This marks the city’s highest-ever ranking on the StartupBlink list, enabling it to achieve its top‑100 target around four years ahead of the 2030 timetable.

According to StartupBlink, Ho Chi Minh City is among Southeast Asia’s leading ecosystems in terms of maturity, reflecting its capacity to nurture startups capable of scaling up and expanding into wider markets.

The organisation also described the city as one of the region’s most dynamic startup hubs, supported by increasingly active participation from startups, investors, universities, technology firms, and innovation support organisations.

By sector, fintech remains the city’s strongest area, ranking third in Southeast Asia and 60th globally. Blockchain is ranked fifth in Southeast Asia and 70th worldwide.

Lam Dinh Thang, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, stated that the 98th‑place global ranking is the result of sustained effort and collaboration across many ecosystem components, from the startup community, investors, universities, and research institutes to support organisations and state management agencies.

The result demonstrates that Ho Chi Minh City’s innovation startup ecosystem is making positive strides and progressively approaching international standards. At the same time, it reflects the city’s consistent strategy of prioritising science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as key drivers of rapid and sustainable development.

Ho Chi Minh City’s entry into the global top 100 will not only raise its international standing and recognition, but also create more favourable conditions to attract investment, experts, and collaborative innovation activities in the period ahead, Thang emphasised.