Belarus has 1 city in the top 1000 and is the leading startup hub in Eastern Europe.
Since 2022, Belarus lost 3 spots in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index, having now positioned itself as 70th worldwide.
Belarus is an example of a country that once had massive potential for success in both global and regional terms. The local IT industry boasts high-quality local developers and IT professionals, as well as historically smart ecosystem development policies. Minsk is the most active startup ecosystem in Belarus and is home to TechMinsk, an accelerator partnered with Google Launchpad.
However, the country’s success is now a thing of the past. Recent years have brought political instability and further international isolation following the war in Ukraine, which creates extremely difficult conditions for local entrepreneurs. As a result, Belarus now has a massive gap between its true potential and current performance, intensified with an exodus of its most talented IT people to other countries in Europe where they are happily received.
As many Belarus-originated companies are now headquartered in other European countries, the majority of startups left in the country are at the pre-seed and seed stage. It will take years for local ecosystems to recover and grow. First, the country will need to regain the trust and investment from foreign VCs, which is unlikely under current conditions. Second, the country will need to convince its talented workers to return home. And third, new policies will be needed to help entrepreneurs keep their headquarters in Belarus and view the country as a potential market. The future of the local startup ecosystem and its viability as an economic engine greatly depends on how the country’s geo-political situation evolves. Belarus is a valuable case study showcasing the massive decline of an ecosystem that had all the power to continue improving.
Understand our ranking methodology and get the latest insights on the startup ecosystems of 100 countries and 1000 cities around the world!
Belarus is ranked within the top 100 startup ecosystems globally.
Belarus’s startup scene is best represented in Marketing & Sales, Social & Leisure, and in Software and and Data.
2022 National Rank & Change | City | Global Rank & Change | Total Score | Quantity Score | Quality Score | Business Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st 0 | 312th - 82 | 1.868 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 |
On our map, you can explore a total of 24 startups for Marketing & Sales.
In Eastern Europe, Belarus' Social & Leisure is in top 58. Belarus has a concentration of about 6 of the region's total Social & Leisure startups that are represented on our map.
Belarus' Software and Data is ranked 64th in the world. Our database contains 5 for this industry.
Apply to join hundreds of leading ecosystem developers and represent the Belarus startup ecosystem at no cost.
Download the Barcelona and Catalonia Report Ecosystem Report
Download the Global Startup Ecosystem Index Unlock the full list of Influencers with the StartupBlink Pro Purchase Now Key Insights: US Entrepreneurs are in a much better position to become influencers The United States has 130 influencers, representing 80% of all influencers globally, mainly hailing from major cities such as San Francisco, New York, […]
In this episode, Martin Jordana and Eli David discuss how to determine the right ecosystem for your startup. If you want to learn what are the factors that indicate if your ecosystem is the right place for your startup, tune in and get more insights. Why does your startup ecosystem matter? Usually, when entrepreneurs […]