logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2025
18m 22s

Armenia: Silicon Valley of the Caucasus?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The small country of Armenia in the South Caucasus has long been positioning itself as an emerging technology hub. Hundreds of tech start-ups with strong ties to the US market through the Armenian diaspora are now based there. From 2020 to 2022, investments in small Armenian tech companies reached $48 million.

The industry has been partly fuelled by the arrival of hundreds of Russian IT specialists following the invasion of Ukraine.

We hear how the government wants the IT sector to develop the economy, talk to tech start-up founders, and find out how tech education for children is being prioritised.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

(Picture: Staff in the offices of Doctor Yan, a health care assistant app in Armenia. Credit: BBC)

Presented and produced by Rayhan Demytrie

Up next
Yesterday
Business Daily meets: Fani Titi, Investec CEO
The South African grew up under the racist apartheid system as one of 14 children. He looked set for a life in farming, until a chance event took him down a different path – ultimately becoming CEO of the multinational banking group, Investec. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: El ... Show More
17m 27s
Oct 8
Small country: Big tariffs
We head to Switzerland, a small but very successful country with a population of just 9 million.And now coping with some of US President Donald Trump’s highest tariffs. In August the original threat of 31% tariffs was raised to 39%. Two months on, efforts to negotiate with Washin ... Show More
17m 30s
Oct 7
Should we expect more airline delays?
Passengers are suffering more disruption as technology at airports, airlines and air traffic control is failing.But why is aviation software becoming more prone to failure and vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and what is the solution to preventing delays?Presented and produced by Rus ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
How the New Administration Will Impact Crypto, AI & Tech Globally w/ Ben Horowitz & Salim Ismail | EP #145
In this episode, Ben, Peter, and Salim discuss recent tech, AI, robotics, and crypto news and what the new administration means for tech enthusiasts.   Recorded on Jan 23rd, 2024Views are my own thoughts; not Financial, Medical, or Legal Advice. Ben Horowitz is a prominent busine ... Show More
1h 5m
Nov 2020
Transforming security with MagicCube co-founders Hisham Shawki and Nancy Zayed
Hisham Shawki and Nancy Zayed launched MagicCube in 2014 with the intention of eliminating the redundancy of hardware-based security currently used in mobile and IoT devices. The primary target of their technology is the USD 48 bn POS hardware market, a strategy that attracted in ... Show More
42m 18s
May 2025
From Heritage to High-Tech: Dr. Najwa Aaraj on the Middle East’s Innovation Transformation
The Middle East is investing in more than just the technologies of tomorrow, it’s investing in the people, ideas, and institutions that will shape them. In this episode of Flavors of Ambition, we speak with Dr. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of the Technology Innovation Institute in Abu Dhabi, ... Show More
35m 51s
Oct 2024
Why climate tech startups get this one thing wrong
This might be our wonkiest topic yet: Techno-economic analysis, or TEA. Before a startup proves its technology is commercially viable, it models how a technology would work. These TEAs include things like assumptions about inputs, prices, and market landscape. They help investors ... Show More
49m 38s
Apr 2024
Héctor Beltrán, "Code Work: Hacking Across the US/México Techno-Borderlands" (Princeton UP, 2023)
In Code Work: Hacking Across the US/México Techno-Borderlands (Princeton UP, 2023), Héctor Beltrán examines Mexican and Latinx coders’ personal strategies of self-making as they navigate a transnational economy of tech work. Beltrán shows how these hackers apply concepts from the ... Show More
29m 42s
Jul 30
#85 AI CEO: How To Make A $10M Business With AI Employees (Amjad Masad, CEO @ ‪Replit‬)
In this episode, host Codie Sanchez sits down with Amjad Masad, CEO of Replit, to discuss the transformative potential of AI in the tech industry. Amjad shares his journey from coding at age six in Jordan to leading one of the fastest-growing AI companies. He offers insights into ... Show More
1h 37m
Oct 2020
Kickstarting an industry with Fawry CEO Ashraf Sabry
The majority of Egypt’s population are unbanked and have no access to financial services. Thanks to fintech players like Fawry, this is changing quickly — and for the better. When Ashraf Sabry founded Fawry in 2008, he knew he wanted to leverage his experience and technology in a ... Show More
42m 16s
Jan 2025
VC React Podcast (E23): DeepSeek Moment! New Growth Funds In MENA, New Sector Focus For MENA VCs!
VC React Podcast: Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, VCs, and investment rounds. Stay tuned for: expert analysis, independent opinions, and maybe some heated conversations! Hosts: Ahmad Takatkah, VCpreneur. ... Show More
52m 33s
Jun 2020
A peek behind the curtain: How Trella is bringing supply chains into the digital age (Ep 14)
Omar Hagrass, CEO of Trella On this week’s episode of Making It, we remotely sit down with Omar Hagrass, the CEO and co-founder of Trella, a digital trucking marketplace. The company’s application acts as a hub for shippers and carriers, eliminating the time-consuming and ineffic ... Show More
42m 32s
Jun 2025
Architecting AI-Driven Financial Systems: Innovation at the Intersection of Fintech and Emerging Tech
In this episode of the Data Science Salon Podcast, we sit down with Sasibhushan Rao Chanthati, AVP and Senior Software Engineer at T. Rowe Price, where he’s building the future of finance through intelligent, scalable technologies. Sasi specializes in creating secure digital ecos ... Show More
29m 7s