Students starting a business from K'nia county of the Central Highlands mountains were praised by the Prime Minister

Student startups - Photo 1.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits and encourages the group of Dak Lak students who won prizes - VAN DUAN

The group of students starting a business with the project "Research on some products from K'nia seeds - a gift from the great forest" are studying in grade 11 at Cao Nguyen Practice High School (Dak Lak province).

The project was in the top 30 national typical projects at the 7th National Student Startup Day in 2025.

Student Startups from K'nia County

The group of four 11th grade students, including Ha Gia Bao, Nguyen Pham Huyen Linh, Do Hanh Nguyen and Le Tran Tram Anh, carried out the project under the guidance of Ms. Pham Thi Huyen Trang.

K'nia tree is a precious wood, a cultural symbol of the Central Highlands people, with seeds of high nutritional value. However, due to unsustainable exploitation and lack of stable output, K'nia seeds have not received due attention.

"I was born in Ea Bar commune (Buon Don district, Dak Lak) so since I was little I have been familiar with the sight of children picking K'nia seeds to sell, but the income is very unstable because few people know its value. My friends and I want to do something with this delicious, nutritious seed," Gia Bao shared.

Students starting a business from K'nia county of the Central Highlands mountains were praised by the Prime Minister - Photo 2.

A group of students introduces products at a fair to market to consumers - Photo: MINH PHUONG

From that concern, the group went to survey the reality in Krong Bong and Lak districts and studied the nutritional composition of K'nia seeds.

According to international documents, K'nia seeds contain good fats and high protein, surpassing many famous nuts such as macadamia or almonds.

The processing team tested many products such as K'nia grain salt, candies, cookies and gluten-free rice paper. The products are handmade, low cost, ensuring food safety.

"Consumers especially like rice paper because it is gluten-free, suitable for people on a diet or with starch allergies. In addition, the group's products are quickly welcomed at specialty fairs and startup festivals in the province," Huyen Linh said.

Linh said the group realized that many typical agricultural products of ethnic minorities have not been effectively exploited. With the advantage of living near the raw material area, Linh's group chose K'nia seeds as the main raw material and coordinated with the people in the preliminary processing and processing stages.

The group purchased K'nia seeds from local dealers, then focused on improving packaging and designs to suit consumer tastes. Thanks to that, the products sold well and received positive feedback from customers.

“I think it is important to create a sustainable value chain from the seed picker to the end consumer,” Linh said.

Sowing the seeds of innovation from indigenous values

According to Huyen Linh, the project has no clear profit yet because it is still in the start-up phase. However, the group has built a thorough financial plan, with expected revenue in the first year of about 735 million VND, increasing to more than 1.4 billion VND after three years.

They plan to donate 30% of their profits to replant K'nia trees and support the community. However, for now, the group will temporarily stop operations to focus on university entrance exams, then restart with a more professional plan.

Students starting a business from K'nia county of the Central Highlands mountains were praised by the Prime Minister - Photo 3.

Project from K'nia seed won 3rd prize at the 7th National Student Startup Festival in 2025 - Photo: VAN DUAN

Currently, the group continues to spread the brand "gift from the great forest" through social networks, e-commerce platforms and clean food stores.

"My friends and I not only want to make products but also want to preserve a symbol of the Central Highlands that is gradually disappearing," Huyen Linh shared.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Duan - principal of Cao Nguyen Practicing High School - said that the school has coordinated with a PhD in economics from Tay Nguyen University to support the group in developing plans and making estimates.

An experienced instructor to support and discuss with students about calculating raw material inputs, packaging design, product output to consumers...

At the startup festival, the group's booth was honored to receive visits and encouragement from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chi and Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Kim Chi.

The Prime Minister advised the students to maintain the spirit of innovation and develop their homeland's products.

Dr. Le Thi Thao - Head of the Department of General Education and Vocational Education - Continuing Education (Dak Lak Department of Education and Training) - commented: "The K'nia project shows that when students are given the opportunity to develop ideas linked to reality, they will develop their creativity and sense of social responsibility."