SHANGHAI, Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Qunabox Group's "99 Quna Festival" drew to a close on the evening of Sept. 13, when the last AI interactive terminal in Shanghai shut down its experience channel for the day. Over the five-day event, the focus fell not only on the group's already-proven multi-sensory interactive marketing business but also on the physical AI entertainment segment it opened to the public for the first time. Consumer queues and spontaneous approaches from brands, cultural tourism operators, game companies, intellectual property owners and offline venue operators all pointed to one signal: the consumer-facing entertainment second curve that Hong Kong-listed Qunabox Group Limited (00917.HK) is trying to build with physical AI technology has won early recognition from the market.
On site: long lines at the motion-sensing game zone, digital avatars as "social currency"
Around dusk on the closing day, reporters saw that while foot traffic had thinned at most brand interaction areas, the physical AI entertainment experience zone stayed busy. More than a dozen people lined up at the wearable-free motion-sensing game zone built on the Q-Sense engine. Experience-seekers wore no equipment at all, standing in front of a naked-eye 3D screen and controlling game characters with body movements alone, drawing gasps from onlookers. This is the "Game Reality" that Qunabox has brought to life ahead of others — using physical AI to bring virtual gaming into the real world, so that consumers can interact in real time with virtual imagery in physical space for an immersive gaming experience, with nothing worn on their bodies.
On the other side of the venue, a large real-time digital human runway display built on the Q-Gen engine likewise drew heavy interest. Visitors took a single photo and got a personalized 3D digital avatar soon, then joined the runway interaction on the big screen. Reporters noted that many young women posted the short videos straight to social platforms after trying the service, making it a form of "social currency" at the event. Staff said the service's interaction conversion rate far exceeded expectations during the festival, with many users not only trying runway looks in different themes themselves but also recommending the experience to friends who came with them.
Brands: several partners move to lock in next year's campaigns
For the group's core multi-sensory interactive marketing business, the festival extended the growth trend seen in previous periods. During the event, AI terminals equipped with the Q-Sense engine rolled out brand-customized interactive campaigns spanning fast-moving consumer goods, tea drinks and other industries. Through the combined engagement of sight, hearing, smell and touch, participating users spent significantly longer and posted significantly higher interaction conversion rates than with traditional offline display formats.
"We used to run trial campaigns at traditional counters, where consumers stayed for only a minute or two on average," a marketing executive at a leading brand that took part in the festival told reporters. "This time, with Qunabox's AI interactive terminals, the average stay topped five minutes, and the trial conversion rate was much higher than what our own campaigns delivered." Several partner brands have already begun discussing marketing plans for the coming year, according to reporters at the event, with results exceeding expectations.
Industry: dozens of game companies and IP owners seek partnerships
Even more noteworthy than the brands' renewal interest was the enthusiasm from industry players drawn to the physical AI entertainment business. During the festival, dozens of leading cultural tourism attractions, game companies and well-known IP owners approached Qunabox staff on their own initiative, expressing intent to jointly develop offline experience projects based on the group's physical AI technology base.
"We've been looking for the right offline scenario to bring our game's world to life," an executive at a leading game company who visited the event told reporters. "Traditional VR arcades don't deliver a good experience, and escape rooms are too operation-heavy. Qunabox's wearable-free approach stood out immediately. If we can turn our game IP into an offline immersive experience space, that would be very valuable for user acquisition and brand exposure."
Venues: major commercial districts extend overtures
Beyond consumers and industry players, feedback from offline venue operators also stood out. Multiple operators of major commercial districts have offered to bring in Qunabox's physical AI entertainment equipment to build permanent, regularly operated experience points, according to reporters at the event.
"What offline commercial properties lack most is experience content that keeps drawing traffic," a commercial real estate operator involved in the talks told reporters. "Traditional arcades and escape rooms no longer bring young people back. Qunabox's devices don't take up much space, their content can be updated continuously and they can connect with our membership system — they're well suited to regular operations in atriums or at key points along customer flows."
Investor view: second-curve logic gets early validation; execution pace is the key
Industry observers noted that the closing feedback from this year's "99 Quna Festival" validated the feasibility of Qunabox's dual-engine logic — a B2B marketing base plus a consumer entertainment second curve — across several dimensions. Continued renewals by brands confirmed the stability of the base business; unsolicited approaches from industry players confirmed the cross-scenario reusability of the physical AI technology base; and positive feedback from venue operators has cleared some obstacles for subsequent scale-up.
Qunabox has obtained a business license in Singapore and is advancing the first physical AI entertainment space project, while Dubai, Australia and other high-value overseas markets are also included in its strategic deployment. Still, some analysts cautioned that large-scale commercialization of the consumer entertainment business will take time to prove out, and that the pace at which IP partnerships and gaming tie-ups move from concept to reality, along with the group's ability to operate overseas markets locally, remain core variables to watch.
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'99 Quna Festival' Wraps Up as Qunabox's Physical AI Entertainment Debut Draws Crowds, Giving Its Second Growth Curve Early Market Validation
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- xTool, a global leader in personal creative tools, November 6th announced a strategic partnership with Viettel Commerce, a member of Viettel Group, one of Vietnam's leading telecommunications and technology groups, marking a significant step in xTool's expansion into Vietnam.
With an established customer base in North America and Europe, xTool serves creators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses who use its tools to turn creative ideas into products for sale. Through its partnership with Viettel, xTool aims to bring these creative technologies and the opportunities they enable to more Vietnamese consumers, creators, and businesses.
According to CIC Consulting, xTool held a 47% share of the global laser engraver and cutter market by gross merchandise value (GMV) in the first nine months of 2025—approximately six times that of the second-largest brand and more than the combined share of brands ranked second through tenth.
A Strategic Partnership to Expand xTool's Presence in Vietnam
Under the strategic partnership framework, xTool and Viettel will explore collaboration across three key areas:
- Retail and hands-on experiences: Explore in-store displays, pop-up experiences, live demonstrations, and on-site personalization, allowing consumers and business customers to experience xTool's technologies firsthand and see how customized products can be created in real time.
- E-commerce: Explore online sales opportunities through platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and Tiki, alongside localized marketing, product information, and customer engagement.
- Business and enterprise applications: Identify opportunities in customized merchandise, branded products, small-batch production, education and training, and suitable enterprise projects, helping local businesses develop differentiated products and respond to personalized customer demand.
xTool will contribute its product portfolio, technical expertise, marketing resources, and training capabilities. Viettel will bring local market knowledge, channel and logistics resources, and enterprise customer relationships. Together, the two companies will explore ways to provide localized customer support, including Vietnamese-language product consultation, product demonstrations, training, and technical assistance as the partnership develops. Specific initiatives will be developed as the partnership progresses.
"Vietnam is an exciting next step in xTool's expansion in Southeast Asia. Around the world, we've seen people turn their ideas into products and their creativity into businesses. We believe these opportunities can extend to more entrepreneurs in Vietnam. By combining xTool's innovative products and global experience with Viettel's strong local capabilities, we hope to help more Vietnamese entrepreneurs bring their ideas to market and build businesses of their own."
— Howard Zhong, Head of EMEA & Emerging Markets, xTool
Turning Creativity into Business Opportunities
Vietnam's entrepreneurial spirit and growing demand for personalized products create opportunities for individuals to turn creative ideas into viable businesses. From customized gifts and personalized merchandise to branded products and niche product lines, accessible creative tools are making it easier for entrepreneurs to start small, develop distinctive offerings, and respond to evolving customer needs.
Across Southeast Asia, xTool users are already turning these opportunities into real businesses. Arlyn Marie, a mother of two from the Philippines and a former bank marketing assistant, turned her handmade craft hobby into a personalized products business with xTool. By selling customized keepsakes at local markets, she generates around US$500 in revenue at a single market event. Her business income eventually surpassed her full-time salary, enabling her to become a full-time entrepreneur while gaining greater flexibility to spend time with her children.
"Creation is human nature. Even as the digital and virtual worlds continue to flourish, we believe there is enduring value in creating something extraordinary in the physical world.
At xTool, we bring together hardware, software, and community to empower everyday people to create in the physical world. Vietnam is a major manufacturing hub with an abundance of creative talent. Together with our local partner Viettel, we hope to empower more people in Vietnam to create locally, turn their ideas into tangible products, and build businesses of their own."
— Howard Zhong, Head of EMEA & Emerging Markets, xTool
The growing importance of in-person technology experiences in Vietnam can also be seen in the retail sector. In July 2026, DJI opened its first Authorized Retail Store in Vietnam at Saigon Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, offering hands-on product experiences, professional consultation, and creator workshops. For xTool, similar experiences could go a step further by allowing customers to see personalized products being made on the spot and explore practical applications for their own businesses.
Through its partnership with Viettel, xTool aims to bring these experiences and business opportunities closer to Vietnamese consumers and entrepreneurs, combining its product innovation and global experience with Viettel's local market capabilities.
"Vietnam's entrepreneurial spirit and growing interest in personalized products create exciting opportunities for new technologies. Our partnership with xTool brings together creative tools and local market capabilities, allowing us to explore how these technologies can help Vietnamese consumers, entrepreneurs, and businesses develop new products and commercial opportunities. We look forward to building practical solutions that respond to local needs."
— Mr. Pham Tien Tuyen, Deputy General Director of Viettel Commerce and Director of Viettel Distribution Center
About xTool
xTool is a global leader in personal creative tools, dedicated to making creation more accessible. Its portfolio includes laser engraving and cutting machines, material printing equipment, software, accessories, and consumables, serving individual creators, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and creative communities worldwide.
By combining hardware, software, and an expanding creative ecosystem, xTool enables users to turn digital ideas into physical products for personal creativity and commercial applications.
For more information, visit www.xtool.com.
About Viettel Group
Viettel Group (Military Industry and Telecoms Group) is Vietnam's leading telecommunications, industrial and digital technology enterprise, founded on June 1, 1989. With the mission "Pioneering to create a digital society", Viettel has evolved from a telecom operator into a global digital service provider. It operates in Vietnam and 10 international markets across Asia, Africa and the Americas, where its overseas mobile subscriber base reached 90 million in 2025. Its business covers digital infrastructure, digital solutions, cybersecurity, R&D & manufacturing, together with a mature offline distribution network via Viettel Commerce. As a trusted channel partner, Viettel Commerce, through its distribution arm Viettel Distribution, delivers premium tech products to end consumers, creators and small businesses throughout Vietnam. For more information, visit https://viettel.com.vn/.
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Global Creative Tool Leader xTool Officially Enters Vietnam, Signing Strategic Partnership with Viettel Group
