To make a startup successful a mix of ingredients is necessary. Two of the most important components are talent and capital. In contrast to Silicon Valley, where both largely concentrate in the same place, Europe has to wonder if it can bring both together in one location. With the Startup Heatmap Europe Survey we have shown
Specialization of startup hubs: Which second-tier hubs perform better than we might expect?
When we look at overall preferences, 38% of the 320 founders in the sample chose a smaller hub over a bigger one. What unique qualities do these smaller hubs have to offer, and why might a founder choose a smaller hub? In the 2017 version of the Startup Heatmap Europe, London and Berlin again found themselves
Can macroeconomic factors influence the performance of a startup hub?
In our 2017 survey, we asked 320 startups CEOs why they decided to set up their businesses in a certain location and what are their preferred ingredients for a successful startup city. Here, I analyze their results alongside additional macroeconomic factors, to examine if they may play a role in the location choice. Is there a correlation between GDP, unemployment rate, economic freedom in a country and how
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Startups and the City: A look into how city characteristics may impact startup location satisfaction
In this year’s Startup Heatmap Europe, we found considerable regional differences in how entrepreneurs evaluated their startup locations. While regional differences can provide an interesting picture about the overall satisfaction of entrepreneurs across Europe, much day to day startup activity happens in the city, or local level. We can learn even more about how these
PIRATE Summit brings Cologne the international appeal its startup ecosystem deserves
A gigantic mechanical robot animal spits fire while pushing its way through the crowd in the post-apocalyptic world of Cologne’s “Odonien†– an old junkyard site turned art and exhibition space. We are at the PIRATE Summit – one of the most remarkable celebrations Europe’s tech scene has to offer: 1,200 hand-picked invite-only guests gather
The five startup hubs most likely to profit from Brexit
Deal or no deal, the UK will leave the EU on 29 March 2019. Who stands to benefit? We identified 5 top startup hubs that are likely to become the greatest Brexit profiteers. Brexit and the impact on UK Startup Hubs The United Kingdom has a very good reputation among European startup founders. While London
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Salad Bowl of Melting Pot? The elements of a great startup ecosystem
Our research director, Natalie Novick was invited by the Global Entrepreneurship Network to present the results of her research to global decision makers on stage at the Startup Nations Summit in Estonia. Read below the full excerpt of her talk. Talk prepared for the 2017 Startup Nations Summit – Tallinn, Estonia By Natalie Novick. Â
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Where are EU founders moving to?
Overall, the key reasons for founders to move somewhere to establish a business are access to talent (a score of 4.20 out of 5), followed by ease of doing business (3.85) and access to capital (3.69).  Overall, roughly half (48%) of founders moved to another city to start a business, with 21% moving to a
Is the grass always greener on the other side?
When we first think about the words “startup hubâ€, our initial thought is probably the image of the space between San Francisco and Oakland populated by the thousands of startup companies that comprise Silicon Valley. Europe lacks a similar density of startups, however, many European entrepreneurs choose to move away from their cities, countries or
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Startup hubs that outshine their regional competitors
Any type of movement – inbound or outbound – can be good for startup hubs. To name just a few benefits: inbound founders bring talent, creativity, diversity, economic impact, and jobs. Founders who decide to leave their home turf, on the other hand, stay in touch with the place they left, and share knowledge and
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