The Startup Ecosystem of Houston
Houston has 898 startups in our sample database. This represents about 1% of The United States’s startups. Houston is the 19th best startup ecosystem in The United States.
CITY RANKING
In 2024, the startup scene of Houston shows much promise after advancing in the Global Ecosystem Index by 4 spots.
National Ranking
In United States
Regional Ranking
In North America
Global Ranking
Worldwide
Ecosystem
Startup Ecosystem Overview
Startups
Houston Top Startup Industries
85 startups
126 startups
17 startups
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Ecosystem HealthCheck
Houston Ecosystem Health Check
The health check tables allow you to look at the performance Houston 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 Houston
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Startup Ecosystem Charts
Startup Funding in Houston2017 - 2024
Startup Funding in Houston 2017 - 2024
From 2022 to 2023, startup funding in Houston has increased by 17.04%. During this period, the number of deals in Houston has decreased by 14.95%. Since 2017, total startup funding in Houston exceeded US$ $10.55B.
Average Funding in 2023
$9.20M
Funding in 2023
$1.52B
Deals in 2023
165
USD
Amount of Funding (USD)
Number of Deals
Ecosystem
The Startup Ecosystem in Houston
Global Rank
Houston is ranked within the top 50 startup ecosystems globally.
Top Industries
Houston’s startups excel particularly in Energy & Environment where it ranks 12 and in Healthtech, and Transportation. Find out more
Top Cities for Startups in United States - Ranked by StartupBlink
2024 National Rank  | City | Global Rank |  | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st 0 | 1st 0 | 710.966 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 | |
2nd 0 | 2nd 0 | 251.377 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 | |
3rd 0 | 4th 0 | 121.937 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 | |
4th 0 | 5th 0 | 109.679 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 |
ECOSYSTEM
Why should you join Houston's Startup Ecosystem?
Overview
Within Houston there is an increased attraction for entrepreneurs to set up their startups in industries such as Energy & Environment, Healthtech, Transportation. These three industries represent about 25% of the startups represented on the Startup Ecosystem Map of Houston.
19th
National Rank
22nd
Regional Rank
Overview
Houston is The United States' 19th best startup ecosystem and is ranked 22nd in North America. With a population of 2M - 10M people, Houston is ranked 48th in the world. The city has some notable startup success stories including Avelo Airlines.
ECOSYSTEM
Startup Infrastructure in Houston
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 […]