Acknowledgments
A project like the Global Startup Ecosystem Report can only be realized with an enormous effort from both the project team and external supporters. Several partners have invested significant resources into the project. Numerous advisors, founders, investors, and industry experts have given us access to their knowledge, networks, and time because they support our vision and want to move their ecosystem and the whole startup sector forward. Startup Genome and Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) would like to express our deep gratitude and appreciation to everyone who contributed towards making this project possible.
Startup Genome Authors
- JF Gauthier, Chief Executive Officer
- Marc Penzel, President
- Stephan Keuster, Managing Partner
- Dr. Christopher Haley, Head of Research
- Forrest Wright, Research Assessment Lead
- Pranav Arya, Sr. Director, Ecosystem Strategy
- Kelly Wolfgang, Content Coordinator
External Authors
- Daniel Doll-Steinberg, Partner, EdenBase
- Constantijn van Oranje, Special Envoy, Techleap
- Rob Moffat, Partner, Balderton Capital
- Anthony Griffin
- Jessica Stillman
- Janice Rice
Project Team
Startup Genome
Global Entrepreneurship Network
- Jonathan Ortmans, President
- Mark Marich, Executive Vice President
- Peter Komives, Vice President for Strategic Development
- Matt Smith, Director for Policy and Research
- Cecilia Wessinger, Director for Global Community
- Carlos Iniguez, Director for Startups
- Kathryn Forrest, Director for Communications
Image Credits
- This year’s cover features Seoul. The Seoul ecosystem was selected for its impressive performance, jumping three ranks to #9 in this year’s Global Ecosystem Rankings.
- All images taken from Freepik and Unsplash.
Key Author Bios
Startup Genome
JF Gauthier 
Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of Startup Genome, JF is the world’s leading voice in innovation ecosystem development, having advised more than 100 governments and agencies across 50 countries. He has founded five businesses and led others across two continents and three sectors (Tech, Life Sciences, and Cleantech), achieving two exits plus one growing at scaleup stage. He is also an active angel investor and previously worked in corporate innovation, advising IBM, Cisco, Agilent/HP, J&J, and Abbott for the firm of Kim Clark (former dean of Harvard Business School) alongside Clayton Christensen and other thought leaders. JF earned a Harvard MBA.
Marc Penzel
Marc leads global growth and impact. He advises governments, scientific organizations and venture backed startups alike and is an appointed Expert in Entrepreneurship, IT and Future of Economic Progress by the World Economic Forum.
Prior to founding Startup Genome, he co-led the startup ecosystem development unit at Silicon Valley-based Startup Compass (acquired by Sage). At PwC, KPMG, and Bayer Group’s internal management consultancy, Marc advised business executives across various sectors. He also founded a nonprofit organization to catalyze social innovation.
Stephan Kuester
Stephan works with clients in government and private industry consortia all around the world, advising on the creation and the acceleration of tech and innovation clusters. Prior to his role at Startup Genome, Stephan headed up the International Consulting practice at UK ecosystem agency Tech Nation (fka Tech City UK) in London and served as Managing Director of digitalswitzerland. Previous to his work in the digital ecosystems space, Stephan worked as an executive director for professional services firms Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young. Stephan holds an MSc in Economics and studied at the University of Bonn, Germany and the London School of Economics (LSE).
Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN)
Jonathan Ortmans
Founder and president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, working to foster healthier local entrepreneurship ecosystems in more than 170 countries while connecting them into one global ecosystem. In 2008, he launched GEN’s cornerstone initiative, Global Entrepreneurship Week, enabling millions of people to explore their potential through thousands of local GEW activities and competitions each November. Through building GEW, Ortmans assembled a broad multi-disciplinary coalition that is the backbone of GEN operations, including entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers and affiliated support organizations. He serves as a longtime advisor to the Kauffman Foundation and chairs the Global Entrepreneurship Congress.
About Our Global Partners
Bella Private Markets is a consulting and advisory firm focused exclusively on providing solutions to the challenges facing the private capital industry. Led by Dr. Josh Lerner of Harvard Business School, Bella works closely with the senior management of – among others – private equity groups, venture capital firms, and institutional investors on complex, customized projects. Our approach combines a rigorous academic perspective with real world industry expertise to provide our clients with actionable insights to improve performance and optimize operations.
Crunchbase is the leading platform for professionals to discover innovative companies, connect with the people behind them, and pursue new opportunities.Every day investors, journalists, founders, and the global business community turn to Crunchbase for information on startups and the people behind them.
Dealroom.co is a global provider of data and intelligence on startups and tech ecosystems. Founded in Amsterdam in 2013, we now work with many of the world's most prominent investors, entrepreneurs and government organizations to provide transparency, analysis and insights on venture capital activity. Our mission is to accelerate entrepreneurship & innovation through data for governments, corporates and VCs, founders.
London & Partners is the business growth and destination agency for London. Our mission is to create economic growth that is resilient, sustainable, and inclusive. We are a not- for-profit company and operate as a social enterprise, half funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and half from other sources including our portfolio of commercial ventures.
Informa Tech connects, informs and inspires the business technology community to build a better, more sustainable world and start conversations that matter. Through our in-depth expertise and engaged audience community, we help business professionals make better technology decisions and marketers reach the most powerful tech buyers and influencers in the world.
Founders Forum Group is a global community and group of businesses empowering entrepreneurs at every stage of their journeys. Our community includes the world’s most inspiring founders, pioneering investors, inventive CEOs, and impactful leaders. Together, we champion entrepreneurial innovation and put the needs of today’s founders first, via networking & events, education, professional services, investment and philanthropy.
Startup Genome Member Network
Abu Dhabi
Hub71
Adelaide
Department for Industry, Innovation and Science (DIIS)
The Department for Trade and Investment
Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA)
Addis Ababa
The Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT)
Amsterdam
Techleap
Angola
Bantu Makers
Azerbaijan
Innovations & Digital Development Agency of Azerbaijan Republic
Bahrain
Tamkeen
Bengaluru-Karnataka
Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM)
Belgrade and Novi Sad
The Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia
Digital Serbia Initiative
Boston
Northeastern University
Brisbane
Advance Queensland
Budapest
Hungarian Innovation Agency
NRDIO
Cairo
Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA)
Calgary
Platform Calgary
Calgary Innovation Coalition
Calgary Economic Development
Copenhagen
Copenhagen Fintech
Cordoba
Agencia Córdoba Innovar y Emprender
Detroit
William Davidson Foundation
Doha
Qatar Development Bank
Edmonton
Edmonton Unlimited
Estonia
Startup Estonia
Fukuoka
JETRO, Fukuoka
Georgia
Georgia's Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA)
Helsinki Metropolitan Area
City of Helsinki
Indiana
Indiana Economic Development Corporation
Istanbul
Istanbul Development Agency
Kerala
Kerala Startup Mission
Kuala Lumpur
Cradle Fund
Greater Lausanne Region
Innovaud
Biopôle
unlimitrust campus
Luxembourg
Ministry of the Economy, Luxembourg
Malta
Malta Enterprise Corporation
Manila
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Manila
Melbourne
LaunchVic
Metro Rhein-Ruhr
North-Rhine Westphalia State Government
Mid-East Region, Ireland
Meath Enterprise
Mississippi
Mississippi Development Authority
Montreal
Startup Montréal
Ministère de l’Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie
Ville de Montréal
Montréal International
Réseau Capital
Morocco
UM6P - Mohammed VI Polytechnic University
Muscat, Oman
The Rising Omani Startups Programme
New York City
New York City Economic Development Corporation
Tech:NYC
New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
Odisha
Startup Odisha
Philadelphia
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Drexel University
University City Science Center
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Regional Alliance
Portugal
Startup Portugal
Québec City
Québec International
Rotterdam
Up!Rotterdam
Sapporo
City of Sapporo
Seoul
Seoul Business Agency
Sharjah
Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center
Singapore
Enterprise Singapore
Sri Lanka
Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka
Sweden
Vinnova
Sydney
Investment NSW
Tamil Nadu
StartupTN (Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission)
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv Global
Telangana
T-Hub Foundation
Tokyo
Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Tunisia
Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC)
Smart Capital
Turin
Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center
Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo
Victoria
La Trobe University
Valencia
València Innovation Capital
Yokohama
Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas