Moldova’s Startup Scene Soars: Tax Fast Registration and Female Leadership Lead the Way

Until recently, I had never received a press pitch from a Moldovan startup, but that changed when I attended the Startup Moldova Summit in Chișinău. I was genuinely impressed by the strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative projects being built there.

Moldova also has supportive regulations and frameworks that are evolving to help local talent grow.

A key driver of Moldova’s tech growth is the Moldova IT Park (MITP). Launched in 2018, it’s a unique "e-park" within the country’s e-governance ecosystem. Although created by the government, it operates independently and is not state-funded. Its goal is to support startups, simplify business processes, and boost the tech ecosystem.

MITP’s standout feature is that Moldova has created a unique tax regime designed specifically for IT businesses registered under MITP, allowing companies to pay just 7 per cent.

I spoke with Marina Bzovîi, Director of MITP, and Veronica Bucur, International Promotion Manager, to learn more about the program.

MITP supports a lively community of over 2,266 companies, including many with foreign investment from 39 countries. It’s also home to more than 24,200 skilled professionals working in IT, research, and creative fields.

One of its biggest advantages is a single tax system that replaces corporate tax, personal income tax, social security, and other fees. This makes it one of the easiest and most attractive tax setups for tech startups and teams.

Bucur explains:“In the IT Park, everything is included in that 7 per cent — company income tax, local taxes, road taxes — all included. So companies don’t have to deal with multiple tax entities. It’s simple.”

The government has promised to keep a 7% flat tax rate in place until at least December 31, 2035.

To qualify, your business needs to be part of an officially recognized IT park and earn at least 70% of its income from tech-related activities like software development, digital marketing, consulting, or other IT services.

MITP is also working on a digital system similar to Estonia’s, which will let people register a company, sign documents electronically, and run their business remotely.

Even now, the process for local startups is simple and straightforward.

Bzovîi detailed: “Here, it can be done in one day, four hours, for around €250. Once you register, you get your electronic signature. You don’t need to stay here you can sign reports remotely. And for citizens, most services are electronic. Everyone talks about Estonia, but Moldova’s been doing this for a long time.”

MITP also runs an IT Visa Program, which makes it easy for tech professionals to get a 2- to 4-year work residency in Moldova, with the option to renew and stay longer.

At the conference, Doina Nistor, Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Digitalisation, shared that tech now makes up 7% of the country’s GDP, over 11% of national exports, and has shown the fastest growth rate in Eastern Europe in recent years.

When talking about the sector, Nistor emphasised:“It's powered by you, the entrepreneurs who dare to take the risks. It's driven by us, a government that firmly believes in the power of innovation, and it's amplified by our partners, especially the European Union.”

The Moldovan government is expanding its national startup program in the coming months. It will raise Seed stage grants from €40,000 to €100,000 and offer co-funding alongside venture capital. The country is also launching its first government-backed fund of funds to support VCs and equity investment funds.

To boost innovation, Moldova will open new tech parks this year focused on areas like agriculture, food, healthcare, and energy. A new Energy Sandbox law will help with research, development, and product testing.

Deputy Prime Minister Doina Nistor also announced plans for accelerators in agritech, food tech, health tech, biotech, AI, and big data.

Freelancers are included too. A new law is in progress to make it easier for freelancers to work without creating a company or hiring employees, whether they’re game developers, engineers, designers, or marketers.

“You are all contributing to the startup ecosystem and the Moldovan economy, “ stressed Nisor.