AI Hay raises $10M to democratize AI-powered knowledge discovery for 100 million Vietnamese

The Ho Chi Minh City-based Vietnamese AI startup AI Hay has secured $10 million in Series A funding, led by Argor Capital. This brings the company's total funding to over $18 million, as it scales its mission to deliver hyperlocal AI tools to Vietnam's 100 million citizens.

Founded in 2021 by Chuong Nguyen, Duc Tran and Hiep Nguyen, AI Hay is addressing a critical gap in AI accessibility for Vietnamese users. Its platform combines generative AI technologies with social networking, enabling users to ask questions and receive reliable, context-rich responses from large language models, curated local content, and an active community of peers and experts.

What distinguishes AI Hay from global competitors such as ChatGPT is its profound grasp of Vietnamese culture and linguistic intricacies. The platform's goal is to accurately handle Vietnamese-specific queries, including recent administrative changes such as province mergers, which foreign AI models struggle to process correctly. All answers are sourced from verified information to ensure trustworthy, fact-checked content, and the platform operates as a social knowledge network where users can publicly post questions for community validation.

AI Hay has experienced remarkable growth since its launch in May 2024. It has achieved over 15 million downloads and processes more than 100 million questions per month, becoming a daily habit for millions of Vietnamese users. AI Hay was one of only three Southeast Asian start-ups selected for Amazon's Global Generative AI Cohort, which highlights its position as a leader in consumer AI.

The current funding round will support expansion into web-based experiences, continued innovation in educational and entertainment applications, and the development of AI companions to facilitate deeper integration into daily Vietnamese life. As Vietnam strives to become a regional AI innovation leader, AI Hay exemplifies how locally developed AI solutions can cater to underserved markets.

Founders: Chuong Nguyen, Duc Tran, Hiep Nguyen

Sources: TechNode Global, DealStreetAsia, VnExpress International, Crunchbase