In this article, we will go over the list of 10 most innovative countries based on the Startup Ecosystem Rankings Report 2019 that ranked 1,000 cities and 100 countries globally and go over the reasons why these startup ecosystems are seen as role models.
The information provided in this article is taken from StartupBlink, the research center that maps and measures the most innovative startup ecosystems around the world since 2017.
1. The USA remains the unchallenged leader of the Global Startup Ecosystem.
Based on the results of the Rankings, the USA stands strong at the very top of the list at No. 1 leading the global startup ecosystem. The total score, based on the rankings table is almost 3 times bigger than its closest competitor’s, the UK, score. The most vibrant startup ecosystems in the United States are San Francisco Bay, New York, and Los Angeles Area.
2. The UK’s position at No. 2 is a pleasant surprise after all the uncertainty of Brexit
With the uncertainty of Brexit, and with Canada’s startup ecosystem growing, it would have been easy to guess that these two countries would swap positions in 2019. However, even with a minor score difference, the UK stands second. UK startup sample map on StartupBlink has over sample 4300 startups. Among the most vibrant startup ecosystems within a country, there are London, Manchester, and Bristol.
3. Canada maintains its position in the top 3 as one of the most innovative countries
Canada’s main strength lies in the distribution of strong startup hubs scattered throughout the country in cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Based on Canada’s startup sample map, it has over 3200 startups, followed by live examples of POF (Plenty of Fish), gfycat.com and Flickr. The Canadian government, press and public institutions are very much involved in the growth of the startup ecosystem and are creating policies to ease the process of building startups.
4. Israel (aka “Startup Nation”) remains 4th in the ecosystem rankings
Boosting with the highest quality score, aside from the USA, Israel stands strongly positioned 4th, as indicated in the Startup Ecosystem Rankings Report 2019. Based on Israel’s startup sample map, there are over 800 startups, including the most popular ones, Outbrain, Fiverr and Wix. Among the most vibrant startup ecosystems in the country, stand Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa. Israel is a shining example of how the public sector can be supported by the success of a startup ecosystem, enjoying tax windfalls and increased job creation. Startups are not just a buzzword and cultural trend; they create dramatic economic growth, and Israel is proof.
5. Australia jumped a spectacular 6 spots to be ranked 5th
Australia stands just above the Netherlands (a total score differ only slightly). Based on its startup sample map on StartupBlink, there are over 1000 startups in the country, including Canva, Atlassian and Freelancer.com. The biggest country’s startup hubs: Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
6. The Netherlands sprints into the most innovative country list
The country’s increase was caused by the massive ranking improvement in the vast majority of Dutch cities, including the most vibrant startup ecosystems in The Netherlands – Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. It should be noted that the Netherlands is doing an outstanding job of creating powerful platforms that support the global startup ecosystem. The Netherlands startup sample map has over 700 startups, and the most popular are WeTransfer, Adyen, and Coolblue. There has also been a considerable contribution to the “Bootstrap” startup scene from Dutch initiatives specifically helping entrepreneurs who stay off the beaten track of raising investment and instead build businesses by self-funding.
7. Sweden wins the Scandinavian leadership ranking 7th around the world
Sweden’s startup ecosystem is mainly concentrated in Stockholm that together with Malmo and Gothenburg are the most vibrant startup ecosystems in the country. Among over 400 startups on Sweden’s startup sample map. Even though the startup scene is vibrant, Nordic entrepreneurs tend not to show off success stories. Hence, the world is not aware of many startups that could be the next Swedish successes like Spotify, Soundcloud or Klarna.
8. Switzerland is a globally known startup hub and is proudly ranked in the top 10 ecosystems.
This relatively small country has been successful in producing several unicorns, giving an additional boost to its quality rankings. Switzerland is also surprisingly open to disruption (Kudos to its public sector), with many blockchain-related startups forming in the wake of legislation that allows startups to experiment with new innovative models. Switzerland’s startup sample map has over 460 startups, including Doodle, VirtualX and GetYourGuide AG. The most popular places with the most vibrant startup ecosystem for startup building are Zurich, Lausanne, and Basel.
9. Germany is the 9th on the innovative country list
German startup sample map has around 1700 startups, including Research Gate, ecosia.org and adjust by adeven. Entrepreneurs are usually going to the cities with the most vibrant startup ecosystems and in Germany, Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg are the best choices.
10. Spain is now in a top 10 list after Cabify’s success
Barcelona, Madrid, and Bilbao are the most vibrant startup ecosystems in the country that attract startup founders from all around the world. Spain startup sample map has almost 1000 startups that work on Mobile, Fintech and E-Commerce industries. Have you ever heard about such Spanish successes as Cabify, Uptodown, Freepik, and Trovit? They are worth reading about. A core advantage Spain has is a shared language and a deep connection with Latin America. Just like in other industries where strong links exist, as Latin American startup ecosystems grow, it is natural that they work with Spain as their gate into European and other global markets.
That wraps up the list of 10 most innovative countries based on the Startup Ecosystem Rankings Report 2019. The list continues up to 100th country and covers over 1,000 cities. To discover full Rankings, visit StartupBlink and download the newest Report.
