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Events / Business / Digital Champions CEE 2026 Report
Business report publication

Digital Champions CEE 2026 Report

Analysis based on 6 articles · First reported Jun 17, 2026 · Last updated Jun 17, 2026

Sentiment
50
Attention
4
Articles
6
Market Impact
General
Live prominence charts, article sentiment distribution, and event development timeline available on the Ergen Dashboard
Market Impact

The report highlights the robust growth of the Central and Eastern European technology sector, with a combined market capitalization of USD 127.9 billion. However, the significant relocation of successful companies like ElevenLabs and Grammarly to the United States and the United Kingdom for capital access presents a strategic challenge for Europe's competitiveness, potentially impacting future investment flows and regional economic development. The shift towards deeptech and defence-related innovation, as seen with EnduroSat and Creotech Instruments, indicates new investment opportunities within the region.

Technology Venture capital E-commerce
Event Summary

The Digital Poland Foundation published its 5th 'Digital Champions CEE 2026' report, revealing that the 100 most valuable technology companies in Central and Eastern Europe have a combined market capitalization of USD 127.9 billion, a 9.36% year-on-year growth. The report notes that if companies like ElevenLabs, Grammarly, ICEYE, Rimac Automobili, and Avast that have relocated or been acquired were included, the total value would exceed USD 170 billion. Poland leads the region in absolute terms, while Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia show strong per capita intensity. There's a structural shift towards deeptech and defence-related innovation, with new entrants like EnduroSat and Creotech Instruments. The report also highlights a record number of venture capital-backed exits and the increasing trend of CEE scaleups relocating headquarters to the United States and the United Kingdom, posing a strategic challenge for Europe's competitiveness. Poland — National Development Bank (Poland) is actively involved in supporting the innovation ecosystem.

Entities Involved
ngo
Digital Poland Foundation
The Digital Poland Foundation published the 'Digital Champions CEE 2026' report, highlighting the growth and challenges of the technology sector in Central and Eastern Europe.
Importance 90.0 Sentiment 70.0
cnt
Poland
Poland leads the Central and Eastern Europe region in technology ecosystem value, accounting for 37.05% of the total regional value with 42 companies in the Top 100 ranking.
Importance 80.0 Sentiment 60.0
cnt
Latvia
Latvia emerged as the fastest climber by intensity growth over a five-year period in the Central and Eastern European technology ranking.
Importance 50.0 Sentiment 60.0
cnt
Bulgaria
Bulgaria nearly doubled its market capitalisation over the same period, showing strong growth in its technology sector.
Importance 50.0 Sentiment 60.0
cnt
Croatia
Croatia delivered the strongest long-term growth in percentage terms, with its technology ecosystem value increasing by 170.7% since 2021.
Importance 50.0 Sentiment 60.0
cnt
Lithuania
Lithuania recorded a 123.97% increase in total capitalisation since 2021, indicating significant growth in its technology ecosystem.
Importance 50.0 Sentiment 60.0
cnt
Estonia
Estonia achieved the highest score in capitalisation intensity per capita among Central and Eastern European countries, demonstrating strong performance in the technology sector.
Importance 50.0 Sentiment 60.0
cnt
Czech Republic
Czech Republic, along with Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania, accounts for nearly 78% of the Central and Eastern Europe region's total technology value.
Importance 50.0 Sentiment 60.0
cbnk
Poland — National Development Bank (Poland)
Poland — National Development Bank (Poland) actively engages in building the innovation financing ecosystem through initiatives like Innovate Poland and the BGK Vinci investment fund, supporting the growth of technology leaders.
Importance 40.0 Sentiment 60.0
cnt
Ukraine
Ukraine represents an acute example of the relocation dilemma, with many Ukrainian companies maintaining R&D operations locally but relocating headquarters abroad for financing.
Importance 40.0 Sentiment 30.0
priv
ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs is a leading firm that originated from the Central and Eastern Europe region but has relocated its headquarters, impacting the official valuation of the region's tech sector.
Importance 30.0 Sentiment 40.0
priv
Grammarly
Grammarly, a company that originated in Central and Eastern Europe, has relocated its headquarters, contributing to the underestimation of the region's true technology value.
Importance 30.0 Sentiment 40.0
priv
ICEYE
ICEYE, a company from Central and Eastern Europe, has relocated its headquarters, affecting the reported total value of the region's technology companies.
Importance 30.0 Sentiment 40.0
priv
Rimac Automobili
Rimac, a prominent firm from Central and Eastern Europe, has relocated its headquarters, which skews the official data on the region's technology sector valuation.
Importance 30.0 Sentiment 40.0
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Avast
Avast, a company originating from Central and Eastern Europe, was acquired by a multinational corporation, removing it from the regional ranking and understating the region's tech value.
Importance 30.0 Sentiment 40.0
+ 14 more entities View on Dashboard
Relationships
Poland related ↔ Latvia
Poland related ↔ Bulgaria
Poland related ↔ Croatia
Poland related ↔ Lithuania
Poland related ↔ Estonia
Poland related ↔ Czech Republic
Poland related ↔ Ukraine
Latvia related ↔ Lithuania
Latvia related ↔ Estonia
Latvia related ↔ Ukraine
Bulgaria related ↔ Estonia
Bulgaria related ↔ Czech Republic
Bulgaria related ↔ Ukraine
Croatia related ↔ Estonia
Croatia related ↔ Ukraine
+ 5 more relationships View on Dashboard
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