In the contemporary digital economy, start-ups face increasing exposure to cyber threats that can compromise business operations, stakeholder trust, and competitive advantage. Digital start-ups, particularly in emerging economies, often struggle to implement robust cybersecurity and risk management practices due to limited resources, technical expertise, and formal governance structures. This study investigates the role of cybersecurity trust and risk management in enhancing the performance, operational resilience, and stakeholder confidence of digital start-ups. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted, and data were collected from 238 founders, IT personnel, and employees of digital start-ups in Owerri Municipal, Owerri North, and Owerri West in Imo State, Nigeria, using a structured questionnaire titled Cybersecurity Trust and Risk Management Questionnaire (CTRMQ). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient. Findings reveal that implementing strong cybersecurity trust practices significantly promotes the adoption of security measures, while structured risk management initiatives effectively enhance the mitigation of cyber threats. The study concludes that integrating cybersecurity trust with proactive risk management equips digital start-ups to safeguard digital assets, strengthen stakeholder confidence, and achieve sustainable growth. It is recommended that start-ups adopt robust security controls, transparent data handling practices, continuous risk assessment, and incident response planning to build resilience and maintain competitive advantage in the digital marketplace.