On Tuesday, Qualcomm revealed its acquisition of MovianAI Artificial Intelligence (AI) Application and Research JSC (MovianAI). This company was previously the generative AI division of VinAI Application and Research JSC, which is part of the Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup. With this acquisition, Qualcomm, headquartered in San Diego, has acquired a 65 percent ownership interest in MovianAI. The financial specifics of the deal have not been made public by either Qualcomm or MovianAI.
Qualcomm Acquires MovianAI
In an announcement shared through its newsroom, Qualcomm detailed its acquisition of the Vietnamese AI company. MovianAI was formed in November 2024, following a reorganization of Vingroup’s AI subsidiary, VinAI, into two separate entities. The newly acquired company focuses on AI research and development, boasting a charter capital of approximately $9 million (around Rs. 77 crore).
Qualcomm highlighted its long-term collaboration with the Vietnamese technology sector, spanning over 20 years, aimed at developing solutions across various domains including 5G, AI, IoT, and automotive technologies. Additionally, Qualcomm confirmed that Hung Bui, the founder and CEO of VinAI, will be joining the company as part of this acquisition. Bui has prior experience with Google DeepMind.
This acquisition is poised to enhance Qualcomm’s generative AI research and development capabilities significantly. MovianAI’s integration is expected to accelerate the advancement of AI solutions applicable to products such as smartphones, personal computers, software-driven vehicles, and beyond.
“This acquisition underscores our commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to R&D that makes us the driving force behind the next wave of AI innovation. By bringing in high-caliber talent from VinAI, we are strengthening our ability to deliver cutting-edge AI solutions that will benefit a wide range of industries and consumers,” stated Jilei Hou, senior vice president of engineering at Qualcomm Technologies.
In support of this venture, Bui commented, “We are ready to contribute to Qualcomm’s mission of making breakthroughs in fundamental AI research and scale them across industries, including smartphones, PCs, software-defined vehicles, and more. Our team’s expertise in generative AI and machine learning will help accelerate the development of innovative solutions that can transform the way we live and work.”
