To find the world’s best start-up cities, we looked at 8 different factors: business infrastructure, quality of life, healthcare, average commute time, internet speed, the availability of co-working spaces, office costs and the strength of talent.
Vienna, Tokyo and Madrid pinched the top spots but there are plenty more worthy winners worldwide. Use the dropdown menu to discover how each city scored per category. Don’t forget to visit our Scoring page for a summary of how we totted up the results.
Many factors contribute to a good quality of life. We looked at health, environment, happiness and comfort. From low crime rates to pollution, find out which city came out on top.
The standard of healthcare where you live has a huge impact on your ability to perform. We looked at the quality of services available and the associated costs.
Which cities provide the biggest bang for your buck? High rental costs, lack of space and availability can be a huge barrier to start-ups. We compared office rental costs per square meter and looked at the average office size to find a winner.
Which cities run like clockwork? From education to IT, energy and investment services, discover the best cities for business infrastructure.
Talented employees exist worldwide but which cities boast the highest calibre of skills, education and growth potential? Washington DC — the home of the White House — came out on top.
Nobody wants to spend their life trundling from A to B. We looked at the best cities to commute in terms of transport links and average travelling time.
Is there anything more frustrating than a dodgy internet connection? Spare yourself embarrassing conference calls with clients that can’t hear you over crackly lines.
Co-working allows start-ups the freedom and flexibility to collaborate on their terms. We’ve sussed out the top cities for on-demand co-working.
* Data sourced from Numbeo, Atkearney, Nomad List, CoWorker and GCTCI Study.
Start-ups are the beating heart of business. They spark innovation, influence culture, create jobs and play an essential role in the economic ecosystem. The Monzo’s, the Airbnb’s and the Deliveroo’s of this world are revolutionising the way we live in unprecedented ways.
The nimble nature of start-ups means that it’s possible to set up shop pretty much anywhere. But the world is a big place. Wouldn’t it be great to know which cities boast the best business infrastructure and quality of life?
We went around the world and chose the best 25 cities to start a business based on 8 key factors. Use our interactive map to find out whether your city made it.