Vietnam's fledgling startup scene (pictures)
The country is trying to become a bigger player in the tech world by encouraging startups. CNET visits some of these Vietnamese companies during Road Trip 2015.
Rock on
Dao Thu Hien, who worked as an AP reporter and staffer in former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration, co-founded Rockit Online in Hanoi, Vietnam, to help improve the education of people in the country. So far, the site offers English, math and science classes and may expand to include other skills-based courses.
School days
Pham Minh Tuan, an NYU Stern Business School MBA and former McKinsey consultant, heads up Topica. The startup, based in Hanoi, Vietnam, offers English and university courses online to more than 21,000 students. It also helps other startups in Vietnam by hosting an accelerator and workshops.
Move fast, break things
Topica's Hanoi offices, which have about 400 workers, feature posters with quotes by famous thinkers like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: "Move fast, break things."
Making music
NCT, a startup based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, provides a streaming music service to about 10 million monthly active users. It's available on PCs, mobile devices and smart TVs.
My music
Nhan The Luan co-founded NCT in 2009 and has helped grow his company to one of the top streaming music providers in Vietnam.
Hurry up and relax
NCT's offices include a "relax room" for employees to hang out. Some prefer to work in the room instead of relaxing.
Just a walk in the park
NCT's streaming music service starts at $2 a month for mobile devices, which is $1 less than Apple's new service, Apple Music. NCT also offers a free, ad-based option for PC users.
The mighty Steve
The space housing NCT's licensing business includes artwork of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Many startups in Vietnam -- like in the US -- look to Jobs for inspiration.