The digital economy is set to double in three years from around $80 billion and expand to $0.5 trillion ($500 billion) in less than a decade. The catch? Digital businesses are still often covered by brick-and-mortar factory-era rules.

“For the digital economy to get to its full potential, doing business has to be easier and appreciation around the operating nature of early-stage companies has to deepen," said Madhur Singhal, a partner with Bain & Company. "Traditional industrial era compliance and filings shouldn’t be applied to digital era firms.”