Moldova is a rapidly evolving Eastern European nation, with women not just participating but leading the entrepreneurship sector. It is projected to soon become one of the most desirable places for entrepreneurs to launch their ventures. One striking feature of Moldova’s tech ecosystem is the prominence of women. Walk into any coworking space or startup event in Chișinău and you’ll see women not just participating but leading.
With the country’s EU accession set for 2030 and state-backed investment already in motion, Moldova is shaping up to be a promising new destination for tech talent in Europe.
Moldova has been quietly laying the groundwork for a thriving tech ecosystem, with a set of forward-thinking regulations and support structures aimed at accelerating local and international talent. At the heart of this effort is the Moldova Innovation Technology Park (MITP), a quasi-governmental institution set up in 2018. While established by a government decision, MITP doesn’t rely on state funding. Instead, it acts as a digital-first “e-park” within Moldova’s wider e-governance framework, aimed at making entrepreneurship easier and more accessible.
MITP now supports a community of over 2,266 companies, many of which involve international investment from 39 countries. The combined workforce exceeds 24,200 professionals across IT, R&D, and creative industries.
Both Startup Moldova and MITP are headed by women, and according to government figures, women account for 43 per cent of Moldova’s ICT workforce. That’s significantly higher than the US (28 per cent) and the UK (19 per cent).
The country’s focus on STEM education for girls, backed by scholarships and dedicated programmes, has helped push up the number of female ICT graduates — from 22 per cent in 2017 to 26 per cent in 2023. While there’s still room to grow in the number of female-founded startups, Moldova is showing how emerging markets can lead the way in gender equity within tech.
Until recently, few in the startup world had heard much about Moldova, and the country rarely features in global tech headlines. However, that changed after the Startup Moldova Summit in Chișinău, where the innovation and entrepreneurial energy on display left a strong impression.
