Backbase expands footprint in Vietnam with launch of global AI ‘Center of Excellence’

By Gloria Mathias

Backbase, the global Engagement Banking provider, has announced the establishment of its first global Center of Excellence (COE) focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The COE will serve as the development hub for Backbase’s AI banking solutions worldwide and will be led by Head of AI Chris Shayan, a former CXO at Techcombank and HDBank.

Backbase’s strategic decision to establish this COE in Vietnam underscores its commitment to Asia. Vietnam is pegged as the fastest-growing digital economy in Southeast Asia and is recognised for its rapid digital transformation, innovative spirit, and growing pool of talent. Asia is a core region for Backbase, and Vietnam has become one of the fastest-growing markets in Asia, with key banks including Techcombank, TPBank, ABBANK, and OCB driving digital transformation through the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform.

The Center of Excellence is located near Saigon Center in District 1, occupying an entire floor dedicated to advancing AI development. The COE will bring together a talented team of engineers specializing in web, mobile, backend, AI, machine learning, and large language models (LLM), fostering rapid AI development and innovation.

According to Head of AI Chris Shayan, the COE’s first product launch is targeted within 6 months of its establishment, reflecting Backbase’s confidence in a rapid development cycle.

“Vietnam is a crucial part of our global strategy. Having managed an 800-person team, of which 99% were Vietnamese, I can personally attest to the remarkable potential of Vietnamese talent in technology and innovation,” Shayan stated. “At this stage, our focus for the COE is to harness this talent pool to create AI capabilities that help banks solve business problems on a global scale, leveraging the wealth of knowledge and experience from Backbase’s portfolio of banks and tech experts.”

“The Center of Excellence will harness AI to deepen the value our customers can obtain from the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform by increasing customer usage and servicing experience, as well as providing access to analytics for informed decision-making. The Center of Excellence aims to vertically integrate AI to uplift customer lifetime value and accelerate the development and deployment of products for banks to have access to AI-driven features soon,” added Shayan.