thành phố thông minh,” this year’s projects focus on three key areas: smart urban governance; smart ports and logistics; and smart industrial parks and factories. These areas are closely aligned with Hai Phong’s practical development needs and strategic direction as the city advances innovation and transforms its growth model.
Startup Hai Phong
