The Startup Ecosystem Awards by StartupBlink recognizes the achievements of startup ecosystems in StartupBlink’s algorithm, acknowledging stakeholders such as government agencies, chambers of commerce, startup support organizations, and international organizations contributing to the development of successful startup ecosystems. Overall, 22 startup ecosystems received awards.
What is the StartupBlink Ecosystem Award?
The determination of winners for the Startup Ecosystem Awards is a process rooted in the analysis of StartupBlink’s comprehensive ranking algorithm. This algorithm crafted and refined across a spectrum of over 40 parameters, forming the evaluation methodology.
To ensure a fair and comprehensive recognition, the awards are thoughtfully distributed across different tiers, taking into account variables such as population size, regional influence, and national dominance.
Watch the Startup Ecosystem Awards Ceremony
The Startup Ecosystem Awards Winners 2025
The latest edition of the Startup Ecosystem Awards took place on 25 November 2025, celebrating the achievements of ecosystems in 2025. While determining the categories of the awards, we did an analysis on global, regional and national level, as well as on industries and population tier. Here are some of the categories, we will distribute awards on:
Special Category Awards
This category recognizes cities and countries for their performance in specific areas, such as entrepreneurial resilience, cross-continental collaboration, as well as unique parameters of the StartupBlink algorithm such as the community score.
Global Breakthrough Ecosystem Award
Award Segment: Special Category
Ecosystem: Singapore
Received by: Enterprise Singapore
Recognizing Singapore’s unprecedented rise to 4th globally, the first nation outside the US, UK, Israel, and Canada to enter the global top four, marking the only movement within the global top five in 2025.
Best Total Startup Exit Value
Award Segment: Southern Europe
Ecosystem: Portugal
Received by: Startup Portugal
Recognizing Portugal for the total value of its startup exits, approximately 39% higher than Spain’s, the next highest in Southern Europe.
Leadership Awards
This category recognizes ecosystems on a global, regional and national scale that are ranked as the top or best ecosystems.
Best Startup Ecosystem
Award Segment: Central Asia
Ecosystem: Kazakhstan
Received by: Astana Hub
Recognizing Kazakhstan as Central Asia’s best startup ecosystem, maintaining the region’s top position since the launch of our Index.
Best Startup Ecosystem
Award Segment: Latin America
Ecosystem: Brazil
Received by: Confederacao Nacional Da Industria
Recognizing Brazil as Latin America’s best startup ecosystem, holding regional leadership since 2020 and consistently ranking as the top-performing ecosystem in the region.
Top Startup Ecosystem
Award Segment: Southern Europe
Ecosystem: Barcelona
Received by: ACCIO
Recognizing Barcelona as Southern Europe’s best startup ecosystem, holding regional leadership since 2020 and consistently ranking as the top-performing ecosystem in the region.
Best Small City
Award Segment: Canada
Ecosystem: Kingston, Canada
Received by: Kingston Economic Development
Recognizing Kingston as the only Canadian city with a population under 500,000 to rank among the nation’s top 10 startup ecosystems, highlighting its strong innovation capacity and outsized impact relative to its size.
Ecosystem Growth Awards
This category recognizes ecosystems on a global, regional and national scale that has demonstrated continuous growth across years.
Fastest-Growing Startup Ecosystem
Award Segment: among Asian OECD Members
Ecosystem: Daejeon, South Korea
Received by: Daejeon Center for Creative Economy & Innovation
Recognizing Daejeon for demonstrating the strongest growth in its startup ecosystem among the Asia OECD Members’ cities. Over the past year, Daejeon had 58% increase in its total ecosystem score and a 63-place improvement in the global rankings.
Multi-City Ecosystem Growth Award
Award Segment: Southeast Asia
Ecosystem: Vietnam
Received by: Vietnam National Innovation Center
Recognizing Vietnam’s performance among Southeast Asian countries as the only nation where every ranked city in the Index recorded a global climb in 2025.
Rising Startup Ecosystem Star
Award Segment: East Asia
Ecosystem: Ulsan, South Korea
Received by: Ulsan Metropolitan City
Recognizing Ulsan for making the highest debut in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index among the non-Chinese East Asian cities, marking its emergence as a dynamic and rapidly developing hub in the national innovation landscape.
Best Global Climb
Award Segment: Among the EU Countries
Ecosystem: Cyprus
Received by: Research & Innovation Foundation Cyprus
Recognizing Cyprus for achieving the strongest global ranking improvement among all EU countries in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index, underscoring its accelerating momentum and growing role as a competitive innovation hub in Europe.
Fastest-Growing Startup Ecosystem
Award Segment: among the Contender Countries
Ecosystem: El Salvador
Received by: Ministry of Economy of El Salvador
Recognizing El Salvador for hosting San Salvador, the fastest-growing startup ecosystem among Contender Countries, nations not yet in the global top 100 but demonstrating strong innovation momentum and clear potential for future global ranking.
Fastest Growing Startup Ecosystem
Award Segment: Central Asia
Ecosystem: Uzbekistan
Received by: IT Park Uzbekistan
Recognizing Uzbekistan as Central Asia’s fastest-growing startup ecosystem, achieving an impressive 98% annual growth rate in its GSEI total score.
Fastest Growing Ecosystem
Award Segment: Colombia
Ecosystem: Medellin, Colombia
Received by: Ruta N
Recognizing Medellín’s leadership as Colombia’s fastest-growing startup ecosystem, recording growth of over 41%.
Largest Global Climb
Award Segment: Central Asia
Ecosystem: Azerbaijan
Received by: Innovation and Digital Development Agency
Recognizing Azerbaijan for achieving the largest global climb among Central Asian ecosystems, rising 6 spots in the global rankings.
Fastest-Growing Startup Ecosystem
Award Segment: among the Mid Tier LATAM Countries
Ecosystem: Peru
Received by: Ministry of Production
Recognizing Peru as the fastest-growing startup ecosystem among mid-tier LATAM countries, the strongest annual growth rates in total score and solidifying its position as a rising innovation hub in the region.
Industry Specific Awards
This category acknowledges ecosystems with accomplishments in industry-specific rankings, such as Hardware & IoT, Energy & Environment, and Software & Data by considering various categories such as population range, country, and region.
Best Fintech Ecosystem
Award Segment: in East Asia
Ecosystem: Hong Kong
Recognizing Hong Kong as East Asia’s best fintech startup ecosystem, earning this distinction for the first time in 2025 after making its debut at the top of the national fintech rankings. It also ranks 11th worldwide for the industry.
Best Ecommerce & Retail Ecosystem
Award Segment: Among ASEAN Countries (Population >10M)
Ecosystem: Thailand
Received by: National Innovation Agency
Recognizing its strong performance among major ASEAN countries with populations above 10 million, Thailand is awarded for achieving the best postion in the Ecommerce & Retail industry.
Rising AI Ecosystem Star
Award Segment: East Asia
Ecosystem: Nagoya
Received by: Nagoya City
Recognizing Nagoya as East Asia’s rising AI ecosystem star, making the highest debut among East Asia’s non-Chinese cities.
Best Fintech Startup Ecosystem
Award Segment: East Asia
Ecosystem: South Korea
Received by: KISED
Recognizing South Korea as the leading Fintech startup ecosystem in East Asia for the second year in a row. The country also holds 13th place globally.
Healthtech Excellence Award 2025
Award Segment: Latin America
Ecosystem: Cali, Colombia
Received by: Camara Comercio de Cali
Recognizing Cali, Colombia for ranking 31 positions higher in Healthtech than in its overall global startup ecosystem ranking, the only top Latin American ecosystem to outperform its general position. This distinction highlights Cali’s exceptional specialization, sectoral leadership, and growing prominence in Healthtech innovation.
Rising Fintech Startup Ecosystem Star
Award Segment: Balkans
Ecosystem: Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Received by: Banja Luka Chamber of Commerce
Recognizing Banja Luka’s debut in the Fintech startup ecosystem rankings as the highest new entry in the Balkans, ranking 8th regionally. It also stands out as Bosnia and Herzegovina’s leading Fintech startup ecosystem.
Best Energy & Environment Startup Ecosystem
Award Segment: among North American cities (1M – 2M Population)
Ecosystem: Calgary, Canada
Received by: Platform Calgary
Recognizing Calgary as the leading Energy & Environment startup ecosystem among mid-sized North American cities, areas with populations between 1 million and 2 million residents. The city also ranks 22nd worldwide in this industry.
Fastest Growing AI Startup Ecosystem
Award Segment: among South America’s top cities
Ecosystem: Bogota, Colombia
Received by: Camara Comercio de Bogota
Recognizing Bogotá for achieving the fastest AI ecosystem growth in South America, with a nearly three times the regional average growth rate among the continent’s top 10 startup cities.
Wrapping Up
The success stories highlighted in these awards remind us of the potential that lies in nurturing startup ecosystems. They underscore the importance of supportive policies, effective collaborations, and a vibrant community in fostering innovation and driving economic growth. As the startup world continues to evolve, these awards will remain a testament to the power of collective effort and vision in shaping a prosperous and innovative future.
