JEL O33 JEL O31 JEL F15 JEL L26 JEL P29

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY STARTUPS IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL TRANSITION IN THE CIS COUNTRIES The role of technology startups in the context of digital transition in the CIS countries

Published in Theoretical economics · Issue 7, 2026 · Pages 180–200 · Rubric: MODERN PROBLEMS OF THE WORLD ECONOMY
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-7-180-200
Received: 06.06.2026 Accepted: 30.06.2026 Published: 30.06.2026
This study analyzes global trends in the development of technology startups and their impact on the digital transition of CIS countries. By analyzing the main areas of activity of technology companies in the AI field the article presents an overview of key trends in the development of new digital solutions. The study demonstrates that, despite similarities in the general directions of digitalization, there are significant differences in the emphasis of national digitalization programs, which, to some extent, can be characterized as «digital protectionism». In that regard the role of technology startups as a tool for the transfer and localization of foreign digital solutions in most CIS countries is increasingly becoming apparent, which will lead to increased competition between Russian and foreign digital products and services. The study concludes that underdeveloped ecosystem of technology startups in CIS can significantly narrow the window of opportunity for cooperation between Russia and neighboring countries. At the same time, the trend toward internationalization of national IT companies and the development of e-commerce and digital platforms within the EAEU create the necessary conditions for the development of investment, trade, economic, and technological cooperation and interaction. This determines the further development and state of the technological and innovation landscape, which depends on numerous factors, such as R&D spending in the CIS countries and the development of a domestic ecosystem of tech startups and small tech-innovative enterprises as integrators of the most advanced technological and digital solutions.
EAEU, CIS, technology startups, AI, Industry 4.0, digital transformation
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