Vietnam’s Voice AI Bet Draws Strategic Capital from Japan

The deal highlights growing investor focus on applied AI and enterprise infrastructure in Vietnam

Vietnam-based voice AI startup Nami Technology, also known as NamiTech, has raised $4 million in a fresh funding round, as first reported by DealStreetAsia. The investment comes at a time when Vietnam’s artificial intelligence sector is shifting from experimentation to real-world deployment, with investors showing greater interest in applied technologies that can be commercialised at scale.

The round was led by Toho Gas, one of Japan’s largest gas and energy companies, with participation from returning backer Thien Viet Securities (TVS). It follows NamiTech’s $2 million pre-Series A round in 2023, also led by TVS, underscoring continued confidence in the startup’s execution and market relevance.

Why voice AI is gaining ground in Vietnam

Unlike many consumer-facing AI startups chasing attention-driven use cases, NamiTech operates in a quieter but commercially significant segment: enterprise voice intelligence. Its technology stack spans background noise cancellation, voice biometrics, speech recognition, and natural language processing—tools increasingly critical for sectors such as banking, insurance, telecoms, and customer support.

The company’s core products include:

• CrystalSound, which improves audio quality and supports meeting transcription
• NamiSense, focused on speech-to-text and conversation analysis, including emotion detection
• VoiceDNA, a voice biometric authentication solution for secure access
• NamiGen, which powers chatbots and voicebots
• VoiceGate, aimed at regulatory compliance in insurance workflows

Together, these offerings reflect a broader shift in enterprise demand—from basic automation to systems that can secure, analyse, and extract insights from real conversations.

Where NamiTech’s technology is being applied

NamiTech was incubated within FPT Corporation, Vietnam’s largest publicly listed ICT group, before being spun out as an independent company in 2022. The separation came as demand grew for AI-driven tools that could be deployed in regulated, high-volume environments such as banking, insurance, and telecoms, where voice authentication, compliance, and accuracy are critical rather than experimental.

Operating independently has allowed NamiTech to focus on commercialising voice and conversation intelligence technologies originally developed inside FPT’s broader engineering ecosystem. While the startup continues to build on research in neural signal processing, voice biometrics, and natural language processing, its post-spinout strategy has centred on practical enterprise use cases rather than research-led pilots.

Since then, Nami Technology has begun serving customers in Vietnam, Japan, and the United States, with deployments across financial services, insurance, retail, and telecommunications. Its early traction outside Vietnam, particularly in Japan, reflects growing regional demand for AI systems that can be integrated into existing customer relationship and contact centre infrastructure, rather than standalone AI products.

Strategic capital, not passive money

Toho Gas’s participation stands out not just for its size, but for its strategic nature. The Japanese firm has been steadily expanding its exposure to Vietnam, both through technology partnerships and energy-related investments.

The company said the fresh capital will be used to support further product development and regional expansion, as it looks to scale its enterprise voice AI offerings across Asia-Pacific.

For Thien Viet Securities, the investment aligns with its broader view that artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure are becoming central to Vietnam’s long-term growth. In its recent investment outlook, the firm highlighted AI as an increasingly important driver of productivity across multiple industries.

A maturing investor lens on AI

TVS’s estimate that artificial intelligence could contribute around $120 billion to Vietnam’s economy by 2040 reflects a broader recalibration in how both policymakers and investors view the sector. AI is increasingly being framed not as a standalone technology wave, but as a productivity layer that cuts across industries such as manufacturing, financial services, logistics, and customer operations.

This shift is also influencing where capital is being deployed. Rather than backing experimental or consumer-led AI concepts, investors are showing greater preference for companies that can demonstrate clear operational value and integration into existing workflows. Startups that improve efficiency, reduce manual processes, or support compliance are finding it easier to attract funding than those chasing short-term adoption metrics.

Recent deals illustrate this pattern. AI Hay’s $10 million raise and Nami Technology’s latest $4 million round target very different use cases, yet both are rooted in practical deployment rather than speculative innovation. Together, they point to a maturing AI investment environment in Vietnam—one where measurable impact, not novelty, is becoming the deciding factor for capital allocation.

What comes next

NamiTech is now looking beyond Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh City–based startup has signalled plans to expand across the Asia-Pacific region and is actively hiring senior sales talent to lead growth. Experience in AI, CRM systems, contact centres, compliance, and customer experience platforms is listed as a key requirement—an indication of where the company sees near-term demand.

In a global AI market often dominated by bold claims and consumer-facing demos, NamiTech’s funding round stands out for different reasons. It reflects investor belief in applied, infrastructure-level AI, built for enterprises and backed by long-term industry demand. For Vietnam’s startup ecosystem, the deal also highlights a broader transition: from building AI for attention, to building AI for impact.

Quick takeaways

• NamiTech’s $4 million raise highlights continued investor interest in applied, enterprise-focused AI in Vietnam rather than consumer-led or experimental use cases.
• Strategic participation from a Japanese corporate investor signals cross-border demand for AI tools that can be deployed in regulated and high-volume environments.
• Vietnam’s AI funding landscape appears to be maturing, with capital increasingly flowing to startups that demonstrate measurable productivity and operational impact.
• The deal reinforces a broader shift toward infrastructure-level AI, where technologies are embedded into existing enterprise systems rather than built as standalone products.