Qualcomm Acquires MovianAI, VinAI’s GenAI Division

The firms announced on Monday that Qualcomm had paid an undisclosed sum to purchase the generative AI branch of VinAI, a Hanoi-based AI research firm.

Qualcomm announced Tuesday that it has acquired a 65 percent stake in MovianAI Artificial Intelligence (AI) Application and Research JSC (MovianAI), a former generative AI division of VinAI Application and Research JSC (VinAI) and a part of the Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup. Neither party disclosed the acquisition’s financial details, but Qualcomm said the acquisition will enable it to accelerate and scale generative AI research and product development.

This action represents Qualcomm’s ongoing entry into the AI tools market. Hung Bui, a former research scientist at DeepMind, created VinAI, a company that creates generative AI technologies such as language models and computer vision algorithms.

In November 2024, after Vingroup split its AI subsidiary VinAI into two entities, the chip maker announced in a newsroom post that it had acquired the Vietnamese AI firm, MovianAI, which specialized in AI research and development and had a charter capital of almost $9 million.

The chip manufacturer stated that it has been developing solutions in the fields of 5G, AI, IoT, and automotive for over 20 years in close collaboration with the Vietnamese technological ecosystem. Qualcomm also said that Hung Bui, the founder and CEO of VinAI, will join the company as part of the purchase. He was once employed at Google DeepMind.

In a news statement, Qualcomm SVP of Engineering Jilei Hou stated, “This acquisition highlights our dedication to allocating the required resources to R&D that makes us the driving force behind the next wave of AI innovation.” “We are enhancing our capacity to provide innovative AI solutions that will benefit a broad spectrum of industries and consumers by bringing in top-tier talent from VinAI.”

Bui founded VinAI in 2019 with the primary goal of developing AI-powered automobiles, although it also carries out advanced AI research. Supported by the Vietnamese conglomerate VinGroup, the business develops “smart parking” systems, security systems, and in-cabin monitoring for automakers and clients in other industries.

Qualcomm hopes to expand its generative AI research and development capabilities with this action. The IT giant will benefit from MovianAI’s assistance in accelerating the development of AI solutions for devices including smartphones, PCs, software-powered cars, and more.

“This acquisition demonstrates our dedication to allocating the required funds to research and development, positioning us as the catalyst for the upcoming wave of AI innovation.” We are improving our capacity to provide innovative AI solutions that will benefit a variety of sectors and customers by bringing in top personnel from VinAI,” stated Jilei Hou, senior vice president of engineering at Qualcomm Technologies.

“We are prepared to support Qualcomm’s objective of developing advances in basic AI research and implementing them in a variety of sectors, such as software-defined cars, smartphones, PCs, and more. Our team’s proficiency in machine learning and generative AI will hasten the creation of ground-breaking solutions that have the potential to revolutionize our way of life and work,” Bui continued.

In a 2023 interview with Forbes, Bui revealed that VinAI has roughly 200 workers divided among the startup’s headquarters in Hanoi, the U.S., and Australia.

Bui stated that he anticipates VinAI to contribute to a variety of Qualcomm’s product lines, including its software and processors for smartphones, PCs, and cars. He said in a statement, “The generative AI and machine learning skills of our team will help accelerate the development of innovative solutions that can transform the way we live and work.”

According to the news statement cited above, Bui, the CEO of VinAI, will join Qualcomm when the transaction is completed.

After acquiring the American AI and Internet of Things startup Edge Impulse in early March, Qualcomm has now acquired VinAI, its second acquisition this year. Edge AI, or AI that can operate on devices without requiring data center infrastructure, was recently referred to as a “tailwind” by Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon.