The Startup Ecosystem of Slovakia

Slovakia has 3 cities in the top 1000 and is the leading startup hub in Eastern Europe.

COUNTRY RANKING

Since 2023, Slovakia lost 7 spots in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index, having now positioned itself as 65th worldwide.

Population

5.9
Million

Regional Ranking

16th
-
1
In Eastern Europe

Global Ranking

65th
-
7
Worldwide

Ecosystem

Startup Ecosystem Overview

city skyline during night time
Slovakia has an enviable geographical location, allowing easy access to the startup hub of Vienna (less than 1-hour ride from Bratislava), sharing a border and language with Czechia, and adjacent to two of Eastern Europe’s largest markets: Ukraine and Poland. This allows Slovakian startups to tap into several markets with high potential. Slovakia is also one of the most politically stable countries in the region. With an innovative startup scene and lots of investment opportunities, especially in the research and development of digital products, Slovakia’s ecosystem has much growth potential.
There is a vibrant community of young entrepreneurs gathered in incubators, accelerators, and coworking places in Bratislava, as well as around major technical universities in other regional centers like Zilina and Kosice. Some of the emerging innovation communities involve industries like healthcare, climate resilience, fintech, digital and creative, and mobility. An important startup ecosystem organization to mention is the Slovak Alliance for Innovation Economy (SAPIE) that runs several projects, such as Innovate Slovakia, to strengthen entrepreneurship in the country.
The government still has work to do in supporting individual communities with a better regulatory environment, creating suitable public funding policies, and collaborating with other stakeholders. There have been positive changes made by the government through cooperation with SAPIE; these changes focus on encouraging new startups with legislation tailored for high-growth companies, tax incentives, startup visas, and educational reform.
Slovakia’s startup scene is still waiting for its first unicorn, but there have been several inspiring early exits among Slovak tech companies, including internet portals Azet and Zoznam. As the neighbors of the country boast a number of unicorns, Slovakia needs a success story to restore motivation in the ecosystem. Another challenge for Slovakia is the shortage of IT talent, which signals the country should take a step towards attracting and retaining IT professionals.
To further improve its international positioning, Slovakia should focus on strengthening Bratislava’s position while helping the Kosice ecosystem establish its position as an important secondary startup ecosystem both nationally and in the region. With a competitive location, strong digitally oriented universities, and R&D tax incentives, Slovakia is a country with high innovative and entrepreneurial potential.

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ECOSYSTEM

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Ecosystem

The Startup Ecosystem in Slovakia

In 2023, Slovakia register a rise in Marketing & Sales startups. Some of the most notable success stories in this industry are those of , Bloomreach.

Global Rank

Slovakia is ranked within the top 100 startup ecosystems globally.

Top Industries

Slovakia’s startup scene is best represented in Marketing & Sales, Hardware & IoT, and in Social & and Leisure.

Top Cities for Startups in Slovakia - Ranked by StartupBlink
StartupBlink ranks the startup ecosystems of 100 countries and 1,000 cities. Download our latest Global Startup Ecosystem Report.
Rows:
2023 National Rank & Change ▲
Access subscores for 1000 cities and 100 countries
2023 National Rank & Change City
search leaderboards icon
Global Rank & ChangeTotal ScoreQuantity ScoreQuality ScoreBusiness Score
1st
0
279th
-
10
1.588
00.00
00.00
00.00
2nd
0
706th
-
61
0.253
00.00
00.00
00.00
3rd
0
935th
-
5
0.139
00.00
00.00
00.00
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Startups

Notable Startups in Slovakia
Bloomreach startup icon
Bloomreach
GreenWay Operator startup icon
GreenWay Operator
Photoneo startup icon
Photoneo

Startups

Successful Marketing & Sales startups in Slovakia
Bloomreach startup icon
Bloomreach
LURITY startup icon
LURITY
United Jobs startup icon
United Jobs

Startups

Startups Ranking by Industry

Marketing & Sales icon
Marketing & Sales
#34 worldwide

On our map, you can explore a total of 20 startups for Marketing & Sales.

Hardware & IoT icon
Hardware & IoT
#39 worldwide

In Eastern Europe, Slovakia's Hardware & IoT is in top 39. Slovakia has a concentration of about 11 of the region's total Hardware & IoT startups that are represented on our map.

Social & Leisure icon
Social & Leisure
#54 worldwide

Slovakia's Social & Leisure is ranked 54th in the world. Our database contains 9 for this industry.

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