Ranked: The World’s Top Startup Hubs

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March 2, 2026

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Julia Wendling

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• Athul Alexander

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The following content is sponsored by Terzo

Ranked: The World’s Top Startup Hubs

   
Key Takeaways

• The U.S. leads by a wide margin with a score of 254.1, more than 3.5 times higher than the UK in second place (70.7).

       

• Israel (62.2), Singapore (54.7), and Canada (45.4) complete the top five list.

       

• Smaller nations like Estonia and Lithuania show that strong digital infrastructure and business environments can help startups compete globally despite limited scale.

       

Startup ecosystems are emerging around the world, but a small group of countries continues to lead the charge.

Created in partnership with Terzo, this graphic shows the countries that rank highest by entrepreneurship ecosystem. It’s part of our Markets in a Minute series, which delivers quick economic insights for executives.

A Global Startup Race

According to StartupBlink, the United States dominates with a score of 254.1, more than three times higher than second-place United Kingdom (70.7). Israel (62.2), Singapore (54.7), and Canada (45.4) complete the top five, highlighting a mix of scale-driven giants and highly efficient innovation hubs.

The rest of the ranking is spread across Europe. Sweden, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands maintain strong positions thanks to deep talent pools and access to capital.

What Makes a Startup Hub?

These scores are based on three core components that together define ecosystem strength.

The first is quantity, which includes variables like the number of startups, investors, and accelerators operating within a country. The second is quality, which includes total private-sector startup investment and startup employment. Finally, the startup business environment measures factors such as diversity, internet speed and affordability, and internet freedom.

By combining these subindexes, the ranking provides a holistic snapshot of where founders have the strongest foundations to launch and scale new ventures.

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