Vietnam IT student leads $95,500-a-month startup as CTO, plans Southeast Asia expansion

Nguyen Manh Duy, a 23-year-old student at the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT) in Hanoi, has successfully transitioned from a high school freelancer to the leader of a high-growth technology startup. As the Chief Technology Officer of AIT Software Technology JSC, Duy recently showcased his company’s success during his graduation thesis defense, revealing that the firm now generates monthly revenues as high as VND2.5 billion.

The foundation for this entrepreneurial success was laid years ago at Ha Huy Tap High School in Ha Tinh Province, where Duy taught himself programming through online communities. By his senior year of high school, he was already taking on independent coding projects, developing software tools and websites that earned him a steady income and solidified his desire to pursue a formal education in information systems.

Duy entered university in 2021 with an impressive entrance exam score, but his academic journey was quickly intertwined with real-world business challenges. During the pandemic, he collaborated with senior students to form the initial AIT team, focusing on creating software solutions for the burgeoning e-commerce sector. They specifically targeted the needs of online sellers operating on major platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Shopee.

The path to building a sustainable company was not without significant obstacles. Duy recalls the intense pressure of his second year, when he was forced to stay awake for nearly forty-eight hours to meet a major project deadline immediately following his final exams. These early struggles with limited capital and management experience nearly led him to quit, but they ultimately provided the resilience needed to officially register the company in August 2024.

Today, AIT Software Technology employs nearly 30 people and serves a diverse client base of over 2,000 individuals and corporations. The company’s revenue is primarily driven by an AI-integrated software ecosystem that supports affiliate marketing, automated customer service, and operational analytics. Additionally, the firm earns about 20% of its income through specialized software outsourcing for regional businesses.

Duy’s academic performance has remained stellar despite his executive responsibilities. His graduation thesis, which centered on a digital transformation project for a multi-branch enterprise, ranked among the top ten at his university with a score of 9 out of 10. He maintains that the theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom was essential for transitioning his business from simple tools to complex, scalable platforms.

Looking toward the remainder of 2026, Duy envisions a major international expansion for the company. While already serving clients in Vietnam and overseas, AIT is now targeting deeper market penetration in Southeast Asian nations, specifically focusing on the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. This expansion strategy aims to capitalize on the region's rapidly evolving digital economy.

Following his official graduation in May, Duy plans to further his education by pursuing a master’s degree. He intends to focus on strengthening his management skills while staying at the forefront of the artificial intelligence landscape, ensuring that his startup remains competitive in an increasingly automated global market.