Latest news with #2025GlobalStartupEcosystemReport
CairoScene
4 days ago
- Business
- CairoScene
Abu Dhabi Startup Ecosystem Ranks Third in MENA for Performance
Abu Dhabi has entered the global top 60 emerging startup ecosystems according to Startup Genome's 2025 report, generating $4.4 billion in value and ranking third in MENA for ecosystem performance. Jun 17, 2025 Abu Dhabi has been ranked among the top 60 emerging startup ecosystems globally in the 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report by Startup Genome. The emirate moved from the 61–70 bracket into the 51–60 tier, reflecting strong performance despite a 14% global decline in startup valuations. Between July 1st 2022 and December 31st 2024, Abu Dhabi's startup ecosystem generated $4.4 billion in value, placing third in the MENA region for overall performance. The ranking is based on key indicators including startup valuations, venture capital activity, and major exits. Abu Dhabi also placed among the top five MENA ecosystems for funding, talent, knowledge, and capital efficiency. Fintech, climatetech, and digital assets were identified as the emirate's most competitive sectors, supported by national economic diversification efforts and initiatives such as Hub71 and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Startups in the Hub71 ecosystem have raised over $2.17 billion to date.
Mid East Info
4 days ago
- Business
- Mid East Info
Abu Dhabi Startup Ecosystem Ranks 3rd in MENA for Performance Amid Global Slowdown - Middle East Business News and Information
Startup Genome launches the world's most comprehensive report on startup ecosystems, released at VivaTech Paris Abu Dhabi, UAE — June, 2025 —Abu Dhabi's startup ecosystem has made remarkable strides, emerging as one of the fastest-growing hubs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to the 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) launched today at VivaTech in Paris. Recognized as the world's most comprehensive research on startup ecosystems, the GSER leverages the largest quality-controlled dataset in the industry, analyzing data from over 5 million companies across 350+ entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems worldwide. The GSER 2025 highlights Abu Dhabi's impressive leap into the top emerging global ecosystems, ranking in the #51-60 tier, up from its previous #61-70 position. This advancement comes despite a global 14% decline in overall startup ecosystem value. Notably, Abu Dhabi generated $4.4 billion (approximately AED 16.2 billion) in Ecosystem Value between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024, marking a 6% annual growth. Abu Dhabi also ranked 3rd in the MENA region for Performance, a category that evaluates startup success through valuations and exit activity. This recognition reinforces Abu Dhabi's position as a dynamic, results-driven hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. 'Abu Dhabi's rise in the global rankings is a testament to the exceptional pace and cohesion of its innovation ecosystem, with Hub71 at the heart of this transformation. Amid a global downturn in startup ecosystem value, Abu Dhabi's long-term vision is beginning to pay off – demonstrating bold leadership and collaborative strength. We expect this momentum to continue, with Abu Dhabi poised to grow at a faster rate than many global peers in the years ahead.' says Samantha Evans, Managing Director MENA, Startup Genome. The report also places Abu Dhabi among the top five ecosystems in MENA across several core categories, including Knowledge, Funding, and Talent & Experience. Additionally, the emirate was recognized among the region's best for 'Bang for Buck,' reflecting efficient use of venture capital and a strong return on investment. Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71, said: 'Abu Dhabi's rise in global rankings reflects the strength of our startup community and the impact of Hub71's ecosystem-enabling initiatives. Over the past six years, Hub71 has built a connected network of founders, investors, corporates, and global partners, enabling sustainable startup growth, international scaling, and the evolution of Abu Dhabi's early-stage technology landscape. This progress is driven by Abu Dhabi's deliberate focus on innovation and technology, alongside an increasingly agile business and regulatory environment. Hub71 and its startups continue to benefit from a compelling Abu Dhabi value proposition, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to the emirate's economic and technological ambitions.' Sectoral drivers of startup growth in Abu Dhabi: FinTech, ClimateTech, and Digital Assets are key strengths of Abu Dhabi's innovation landscape, supported extensively by strategic regulatory frameworks, and sector-specific infrastructure. Key developments including ADGM's expanded licensing frameworks, substantial venture funding, and strategic partnerships in sustainability-focused enterprises, and strategic alliances in blockchain technology, exemplify the emirate's deliberate and cohesive strategy for long-term economic diversification and innovation. Why startups choose Abu Dhabi: The emirate's appeal lies in forward-thinking policies, such as streamlined regulatory procedures and targeted government support for technology-driven sectors. Initiatives such as Khalifa Fund's MZN HUB are pivotal in bridging local startups with international innovation networks, further amplifying Abu Dhabi's global entrepreneurial influence. The GSER is widely regarded as the most comprehensive evaluation of global startup ecosystems, offering data-driven insights essential for policymakers, ecosystem leaders, and entrepreneurs worldwide. Abu Dhabi's consistent rise in global rankings over the past three years highlights the strength of its strategy and the growth of its startup ecosystem, positioning the emirate as a leading global hub for innovation. About HUB71: Hub71 is Abu Dhabi's global tech ecosystem that enables founders to build globally enduring homegrown tech companies in any sector by providing access to global markets, a capital ecosystem, a global network of partners, and a vibrant community filled with highly skilled talent governed by forward-thinking regulation. Backed by the Government of Abu Dhabi and Mubadala Investment Company, Hub71 is growing its vibrant community of tech startups, investors, government, and corporate partners to ensure the availability of investment, commercial activities, and incentives from the public and private sectors. Through Hub71's entrepreneurial infrastructure, value-add programs, enabling services and support packages, founders can build, and scale widely adopted technologies with purpose and impact. Hub71 is on a mission to introduce new minds and technologies to Abu Dhabi, finding new ways to build globally enduring technology companies and sustain the nation's continuous economic development. About STARTUP GENOME: Startup Genome is the world-leading innovation ecosystem development organization, having worked with more than 180 economic and innovation ministries and public/private agencies in over 65 countries. We work to catalyze startup success and ecosystem growth and ensure that all cities and countries capture their fair share of the new economy. Startup Genome strategy clients grew their ecosystem values 59% faster than peers (41% vs. 25%). On average, Startup Genome clients produced $1.4 billion per year more in ecosystem value from an average starting point of $9.2 billion. Our evidence-based ecosystem research, advisory, and scaleup programs are rooted in global experience with the world's largest AI-curated startup dataset and proprietary instruments developed from over a decade of primary research.
Al Etihad
4 days ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi climbs startup ecosystem rankings despite global downturn
17 June 2025 00:15 KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (ABU DHABI) Abu Dhabi's startup ecosystem has firmly established itself as one of the most dynamic in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), ranking among the top five in the region in the 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER).The report - unveiled by Startup Genome at the recently concluded VivaTech in Paris -recognised the emirate's impressive rise in the rankings, despite a challenging global environment for startups. The GSER 2025 draws on data from more than five million companies across more than 350 ecosystems globally. This year's report highlights how Abu Dhabi soared into the top emerging global ecosystems, moving into the #51-60 tier, a significant leap from its previous #61-70 position. This advancement comes in a year when the global startup ecosystem value contracted by 14%, underscoring the emirate's resilience and strategic vision, the report said."Abu Dhabi's rise in the global rankings is a testament to the exceptional pace and cohesion of its innovation ecosystem, with Hub71 at the heart of this transformation," Samantha Evans, Managing Director MENA at Startup Genome, said in the report. "Amid a global downturn, Abu Dhabi's long-term vision and collaborative strength are driving sustained growth. We expect this momentum to accelerate, with Abu Dhabi poised to outperform many (of its) global peers in the coming years."According to the report, the emirate generated $4.4 billion in ecosystem value between July 2022 and December 2024, reflecting an annual growth rate of 6%. Abu Dhabi ranked among the top five MENA ecosystems in multiple key areas, including Performance (3rd), Knowledge (4th), Funding (5th), and the prominent Bang for Buck category, which measures the efficiency of capital deployment and returns on emirate ranked particularly high in the market reach of its ecosystem and funding availability; however, it showed room for improvement in knowledge and access to talent and Support for StartupsAccording to VivaTech, the success of Abu Dhabi's startup ecosystem is driven by a combination of forward-looking government policies, targeted funding initiatives, and a robust support infrastructure. "Abu Dhabi's rise in global rankings reflects the strength of our startup community and the impact of Hub71's ecosystem-enabling initiatives," Hub71 CEO Ahmad Ali Alwan said in the report. "Through strategic partnerships, access to capital, and a supportive regulatory environment, we are helping startups scale internationally and contribute to Abu Dhabi's economic and technological ambitions."Among the key sectors that are fuelling this growth are FinTech, ClimateTech, and Digital Assets, all underpinned by innovative regulatory frameworks and purpose-built infrastructure. Notable enablers such as the Abu Dhabi Global Market's (ADGM) expanded licensing frameworks and substantial venture funding have attracted both local and international entrepreneurs, particularly in sustainability and blockchain technology. Moreover, initiatives like the Khalifa Fund's MZN HUB have helped streamline regulatory processes and offer startups seamless access to global innovation networks, strengthening Abu Dhabi's influence on the international entrepreneurial stage.
Business Journals
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
Chicago slips in world startup rankings amid global downturn
Story Highlights Chicago dropped to 16th in global startup ecosystem rankings. Global startup ecosystem value decreased 31% across the board. Chicago experienced the largest ecosystem value decline among top 20 cities. Chicago took a slight tumble on a list of the top startup ecosystems in the world. The Windy City dropped to No. 16 in the 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report from Startup Genome in partnership with Global Entrepreneurship Network, which analyzed data from more than 5 million companies across more than 350 markets to determine the top 40 regions for startups. Chicago had ranked No. 15 in 2024. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events North America's top five ecosystems in terms of value and early-stage funding included Silicon Valley in California, New York City, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle. Overall, ecosystem value — the sum of startup valuations plus the post-money valuation of exits in the past two-and-a-half years — dropped 31% across the globe. Among the top 20 ecosystems in the report, only three cities saw positive ecosystem growth: Beijing, Los Angeles and Tokyo. At nearly 40%, Chicago saw the greatest decrease in ecosystem value among those top 20 cities. This is a trend that started at the end of 2022 as funding dried up and exits began to plummet. Only 12 companies completed public listings nationally during the first quarter, according to PitchBook, as a freeze in initial public offerings seen over the past couple of years has yet to thaw. Large exits in 2024 were still being handicapped by the inflationary valuations of 2021, concluded the study by Startup Genome, a development organization for the industry. However, there are encouraging signs that large exits are recovering in 2025 and could be back at pre-pandemic frequency by year-end. In recent quarters, Chicago startups have started to find a new normal in terms of fundraising with dealmaking remaining relatively stable to begin the year. Sign up for Inno's free twice-weekly newsletter to receive the latest innovation news impacting Chicago.
Daily Tribune
13-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain startup ecosystem soars
Bahrain's startup ecosystem has demonstrated robust growth, with its value reaching an impressive $1.2 billion, marking a 13% compound annual growth compared to 2023, according to the 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) released yesterday by Startup Genome in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network at VivaTech. The report highlights the Kingdom's strong performance across several key metrics. MENA Region Recognition The GSER 2025 features Bahrain prominently, ranking it among the Top 10 MENA Ecosystems in both Funding, which assesses early-stage funding and investor activity, and Performance, which measures value created from exits and funding. The Kingdom also secured positions in the Top 15 MENA Ecosystems for Knowledge, reflecting its expertise and innovation. Strategic Partnerships Fueling Growth Startup Genome, the Global Entrepreneurship Network, and The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) have collaborated closely over recent years to monitor and benchmark Bahrain's startup ecosystem. This partnership aims to identify challenges and opportunities, informing strategic development plans to further foster ecosystem growth. Official Insights ' Bahrain possesses a well-connected ecosystem, robust infrastructure, and highly skilled tech talent that provide a strong foundation for growth,' stated Alya Alaali, Chief Strategy & Data Analytics Officer at The Labour Fund (Tamkeen). She affirmed Tamkeen's commitment to 'foster innovation by enabling skill development and providing access to funding for entrepreneurs through various programs and initiatives.' Samantha Evans, Managing Director MENA, Startup Genome, echoed this sentiment, noting that 'Bahrain's consistent performance reflects a growing maturity and strategic focus on sectors like AI, Fintech, and Cybersecurity.' She added that Tamkeen's role remains 'pivotal - anchoring a supportive, entrepreneur-friendly environment that continues to strengthen Bahrain's innovation landscape and long-term competitiveness.' Key Sector Strengths Fintech, Cybersecurity, and AI were identified as crucial drivers for startup growth in Bahrain, underpinned by proactive regulation and targeted training programs. In 2024, the country advanced open banking and crypto licensing, and launched new infrastructure and education initiatives specifically to scale AI-driven innovation. Attractive Destination for Startups The report also highlighted Bahrain's appeal as a destination for startup expansion. The Kingdom offers a compelling entry point into the GCC and broader MENA markets, combining regional accessibility with comparatively low operational costs for startups. The ecosystem benefits from targeted SME policies, active accelerators, and a steady stream of new initiatives, including over 130 startup events in 2024 and recent expansions by regional tech players such as Tamara.
