Outperforming hundreds of entries from across the region, MedCAT Nexus, an intelligent healthcare assistant, won the Gold Award in the Digital Startup category at the ASEAN Digital Awards 2026. It was one of two Vietnamese representatives to receive the highest honour at the ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting, hosted this year in Ha Noi.
From a digital startup story to the role of a nation-builder
According to Dang Thi Anh Tuyet, founder of startup MedCAT, the biggest bottleneck in digital transformation does not lie in the lack of data, but in unstructured, unclean, and non-exploitable data. It was from this insight that the MedCAT model was developed. In a context where around 80% of global data is unstructured, the company chose a difficult yet sustainable path: building artificial intelligence models capable of understanding documents, rather than merely reading text.
The solution develops AI models combining computer vision and natural language processing, enabling the system to understand context, recognise logical structures, and accurately extract data from documents in all formats. Launched in December 2023 — earlier than the point at which large models such as GPT acquired image-reading capabilities — the technology achieves accuracy levels 6% higher in simple tasks and up to 10% higher in complex tasks.
According to Dang Thi Anh Tuyet, “The end-to-end approach allows MedCAT not only to solve fragmented problems, but to unlock the entire data value chain in healthcare and insurance.”
The success story of the young startup MedCAT reflects a new generation of Vietnamese startups — enterprises that begin with real-world problems, master core technologies, persist for the long term and expand regionally through genuine value creation.
At the macro level, MedCAT’s story exemplifies Viet Nam’s philosophy of digital transformation. Less than a decade ago, digital transformation in Viet Nam was still viewed primarily as a technological process. A shift in thinking occurred when digital transformation was identified as a new development driver for the country, directly linked to institutional reform, improved governance effectiveness, and enhanced quality of life for the people.
From e-government towards digital government, from the digital economy to digital society, Viet Nam has built a relatively comprehensive digital transformation ecosystem based on three pillars: institutions, infrastructure, and people. These include widespread 5G coverage, promotion of open data, digital identification, and fully online public services.
Notably, Viet Nam has consistently pursued a people-centred digital transformation philosophy, with businesses as the driving force and the State playing a constructive role. This approach has helped gradually narrow the digital divide and bring technology to vulnerable groups—an achievement not easily attained by many developing countries.
Viet Nam’s vision of an ASEAN digital space goes beyond economic growth, aiming instead at inclusive development with people at the centre and ensuring that no one is left behind. This is precisely where national interests intersect with regional interests, and where Viet Nam’s development aspirations align with ASEAN’s shared future.
At the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting, UN Under-Secretary-General Amandeep Singh Gill assessed that Viet Nam is among the leading countries in digital transformation not only in the region but also globally. The digital economy’s share of Viet Nam’s overall economy is growing two to three times faster than the rest of the economy, placing the country among the global frontrunners in this field.
“Although ASEAN continues to face challenges such as uneven development among member states and insufficiently compatible digital infrastructure, it is encouraging to see these issues being given the highest priority and addressed by ASEAN ministers through an inspiring digital masterplan for the 2020–2026 period,” he said.
According to ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, under Viet Nam’s leadership this year as Chair of the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting, the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2030 is gradually taking shape and is expected to be adopted soon. The plan envisions ASEAN becoming a competitive, connected, and inclusive global digital hub. This is a crucial blueprint that will not only help narrow development gaps among member states, but also open up new growth space, enhance competitiveness, and affirm ASEAN’s position in the global digital value chain.
Strengthening digital trust
In an era where data, AI, and digital connectivity are shaping a new order, Viet Nam’s role within ASEAN is not merely that of a link, but of an anchor connecting national aspirations with regional vision, and the present with Southeast Asia’s digital future.
At regional digital forums, Viet Nam has proposed initiatives serving common interests, including digital infrastructure connectivity, the promotion of secure cross-border data flows, responsible AI development, and narrowing the digital divide among member states.
Viet Nam’s hosting of and proactive leadership in numerous ASEAN digital cooperation mechanisms demonstrates its transition from a participant to a shaper. Proposals on shared ASEAN data, cybersecurity cooperation, and digital skills training for the regional workforce bear clear hallmarks of long-term thinking and regional responsibility.
Kao Kim Hourn noted that this year’s theme under Viet Nam’s chairmanship is “ASEAN Adaptive: From Connectivity to Connected Intelligence”. Artificial intelligence, he said, is fundamentally about intelligence, closely linked to the vision of building smart governments, smart economies, and smart societies.
Impressed by Viet Nam’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, the UN Under-Secretary-General observed that today, no national socio-economic transformation strategy can afford to overlook AI. “That prioritisation is absolutely correct. I believe that wherever leaders care deeply about digital transformation — as in Viet Nam’s case, with Party General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh — progress will be significantly faster,” Amandeep Singh Gill said.
At the ministers’ meeting, many participants stressed that the digital space can only truly thrive when built on trust. Recognising this clearly, Viet Nam considers cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy as integral components of digital transformation.
Viet Nam’s active participation in international mechanisms to combat cybercrime, its promotion of regional cooperation in preventing online fraud, and efforts to protect citizens in cyberspace have contributed to strengthening digital trust within ASEAN.
From this perspective, Viet Nam’s position is recognised not only in terms of the speed of digitalisation, but also in its contributions to the safety, stability, and sustainability of the ASEAN digital space.
Viet Nam has demonstrated a pioneering role in mobilising stakeholders to support ASEAN’s priorities and initiatives, particularly in promoting the adoption of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2030, maintaining cooperation momentum, and placing strong emphasis on implementation.
ASEAN Secretary-General KAO KIM HOURN
