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USA leading regional centers of technological entrepreneurship in artificial intelligence

https://doi.org/10.33293/1609-1442-2026-29(2)-163-177

EDN: ADLUGW

Abstract

The article is devoted to the US leading regional centers of technological entrepreneurship in artificial intelligence and their advantages for AI-startups developing. The history of 45 AI-startups that achieved the status of “unicorn companies” between 2022 and 2024 was studied. The focus was on the local context for the successful development of these companies, including: infrastructure and a market of specialized AI industry providers; talented specialists interested in developing AI-solutions; venture capital market and sales opportunities. Startups benefit from the latest technological solutions for creating AI products, strong teams, partner’s support and the ability to scale quickly. Five regions were identified, in which the transformation of AI-startups into a unicorn companies was observed. The leader among them is Silicon Valley, where more than 70% of such transformations have occurred. New York ranks second with a similar indicator of 15%. The other regions are Boston, Austin, and Seattle. Each region shows its strengths and advantages for local AI startups. The discussion of the results summarizes the regional context in the United States facilitating the stages of a startup’s life cycle before becoming a “unicorn company”. The possibilities for implementing the successful experience of developing U.S. AI entrepreneurship in Russia are identified. In particular, three pressing challenges for Russia that are successfully solved in the American economy are identified: diversification of national production through increasing productivity based on AI technologies; expansion of national consumer market and the share of the middle class in the population due to AI projects in the “long tail” digital economy; and the involvement of incumbents represented by large public companies in the development of science, education and ecosystems of AI entrepreneurship.

About the Author

Danil V. Bashmakov
MIREA — ​Russian Technological University, Moscow
Russian Federation

Cand. Sci. (Economics), Associate Professor



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For citations:


Bashmakov D.V. USA leading regional centers of technological entrepreneurship in artificial intelligence. Economics of Contemporary Russia. 2026;29(2):163-177. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.33293/1609-1442-2026-29(2)-163-177. EDN: ADLUGW

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