Quang Tri businessman showcases Vietnamese intellectual prowess abroad

Le Van Hoang (born in 1988) from Vinh Thuy Commune, Vinh Linh District, is currently the CEO of Kaopiz Holdings Joint Stock Company (Kaopiz), headquartered in Hanoi. The company specializes in software outsourcing and exports to the Japanese market. Over the past 10 years, Kaopiz has increasingly established its reputation, showcasing Vietnamese intellectual prowess on the international stage. During this period, Hoang has dedicated his efforts to propelling the company to greater heights.

First order

The story of CEO Le Van Hoang steering the “Kaopiz ship” forward and making a mark in Japan brings to mind his days as a student in Vinh Linh District, where he consistently achieved outstanding academic results.

After graduating from middle school, Hoang was accepted into Hue National High School for the Gifted. He then became one of the first students of the Vietnam-Japan Program in the IT Department at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. During this time, he was among the top 20 students who received scholarships to continue their studies at Ritsumeikan University in Japan. Excelling academically, he was awarded a Japanese government scholarship to pursue and complete his master’s degree in Japan.

The Japanese education system is renowned for its rigor and high standards, which helped him enhance his expertise, technological skills, and creative thinking—laying a solid foundation for his passion for IT to flourish. His time studying in Japan also deepened his understanding of Japanese work and business culture, and he found the Japanese market’s unique characteristics suited his strengths in developing high-quality IT products and services. Additionally, he learned how to effectively understand and meet Japanese customer needs.

CEO Le Van Hoang (center) represents Kaopiz in receiving the Digital Technology Product Award.

After completing his studies, Hoang began contemplating starting his own business. In 2011-2012, a wave of Japanese companies was shifting operations to Vietnam. Recognizing this opportunity, despite his youth and limited experience, Hoang decided to step out of his comfort zone. Together with five friends, he founded Kaopiz Holdings, a joint stock company providing high-quality IT services and solutions, with a focus on the Japanese market, and he took on the role of CEO.

Prior to establishing the company, the six members had worked together in a group, allowing them to understand each other’s strengths. Among them, Hoang and another member had studied in Japan, while the other four had extensive work experience in Japan, giving them insight into the opportunities and challenges of the Japanese software outsourcing market. Hoang and his co-founders clearly identified that their company’s greatest strengths aligned well with the Japanese market, and they were determined to fully commit to this promising market.

Kaopiz’s first office was only 10 square meters, just enough space for three desks for six people. Their first order, valued at around $2,000, came from a Japanese client. With no employees, the founders had to handle all aspects of the project themselves, often working through the night to meet deadlines. "Although the order’s value was small, it gave us a lot of confidence. It showed that we could create products that met Japanese customers' needs and standards," Hoang recalled.

CEO Le Van Hoang, representing Kaopiz, donates lunch to underprivileged students in Dien Bien Province.

When asked about the challenges faced during their startup journey, Hoang shared: "Although our group all studied IT at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, when we founded and built Kaopiz, we assigned specific roles and responsibilities to each person to avoid overlap. We all came from technical backgrounds with little experience in business and company management, so we had to learn a lot on our own to keep up with the company’s growth each year. Additionally, establishing a professional workflow was a major challenge. Fortunately, during our development, we received support and guidance from many partners and customers, helping us gradually overcome difficulties and continuously improve our processes. Now, 10 years later, the six co-founders are still working together to make the “Kaopiz ship” stronger."

Creating high quality workforce

To create a competitive edge in the international market, Kaopiz focuses on building a strong workforce, and prioritizing the recruitment, training, and development of highly skilled personnel.

Their main workforce in the Japan office, which constitutes over 10% of the company’s staff, plays a crucial role in ensuring accurate communication between Japanese clients and the team in Vietnam. These young engineers have proposed cost-saving technology solutions, earning clients' trust and expanding project scopes two to three times. Kaopiz continues to innovate, improving workflows and adopting new technologies.

Hoang shared a recent project with a Japanese client involving the digitization of documents such as invoices and receipts. While some companies had solutions for this, their costs were prohibitively high. The client trusted Kaopiz to develop a more optimal solution. After over three months, Kaopiz engineers created an AI-based solution that met the client’s needs at a reasonable cost. This project showcased Kaopiz’s significant intellectual capacity, earning them intellectual property rights. The team felt proud of their ability to innovate and create breakthrough solutions.

Over the past decade, Kaopiz has completed around 500 projects for over 140 clients, with more than 95% of them from Japan. Currently, Kaopiz employs 450 people across Hanoi, Da Nang, and Tokyo. Hoàng aims to expand this to 1,000 employees by 2027 and consider an IPO by 2030. Kaopiz’s long-term goal is to become Vietnam’s leading technology company, creating high-tech products and services that highlight Vietnamese intelligence and capabilities globally. Kaopiz has evolved into an ecosystem with subsidiaries like Kaopiz Software for software services, Kaopiz Solutions for solutions, and others for various services and products. The company is also looking to expand beyond Japan, targeting the Asia-Pacific region, including countries like Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and South Korea.

CEO Le Van Hoang.

Reflecting on their startup journey, Hoang recalls the many lessons learned through "tuition fees." However, the team gained valuable experience, knowledge, and ways of thinking when working with clients. Kaopiz’s members have grown and improved with each project. "We aim for higher levels in the software outsourcing value chain, not just coding but also consulting and designing for clients. Furthermore, we aspire to develop “Make in Vietnam” products and services for global users. The founding team and employees share a strong desire to showcase Vietnamese intelligence and help put Vietnam on the global technology map," CEO Le Van Hoang expressed.

Tu Linh - Ngoc Mai