In 2025, VTB clients registered 1.5 times more companies and sole proprietors through the bank's online service than in the previous year. Moreover, three out of four new businesses are launched in the regions. The sectoral structure continues to be dominated by trade, construction, and freight transportation — these areas remain key for small businesses. The data was announced at the final of the "Business Battle" startup competition in Saransk, where Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President and Chairman of the Management Board of VTB, spoke.
"Digital business registration is no longer just an alternative — today it is the primary choice for entrepreneurs. They value speed and are not willing to waste time on bureaucracy. Seamless integration with government platforms, which makes complex processes invisible to the client, plays a key role here. In 2026, the bank plans to continue developing the service, including making new popular forms of taxation available during registration," said Denis Bortnikov.
According to VTB's statistics, positive dynamics persisted throughout the past year. The geography of registrations remained stable: about a quarter of all new businesses were in Moscow and the Moscow region, and another 8% were in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. Other leading regions include Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of Tatarstan, Rostov, Novosibirsk, Sverdlovsk regions, and Altai Krai. This distribution has remained consistent for the second year in a row.
The sectoral structure continues to be dominated by trade, construction, and freight transportation — these areas remain key for small businesses. They account for the majority of new registrations, confirming sustained entrepreneur interest in these sectors.
Source
"Digital business registration is no longer just an alternative — today it is the primary choice for entrepreneurs. They value speed and are not willing to waste time on bureaucracy. Seamless integration with government platforms, which makes complex processes invisible to the client, plays a key role here. In 2026, the bank plans to continue developing the service, including making new popular forms of taxation available during registration," said Denis Bortnikov.
According to VTB's statistics, positive dynamics persisted throughout the past year. The geography of registrations remained stable: about a quarter of all new businesses were in Moscow and the Moscow region, and another 8% were in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. Other leading regions include Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of Tatarstan, Rostov, Novosibirsk, Sverdlovsk regions, and Altai Krai. This distribution has remained consistent for the second year in a row.
The sectoral structure continues to be dominated by trade, construction, and freight transportation — these areas remain key for small businesses. They account for the majority of new registrations, confirming sustained entrepreneur interest in these sectors.
Source