zen8labs

zen8labs is a Vietnam-based technology consulting firm founded by three co-founders with decades of combined experience at companies like Google, Addepar, and McAfee. The firm positions itself as a pioneer in IT consulting for healthcare, though it also serves clients across other sectors. The founders—Billy Pham (Computer Science degree from National University of Singapore, 12 years in tech), Tom Nguyen (15 years in tech, former Engineering Manager at Danish startup Planday, author of two IT books in Vietnam), and Dave Bui (Master's from Swinburne, 15 years in tech, former Director at VnDirect Securities)—claim 9+ years of software consulting experience and serve 25+ global clients with a reported 99% client satisfaction rate.

Services and capabilities

zen8labs offers two core service lines: technology consulting and software development. On the consulting side, the firm focuses on strategic solutions to optimize business processes and enhance efficiency. The software development arm delivers what the company describes as solutions that "meet the unique needs of businesses, ensure scalability, and foster sustainable growth." The firm emphasizes healthcare as a vertical of particular expertise but does not detail specific methodologies, frameworks, or technology platforms in the source material. Client testimonials mention backend-to-QA coverage and system integration work, but without naming specific technologies or platforms the company uses.

The firm has published thought leadership on artificial intelligence (particularly agentic AI and GenAI implementations), quality assurance methodologies (including the MoSCoW model), and UX/UI design principles. This suggests some capability depth in these areas, though the source does not detail implementation or tooling specifics.

Notable work

zen8labs has worked with three named clients that appear on its portfolio: Knowable (an audio-based learning platform featuring courses from experts including Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian), The Yes (an AI-powered shopping app launched May 2020 by former Stitch Fix COO Julie Bornstein and Google alum Amit Aggarwal), and Invitae (a public healthcare company offering medical genetic testing, ticker NYSE: NVTA).

Client testimonials provide limited measurable outcomes. Alex Benzer, co-founder of Knowable, notes that zen8labs can "add real value at any level of the software development stack, from backend to QA" and feels like "an extension of our core team." Phu Nguyen, Engineering Director at Nudge, praised the firm's "professionalism, technical expertise, and dedication" for smooth system integration and timely delivery. Jack Perisa, CEO of ClinikNote, states zen8labs "took ClinikNote to a new level" with its software engineering and design expertise. The firm reports reaching 100,000+ global users through its work and serving 200M+ in combined client reach (likely aggregated across clients), though these figures lack granularity.

How they work

The source does not detail engagement models, pricing structures, contract terms, sprint lengths, communication cadences, or team composition (e.g., whether teams are co-located, distributed, or hybrid). The company claims all team members are "meticulously selected, followed by thorough training," but provides no specifics on staffing levels, roles, or how engagements are structured. No information is available on minimum project sizes, typical engagement duration, or how the firm scales across projects.

Team and credentials

The three co-founders bring significant pedigree: Billy Pham worked at Google, Addepar, and McAfee; Tom Nguyen spent 5 years as Engineering Manager at Planday, authored two IT books published in Vietnam, and co-founded Agile Vietnam; Dave Bui has held leadership roles at VnDirect Securities and Vinmec International Healthcare System, and co-founded ViCare (medical equipment) and AhaSlides (presentation software). Beyond the founders, the firm claims a team of professionals with "combined 15 years of experience," but total team size is not disclosed. No certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR compliance, etc.), partner status with cloud providers, or third-party ratings (Clutch, G2) are mentioned in the source material.