IT startups in Russia and the Volgograd region: the problem and methodology of classification

The article discusses the main problems with the development of the IT industry in the national economy of Russia, with special attention paid to IT startups as the most risky business projects. A startup is a company with a short history of operating activities, usually based on an innovative or existing product, and therefore belongs to high-risk entrepreneurship. The IT industryof the Russian Federation was analyzed, including during the period of imposition of sanctions by foreign countries, in terms of such indicators as the volume of the industry, the costs of the corporate sector, and the population on IT technologies. A comparative analysis of the dynamics of such indicators as turnover, investments in fixed capital, and financial results in the IT sector and in the Russian economy as a whole was carried out. Both positive and negative trends in the development of the IT technology market and the development of small businesses in this sector are highlighted. The article highlights the typification and classification of startups, considers the problems of Russian IT startups, and suggests directions for their development. To implement a differentiated approach to stimulating the development of IT startups, a methodology for their classification is proposed. Testing of the methodology was carried out on the economy of the Volgograd region: the subjects of small and medium-sized businesses in the Volgograd region were analyzed, and the subjects that were potentially IT startups were identified.