Vietnam's leading food producer Kido partners with China’s Yuguangtongchen to launch AI advertising venture

Kido Group is teaming up with Chinese firm Yuguangtongchen to establish AIRO, a joint venture specializing in AI-driven TV commercials, short films, and movies, which promises to cut production costs by up to 70% and reduce turnaround time by a factor of 10.

Speaking at the Vietnam Private Economic Forum 2025 on Friday in Ho Chi Minh City, Kido CEO Tran Le Nguyen said the partnership marks a strategic move to bring advanced Chinese special effects technology into Vietnam.

“Using AI in TVC (television commercials) production will help save both cost and time. A commercial that normally takes six to eight weeks and costs $50,000-70,000 can now be completed in just 10 days for about $10,000 - roughly 70% cheaper,” Nguyen noted.

AIRO will be majority-controlled by Kido with a 51% stake, while Yuguangtongchen holds 49%. Nguyen will serve as chairman of the board, with operations coordinated between the Vietnam and China sides.

The collaboration originated from trade promotion activities organized by HCMC’s Department of Industry and Trade. Earlier this year, Kido executives joined business delegations to Zhejiang, where they engaged directly with Chinese technology associations and identified opportunities to transfer AI capabilities to Vietnam’s advertising sector.

Hu Tian Cheng, chairman of Yuguangtongchen, said Vietnam offers strong market potential. “We not only see Vietnam as a fast-growing market but also as a launchpad for exporting AI special effects technology globally,” he said.

Founded in Hangzhou, Yuguangtongchen is a pioneer in applying AI to creative content production. Its “Yu Guang AI” platform can reduce the cost and time of making commercials and animations by 70-90% compared with traditional methods.

One example is its campaign for the Asian Winter Games: a project that once required 120 days and cost 1.5 million yuan ($210,000) was completed in just 15 days at a cost of 300,000 yuan ($42,000) using AI.

The company has also worked with CCTV on cultural heritage digitization projects and deployed AI campaigns for brands such as Tmall Auto, Lenovo, and Ctrip.

Beyond commercial applications, Yuguangtongchen collaborates with universities to bring AI into education and creative practice, further expanding its reach in the digital economy.

Kido Group operates mainly in the food industry, focusing on areas such as cooking oil, ice cream, spices (fish sauce, seasoning powder), frozen foods, instant noodles, beverages, snacks, and dumplings.

On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange Kido (KDC) shares closed Friday at VND53,500 ($2.03) apiece.