Speaking with VnExpress on the afternoon of August 22, Mr. Tran Le Nguyen – CEO of KIDO Group, said this marks a strategic move to expand from the food industry into creative technology. “We are not only bringing AI into advertising and cinema, but also aiming to transfer technology and build a new creative ecosystem in Vietnam,” he said.
The AIRO joint venture (AI + Pro) is structured with 51% ownership by KIDO and 49% by Yuguang Tongchen, operating simultaneously in Vietnam and China. Mr. Tran Le Nguyen serves as Chairman of the Board. Under the agreement, the Chinese partner is responsible for AI-based production and technical operations, while KIDO handles marketing, sales, and service deployment in Vietnam. In addition to core services such as TV commercials, marketing videos, visual effects, and CGI production, AIRO also plans to launch AI visual effects training programs for students and young creatives.
Mr. Hu Tian Cheng - Chairman of Yuguang Tongchen (left) and Mr. Tran Le Nguyen - CEO of KIDO (right) in Ho Chi Minh City on August 22
According to Mr. Nguyen, the partnership idea originated from a trade promotion program organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade. During a business trip to Zhejiang last year — home to Alibaba and many major technology corporations — Ho Chi Minh City leaders had the opportunity to engage directly with the China Technology Association. This created an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to access advanced AI technologies and explore an entirely new industry.
Mr. Hu Tian Cheng, Chairman of Yuguang Tongchen, stated that China’s TV commercial production market is worth billions of dollars, and Vietnam still holds enormous growth potential. The company believes that success in Vietnam could become a launchpad for exporting AI visual effects technology to global markets.
Founded in Hangzhou in 2014, Yuguang Tongchen is recognized as one of the global pioneers in AI visual effects production, having worked on projects for Hollywood and collaborated with over 100 Fortune Global 500 brands such as Apple and Nike. Its technology is considered second only to the United States, while offering significantly lower costs than Hong Kong or Taiwan.
AIRO aims to help Vietnamese businesses reach customers faster and more cost-effectively. While a traditional TV commercial may take 6–8 weeks and cost between USD 50,000–70,000, AIRO claims the process can be completed in around 10 days for approximately USD 10,000. The technology can generate environments, crowd characters, explosions, and dangerous action scenes, while main characters are still portrayed by real actors.
The joint venture has already signed partnerships with Vinama, TMA Solutions, Circus, as well as HTV and VTV to develop digital content. In addition, AIRO plans to launch AI visual effects training programs directly in Vietnam.
According to Mr. Nguyen, AI is not intended to replace humans, but rather to serve as a supporting tool. “AI is visual effects, not deception. It only becomes effective when combined with human creativity to create products that are more engaging, cost-efficient, and safer,” he emphasized.
Mr. Nguyen also revealed that E2E — a subsidiary of KIDO — has been testing AI-powered livestreaming for over a month and has already started generating revenue. If successful, the company could become one of the pioneers in applying this technology in Vietnam.
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