Israel holds firm as world’s third-ranked startup ecosystem
New global rankings place Israel behind only the US and UK, reinforcing its status as one of the world's leading centres for innovation, entrepreneurship and tech investment
The UK has retained its position as the world’s second strongest startup ecosystem for a sixth consecutive year, while Israel held onto third place globally, according to a major new international ranking.
The latest StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index ranked 120 countries and more than 1,500 cities, with the United States remaining the clear global leader after recording growth of 23.6 percent. The UK remained in second place, ahead of Israel in third, while Singapore climbed to fourth after posting the strongest growth rate among the world’s top 10 startup nations.
The report highlights the continued dominance of established innovation hubs, but also points to growing competition from emerging ecosystems across Asia and Central Asia.
Israel maintained its position as the world’s third-ranked startup ecosystem, continuing its reputation as the “Startup Nation” despite a challenging geopolitical backdrop. The country remains the highest-ranked startup ecosystem among nations with populations between two and 10 million people.
The UK strengthened its lead over Israel and remains Europe’s top startup hub, driven by the continued strength of London and the country’s fintech, artificial intelligence and technology sectors.
Singapore was one of the report’s standout performers, securing fourth place globally after years of rapid growth. StartupBlink described the city-state as one of the fastest-growing startup ecosystems in the world, supported by a pro-business environment and strong government backing for innovation.
Canada rounded out the global top five, despite what the report described as a slower funding environment. Sweden remained the European Union’s highest-ranked member state at sixth, while Switzerland climbed to eighth and Australia re-entered the top 10 after one of the strongest annual gains among leading startup nations. France slipped out of the top 10, falling to 11th place.
Among the fastest-rising ecosystems, Taiwan entered the global top 20 for the first time, benefiting from growth in deep-tech and semiconductor industries, while Uzbekistan was named StartupBlink’s “Country of the Year” after recording growth of more than 227 percent.
The findings underline how the global startup landscape is becoming increasingly competitive, even as traditional leaders such as the US, UK and Israel continue to dominate innovation, investment and entrepreneurial activity.