On the morning of October 28, the executive body of Vietnam's International Financial Centre in Ho Chi Minh City (VIFC-HCMC) announced its first 10 member companies.
The announcement was made during a plenary session of senior leaders at the Autumn Economic Forum 2026. The 10 holding companies are the first members of VIFC-HCMC. The centre is building an ecosystem to launch products, attract international capital and serve the real economy. Organisations and businesses also took part in the centre's formation and development.
The first 10 holding companies joining VIFC-HCMC are EQuest Capital, Son Kim Capital IFC, VinaCapital International Partners, Sai Gon Marina IFC, Gemadept Holdings, Rovela Pay, REE Energy Finance, Vietnam IFC Commodity Exchange, AG&P Holding Vietnam and Keppel Asset Management (Vietnam).
The companies plan to develop projects in education, infrastructure, maritime transport, logistics, energy, financial technology, payment solutions and commodity exchange infrastructure. Their registered charter capital and committed contributions total $33.63 million, while planned fundraising and investment are expected to reach about $2.7 billion by 2027.
Among the major fundraising and investment commitments, Sai Gon Marina IFC plans to raise about $816 million to develop the technological and physical infrastructure of the VIFC-HCMC ecosystem. AG&P Holding Vietnam plans to raise and invest about $425 million across the liquefied natural gas value chain, electricity and data centres.
EQuest Capital plans to raise about $325 million under a cooperation agreement with Standard Chartered Bank's New York branch to develop education infrastructure in Vietnam, with a focus on the university urban area in southwestern Ho Chi Minh City. Son Kim Capital IFC has committed to raising about $275 million for infrastructure development in VIFC-HCMC, while REE Energy Finance plans to raise about $200 million for renewable energy projects.
Keppel is also studying the creation of co-investment platforms with global partners, with up to $1 billion raised mainly from third-party capital. The platforms would target investment opportunities in infrastructure, real estate, trade and services inside VIFC-HCMC.
The plans move VIFC-HCMC from building a member ecosystem towards connecting capital sources with specific projects. After recognising the first 10 holding companies, the centre is continuing to develop its legal framework and licensing procedures to expand the ecosystem to specialised financial institutions. The first focus areas are investment funds and asset management.
Under the plan being developed, licensing for asset management companies is expected to have three levels: investment advice and portfolio management; management of private and professional investment funds; and management of public investment funds. The mechanism draws on the experience of international financial centres such as Singapore, Dubai and Hong Kong, with licensing procedures tailored to each activity's type, scale and complexity.
VIFC-HCMC expects to complete and issue procedures and regulations for receiving investment funds in November 2026. Applications from banks, securities companies and other businesses subject to special conditions will be accepted and reviewed in stages after the relevant regulations are issued.
Sources: Thanh Niên
