The Startup Ecosystem of Belfast
Belfast has 124 startups in our sample database. This represents about 1% of The United Kingdom’s startups. Belfast is the 11th best startup ecosystem in The United Kingdom.
CITY RANKING
While Belfast decreased by 4 spots in its global rank in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index of 2024, its ranking in The United Kingdom remained stable at 11 nationally since 2023.
National Ranking
In United Kingdom
Regional Ranking
In Western Europe
Global Ranking
Worldwide
Ecosystem
Startup Ecosystem Overview
Startups
Belfast Top Startup Industries
17 startups
10 startups
9 startups
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Ecosystem HealthCheck
Belfast Ecosystem Health Check
The health check tables allow you to look at the performance Belfast has in each of the parameters that are part of StartupBlink's ranking algorithm. There are five tables, corresponding to the three subscores, the subscore analysis and industry ana...
- Overperformance
- Performance equal to global ranking
- Underperformance
ECOSYSTEM
Browse the startup ecosystem database of Belfast
Become our Belfast Ecosystem Partner
Startup Ecosystem Charts
Startup Funding in Belfast2017 - 2024
Startup Funding in Belfast 2017 - 2024
From 2022 to 2023, startup funding in Belfast has increased by 79.11%. During this period, the number of deals in Belfast has decreased by 33.33%. Since 2017, total startup funding in Belfast exceeded US$ $811.70M.
Average Funding in 2023
$9.90M
Funding in 2023
$197.90M
Deals in 2023
20
USD
Amount of Funding (USD)
Number of Deals
Ecosystem
The Startup Ecosystem in Belfast
Global Rank
Belfast is ranked within the top 300 startup ecosystems globally.
Top Industries
Belfast’s startups excel particularly in Healthtech where it ranks 130 and in Hardware & IoT, and Social & Leisure. Find out more
Top Cities for Startups in United Kingdom - Ranked by StartupBlink
2024 National Rank  | City | Global Rank |  | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st 0 | 3rd 0 | 144.375 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 |
ECOSYSTEM
Why should you join Belfast's Startup Ecosystem?
Overview
Within Belfast there is an increased attraction for entrepreneurs to set up their startups in industries such as Healthtech, Hardware & IoT, Social & Leisure. These three industries represent about 29% of the startups represented on the Startup Ecosystem Map of Belfast.
11th
National Rank
57th
Regional Rank
Overview
Belfast is The United Kingdom's 11th best startup ecosystem and is ranked 57th in Western Europe. With a population of 0.5M - 1M people, Belfast is ranked 220th in the world. The city has some notable startup success stories including Fibrus.
ECOSYSTEM
Startup Infrastructure in Belfast
BLOG
Recent Posts
Mon Apr 14 2025
From Service-Based to Product-Based Economy – Lessons from North Macedonia
In this special episode of the Startup Ecosystem Podcast, we revisit a conversation from two years ago, recorded during a visit to North Macedonia. Eli David Rokah, CEO of StartupBlink, sits down with Igor Madjov, founder of Startup Macedonia, to explore how Skopje is evolving from a service-based IT outsourcing city into a product-driven startup […]
Wed Apr 02 2025
Corporate Startup Activity Index 2025
For the first time ever, 372 corporations across 30 countries, 11 major industries, and 10 sub-industries have been ranked based on how actively they engage with startups. StartupBlink’s Corporate Startup Activity Index is the world’s first benchmark for corporate startup engagement — powered by real data, global partnerships with top corporations, governments and data sources, […]
Thu Mar 06 2025
The Impact of Government Support on Startups
A robust startup ecosystem creates a sense of community that brings entrepreneurs together and helps them feel less isolated. It gives them access to mentors, advisors, fellow entrepreneurs, and talents. The foundation of such an ecosystem largely relies on government support. Good policies create a fair and supportive environment that helps startups grow. Bad policies […]