Smart City Commercialisation Program  ·  Vietnam

CityProof

Six weeks to scope your first deal in Vietnam. Meet the right local partners, scope a POC or distribution contract, and leave knowing exactly what it takes — and costs — to commercialise. Brinc and industry partners guide you every step of the way.

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Next Cohort: Q4 2026
6Week Program
5Solution Tracks
300k+m² Live Testbed
55Years in Vietnam
4+Live Case Studies
What it is

Not an accelerator.
A commercialisation program.

CityProof is built for startups that are past the pitch stage — companies with deployable technology ready to prove commercial value in real markets. The program puts you in front of Vietnam's leading property developers, property managers and infrastructure owners to scope a POC or distribution contract — so you understand the cost, the partners and the strategy to commercialise before you commit. The POC or distribution itself follows as a second phase.

01  Real Access

Live Urban Environments

Deploy inside Sunwah Tower, Saigon Pearl, Sunwah Pearl, and partner properties across Vietnam — over 300,000 sqm of commercial, residential, and mixed-use space with active occupants including KPMG, Maybank, Mizuho Bank, and CHUBB Life.

02  Real Partners

Corporate Decision-Makers

Work directly with property managers, operations teams, and C-suite stakeholders who have budget authority and are actively seeking solutions — across Sunwah's network and property partners including Becamex, Gamuda Land, and Son Kim Land.

03  Real Structure

Scoped Deal by Week 6

Matching, site visits and 4–5 weeks of facilitated discussions with local partners — ending in a scoped POC or distribution contract and a firm go/no-go from the partner. You leave with a cost-and-strategy picture, not just meetings.

04  Real Outcomes

Path to Commercial Scale

Every POC is designed with commercialisation in mind. Hit your KPIs and you have a reference customer in Southeast Asia — and direct access to Brinc's 14-market network and Sunwah's connections across Greater China, ASEAN, and beyond.

Solution Tracks

Five Domains.
One City.

We are actively sourcing technology companies across five urban verticals. Apply under the track that best fits your product.

Smart Buildings & Communities
Track 01

Smart Buildings & Communities

Technology that improves how buildings and residential communities are managed, operated, and experienced by occupants.

BMS / Energy Management Access & Security Resident Services Predictive Maintenance
Smart Mobility
Track 02

Smart Mobility

Solutions addressing how people and goods move within and between urban zones — last-mile, fleet, logistics, and multimodal.

Urban Logistics EV Infrastructure Fleet Management Mobility-as-a-Service
Sustainability & Urban Infrastructure
Track 03

Sustainability & Urban Infrastructure

Clean tech and resource management solutions applied to water, waste, energy grids, and urban environment monitoring.

Waste-to-Value Water Efficiency Air Quality Solar & Grid Solutions
Health & Urban Wellbeing
Track 04

Health & Urban Wellbeing

Technology improving health outcomes, safety, and quality of life for urban residents and building occupants.

Indoor Air Quality Elderly Care Mental Wellbeing Safety Monitoring
AI & Urban Services
Track 05

AI & Urban Services

AI-powered applications that improve how urban services are delivered — from property management to public services and civic operations.

Document Automation Predictive Analytics Computer Vision Smart Operations
How it Works

Scope First.
Then Execute.

CityProof runs in two phases. Phase 1 is the program: six weeks to scope a POC or distribution contract with local partners and understand the cost and strategy to commercialise in Vietnam. Phase 2 is the POC or distribution itself.

Phase 1 · CityProof Program6 Weeks · US$20K
Step 01

Match

Demo Day & Business Matching · HCMC

Pitch to Vietnam's property, infrastructure and corporate decision-makers at the CityProof Demo Day, followed by curated business matching sessions in Ho Chi Minh City.

  • Demo Day pitch to corporates
  • Curated 1:1 business matching
  • Investor & ecosystem exposure
→
Step 02

Visit

Industry Visits · 1–2 Days

Site visits to property developers, property managers and other partners, selected around your solution and interests.

  • Visits tailored to your solution
  • Meet operations & decision-makers
  • See potential sites & channels first-hand
→
Step 03

Scope

Facilitated Discussions · 4–5 Weeks

4–5 weeks of structured discussions with interested local partners, facilitated by Sunwah — scoping the POC or distribution model, the costs involved and the commercial terms.

  • Sunwah-facilitated partner meetings
  • POC or distribution scope & KPIs
  • Cost & commercial terms
→
Step 04

Decide

Go / No-Go · Week 6

Local partners confirm whether they will proceed with the POC or distribution contract. If both sides find the fit earlier, they can move ahead before week 6.

  • Partner decision by week 6
  • Early start if the fit is clear
  • Clear cost & commercialisation plan
Throughout · Online

Online sessions with the Brinc team and industry partners run alongside the program, helping you navigate the Vietnamese market, localise your product and shape a commercialisation strategy that works with local partners.

Phase 2 · After the Program

POC or Distribution

With a partner committed, you execute the scoped POC or distribution contract in Vietnam. SBX stays involved to support the partner relationship and the path to a paid contract or wider rollout. Phase 2 costs, including travel, are funded by the startup.

Program Cost

What's Included.

One flat fee covers Phase 1 — online sessions with Brinc and industry partners, Demo Day and business matching in Ho Chi Minh City, curated industry visits, and Sunwah-facilitated discussions to scope your POC or distribution contract.

$20K
USD
Per startup · Phase 1 program
No equity taken · Phase 2 & travel self-funded
Real Property Access
Potential POC sites and channels across Sunwah Tower, Saigon Pearl, and the Innovation Center — over 300,000 m² with live corporate and residential occupants.
Corporate Relationships
Direct access to decision-makers at Becamex, Gamuda Land, Son Kim Land, VinaCapital, and more.
Structured KPI Framework
Scope, costs and success metrics agreed with partners during Phase 1, so your POC or distribution deal starts with clear KPIs and a path to commercial expansion.
Regional Network
Brinc's 250+ portfolio companies across 14 markets and Sunwah's footprint across Greater China, ASEAN, and beyond.
On-the-Ground Support
SBX in-market coordination and regulatory guidance via Sunwah Innovation Centers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang.
Proof It Works

Real Results.
Real Environments.

Companies that have deployed through Sunwah's network have delivered measurable outcomes within the first 60-90 days. These are their results.

Apply Now
Program Advisors

Your Advisor
Network.

CityProof participants work directly with the Brinc and Sunwah program team throughout the engagement, and get access to senior advisors from across Vietnam's corporate, venture, and proptech ecosystem — people who have built, funded, and deployed in this market.

Quynh Vo

Quynh Vo

Vice Head of Learning & Innovation
FPT Software
Enterprise technology · Digital transformation · Corporate innovation in Vietnam
Cody Pham

Cody Pham

Managing Director
Lotte Ventures Vietnam
Venture investment · Retail & PropTech · Corporate-startup collaboration
Roy Nguyen

Roy Nguyen

Founder
PropTech Vietnam Network & FinHome.com
PropTech ecosystem · Real estate technology · Fintech for property
Jesse Choi

Jesse Choi

Regional Director (ASEAN) & CEO
Sunwah Group & Sunwah Innovations
Cross-border expansion · Conglomerate partnerships · ASEAN innovation ecosystems
Thuy Ho

Thuy Ho

Head of Innovation & MD, SBX Vietnam
Sunwah Group & Sunwah x Brinc JV
Program leadership · Vietnam market entry · Government & corporate relations
Trung Hoang

Trung Hoang

Partner
VinaCapital Ventures
Venture investment · Vietnam tech ecosystem · Growth strategy
Aarif Kuang

Aarif Kuang

Program Manager
Brinc
Program operations · Startup support · Ecosystem development
Edwin Lee

Edwin Lee

Head of Operations
Brinc
Operations strategy · Scale-up · Cross-border execution
Manav Gupta

Manav Gupta

CEO
Brinc
Venture building · Hardware startups · Global expansion
Guillermo Ginesta

Guillermo Ginesta

Managing Director HK
Brinc
Market entry · Investment strategy · Southeast Asia
Property & Ecosystem Partners

The Network
Behind the POC.

CityProof participants gain access to Sunwah's established network of property and investment partners across Vietnam — the counterparts who become your POC partners and eventual customers.

Industrial & urban development · Major property owner in Southern Vietnam
Vietnam's leading investment & fund management group
Premium residential developments across Ho Chi Minh City
High-end residential & commercial real estate developer
Vietnam's largest construction group & smart building integrator
Diversified property developer with a large residential portfolio
Vietnam's leading PropTech community & ecosystem connector
Organized by SBX

The JV Behind
CityProof

SBX is a joint venture between Sunwah Innovations and Brinc — two organisations that together hold 55 years of Vietnam operating history, relationships with Ho Chi Minh City's government and property ecosystem, and a global commercialisation network spanning 14 markets and 250+ portfolio companies.

Partner · Local Anchor
Sunwah Innovations

The innovation arm of Sunwah Group — a Hong Kong-based conglomerate with 70 years of history and over 55 years operating in Vietnam across real estate, financial services, seafood, and agriculture. Sunwah Innovations runs active Innovation Centers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, connecting startups with corporations, universities, and government agencies across Vietnam and Greater China.

55+
Years operating
in Vietnam
3
Innovation Centers
across Vietnam
70
Years of Sunwah
Group history
Partner · Global Operator
Brinc

A global venture platform and accelerator with deep expertise in hardware and deeptech commercialisation. Brinc has backed over 250 companies across 14 markets and understands the full journey from pilot to commercial scale — especially in emerging markets where regulatory complexity and distribution are the real barriers.

250+
Portfolio
companies
14
Markets in
the network
10+
Years of deeptech
acceleration
FAQ

Common Questions.

Everything founders ask us before applying — answered directly.

Eligibility
CityProof is for startups with deployable technology that is ready to go live in a real urban environment — not ideas, not MVPs that need another 12 months of development. We are looking for founders who want a reference customer in Southeast Asia and are ready to commit a senior team member to the 6-week program, including time in Ho Chi Minh City for the Demo Day and industry visits.
Stage
There is no hard rule on funding stage, but your technology needs to be integration-ready — documented APIs or hardware that can be installed within weeks, not months. Companies with existing revenue or signed contracts in another market are strongly preferred. We are not the right program for pre-product or pre-revenue teams.
Experience
It is not a requirement, but it is a significant plus factor. Companies that have run structured pilots before — with defined KPIs and documented results — tend to move faster from matching to a scoped deal. If you have prior POC data, include it in your application.
Tracks
We have five active tracks: Smart Buildings & Communities, Smart Mobility, Sustainability & Urban Infrastructure, Health & Urban Wellbeing, and AI & Urban Services. Your technology should have a clear fit with at least one of these. We are not looking for B2C consumer apps or technologies that require full city-government procurement to deploy.
Geography
No. CityProof is specifically designed for international companies entering Vietnam. SBX handles in-market coordination, regulatory guidance, and on-the-ground logistics. Having an existing Asia presence (a team member or regional office) is a plus, but not required. What matters is that your team can attend the Demo Day and industry visits in Ho Chi Minh City in person.
Commercial Terms
CityProof is priced at a flat $20,000 USD per startup for the full program. There is no equity taken. There is no upfront application fee — payment terms are confirmed upon acceptance into the program. The fee covers Phase 1. If a partner proceeds, the Phase 2 POC or distribution costs (including travel) are funded by the startup.
Post-Program
If you hit your KPIs, the conversation moves directly to commercialisation — whether that means a paid contract with the partner, expansion to additional Sunwah properties, or introductions to other corporate partners in SBX's network. You leave with a documented results report and a reference customer you own. SBX can also facilitate introductions to the HCMC Venture Capital Fund and Brinc's investor network for companies seeking growth capital.
What's Included
The $20K fee covers Phase 1: online sessions with the Brinc team and industry partners to help you navigate the market and localise your product, the Demo Day and business matching events in Ho Chi Minh City, 1–2 days of curated industry visits, and 4–5 weeks of partner discussions facilitated by Sunwah to scope a POC or distribution contract. It does not cover Phase 2 — if a partner proceeds, the startup self-funds the POC or distribution, including flights, accommodation and any deployment costs.
POC Decision
No — and that is by design. Corporates commit once they have properly understood your solution and the costs involved. CityProof gets you in front of the right partners, facilitates the scoping, and local partners confirm by week 6 whether they will proceed with a POC or distribution contract. Even without a deal, you leave with a clear view of the cost and strategy to commercialise in Vietnam. If both sides see the fit earlier, Phase 2 can start before week 6.
Paid Pilots
Yes. At the discretion of the POC partner, a successful POC can be converted into a paid pilot. This is one of the primary outcomes CityProof is designed to facilitate — the structured KPI framework and documented results make it straightforward for the partner to build an internal business case for a paid engagement. SBX actively supports this conversation as part of the commercialisation process.

Ready to Commercialise in Vietnam?

Apply to the next cohort. We review applications on a rolling basis. Accepted companies pitch at Demo Day in Ho Chi Minh City, meet partners through business matching and industry visits, and scope a POC or distribution contract by week 6.

Apply to CityProof