Introduction: The adoption of digital economy transformation has become a fundamental and undeniable prerequisite for achieving sustainable development, competitiveness, and advanced innovation in technology-based economic ecosystems. Within this context, entrepreneurs, as pioneers of transformation, are considered the main drivers of this transition in the economic ecosystem. In the specific economic context of Iran, which faces challenges such as traditional structures, the technology gap, and the need for sustainable employment, it can be said that adopting the digital economy is a necessity, not a choice. Accordingly, the present study aims to identify the factors affecting the adoption of digital economy transformation among top Iranian entrepreneurs, with particular emphasis on the technical, organizational, environmental, and strategic dimensions that can pave the way for the digitalization of the economy.

Methodology: This applied research employs an exploratory mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through content analysis of library resources and semi-structured interviews with top Iranian entrepreneurs. Participants were selected via snowball sampling, with theoretical saturation reached after 25 interviews; however, interviews continued up to 38 individuals to enrich the data. Reliability was confirmed using Cohen’s Kappa (0.7), and validity was ensured through expert review. Qualitative data were coded and categorized using thematic content analysis. For the quantitative phase, a questionnaire based on the qualitative findings was designed, covering technical, organizational, environmental, and strategic categories. It was validated by experts and finalized after a pilot test (n=10). The researcher-made questionnaire, using a five-point Likert scale, was distributed to 258 entrepreneurs, university professors, and field experts. Data analysis involved Cronbach’s alpha, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) in SPSS, followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in SmartPLS.

Findings: The study identified eight factors influencing the acceptance of digital economic transformation. Among them, trust in emerging technologies (factor loading = 0.936; β = 0.41), data management capability (factor loading = 0.910; β = 0.39), and organizational flexibility (factor loading = 0.866; β = 0.35) were found to be the most influential. Other contributing factors included awareness of digital opportunities, adaptability to change, risk acceptance, process innovation, and stakeholder engagement. Collectively, these eight factors explained 64.25% of the variance in digital transformation acceptance.

Conclusion/ Implications: The findings indicate that success in adopting the digital economy requires a holistic approach encompassing technical, organizational, environmental, and behavioral dimensions. This study provides strategic and operational insights for policymakers, entrepreneurs, and educational institutions, emphasizing the need to create an innovation ecosystem, enhance stakeholder collaboration, develop supportive infrastructure and programs, and improve entrepreneurs' adaptability to facilitate the transition to a digital economy