The Startup Ecosystem of Chicago
Chicago boasts 1192 startups in our sample database which represents about 3% of The United States’s sampled startups. Chicago is the 6th best startup ecosystem in The United States.
CITY RANKING
In 2022, the startup scene of Chicago developed considerably and increased in the Global Ecosystem Index by 3 spots.
National Ranking
In United States
Regional Ranking
In North America
Global Ranking
Worldwide
In Partnership with
ECOSYSTEM
Browse the startup ecosystem database of Chicago
Download the Global Startup Ecosystem Index
Understand our ranking methodology and get the latest insights on the startup ecosystems of 100 countries and 1000 cities around the world!
Ecosystem
The Startup Ecosystem in Chicago
Global Rank
Chicago is ranked within the top 20 startup ecosystems globally.
Top Industries
Chicago’s startups excel particularly in Foodtech where it ranks 4 and in Marketing & Sales, and Software and Data. Find out more
Top Cities for Startups in United States - Ranked by StartupBlink
| 2022 National Rank & Change | City | Global Rank & Change | Total Score | Quantity Score | Quality Score | Business Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st 0 | 1st 0 | 550.269 | 36.19 | 510.42 | 3.66 | |
2nd 0 | 2nd 0 | 217.002 | 18.34 | 195.00 | 3.66 | |
3rd 0 | 4th 0 | 113.855 | 14.68 | 95.52 | 3.66 | |
4th 0 | 5th + 1 | 108.050 | 8.66 | 95.73 | 3.66 | |
5th 0 | 11th + 1 | 51.966 | 4.71 | 43.59 | 3.66 | |
6th 0 | 14th + 3 | 40.970 | 5.79 | 31.52 | 3.66 | |
7th + 1 | 19th 0 | 34.963 | 4.96 | 26.34 | 3.66 | |
8th - 1 | 20th - 2 | 32.906 | 4.36 | 24.89 | 3.66 | |
9th 0 | 21st + 1 | 32.558 | 3.91 | 24.99 | 3.66 | |
10th 0 | 26th + 1 | 29.353 | 4.10 | 21.59 | 3.66 |
Startups
Notable Startups in Chicago
Startups
Successful Foodtech startups in Chicago
Startups
Startups Ranking by Industry
On our map, you can explore a total of 332 startups for Foodtech.
In North America, Chicago's Marketing & Sales is in top 9. Chicago has a concentration of about 0% of the country's total Marketing & Sales startups that are represented on our map.
Software and Data is ranked 13th in the world. Our database contains 149 startups for this industry.
ECOSYSTEM
Why should you join Chicago's Startup Ecosystem?
Overview
Within Chicago there is an increased attraction for entrepreneurs to set up their startups in industries such as Foodtech, Marketing & Sales, Software and Data. These three industries represent about 53% of the startups represented on the Startup Ecosystem Map of Chicago.
6th
National Rank
6th
Regional Rank
Overview
Chicago is The United States' 6th best startup ecosystem and is ranked 6th in North America. With a population of 5M - 10M people, Chicago is ranked th in the world. The city boasts some notable startup success stories including Grubhub and its startup ecosystem infrastructure is strengthened by organizations such as Boeing and Level Office.
ECOSYSTEM
Startup Infrastructure in Chicago
Accelerators
Jumpstart by the Garage of Northwestern
Chain Reaction Innovation by Argonne
Techstars Chicago
Coworking Spaces
Level Office -Chicago
Level Office
DeskLabs
Organizations
Chicago Quantum Exchange
UIC Innovation Center
Discovery Partners Institute
ECOSYSTEMSFeatured Ecosystem Portals
Work with us
If you are a startup ecosystem developer in Chicago, you can grow your startup economy by becoming a partner.
BLOG
Recent Posts
Tue Mar 14 2023
EP 33: Do Small Countries Have an Edge in Building a startup Ecosystem?
Do small countries have an edge in building a startup ecosystem? In this episode, the StartupBlink team and Eli David discuss the unique advantages of small countries for building a thriving ecosystem. In StartupBlink’s Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2022, 9 out of the top 20 highest-ranked countries had a population of less than 10 million, […]
Wed Mar 08 2023
How can collaborating with StartupBlink as an ecosystem partner help your ecosystem and organization?
Collaborating with StartupBlink as a data partner can bring a range of benefits to your organization and ecosystem. As the most comprehensive startup ecosystem map and research center, we publish the Global Startup Ecosystem Index Report (GSEI) annually, ranking the top 1,000 cities and 100 countries worldwide. StartupBlink’s GSEI is based on an elaborate algorithm […]
Tue Feb 28 2023
The Top 30 Countries by Absolute Power in 2022
What is Absolute Power? Generally, StartupBlink’s GSEI scoring algorithm calibrates the countries’ total score to their population size to check the startup outputs of countries per capita. The “Absolute Power” algorithm ignores the size of the population and looks at the absolute amount of startup output per country to compare their dominance regardless of population […]