The Network of European Startup Hubs 101 (Podcast)

You have it all wrong. Europe is not full of competing startup hubs. They are increasingly forming a network for startups. The startups start at one knot in the network (frequently a university), move on to an accelerator, and end up in one of Europe's top 12 fundraising hubs to raise funds, sometimes becoming a unicorn. On their way, the startups leave traces, like R&D capabilities, sales teams, groups, investors, and so on. So they are not really the product of a city, but a continent with free movement. in our blog post you will find the link to a 115-page report that includes much more data.

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About the Pulse of the European Startup Ecosystem

The European startup scene is changing fast. There are new players, old ones fading away, and even more to come in their place- all vying for a piece of this growing pie! In order not to get left behind you need regular updates on what’s going on so that our entrepreneurs can stay one step ahead when building or investing in companies here. That’s why we started the “Pulse of the European Startup Ecosystem” which will provide you with quarterly podcasts chronicling different aspects related to startup activity across European Hubs, supported by the data from the specialized analytics company DEEP Ecosystems.

A Different Understanding of Startup Hubs

In the US most startup hubs have to fulfill most of the functions (incubation, acceleration, expansion, fundraising, …). Especially the Silicon Valley and Bay Area had no other option since they are the cradle of today's startup culture. In Europe on the other hand — with its free movement — a network of hubs developed, where hubs fulfill a function in the growth journey of a startup.

We pick today three functions of hubs in the network and show you how startups are moving along the network, staying in cities and — some of their staff — moving on to the next stage. But there are always departments, teams, or research locations left in the former home cities. This leads to real European startups, that are distributed across the continent in different locations, departments, teams, and functions.

The Twelve Hubs Leading Europe in Fundraising

12 Startup Hubs in Europe already reached critical size (raising more than 1 bn € in funding in one year in 2021. They are London, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm, Tel Aviv, Munich, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Copenhagen, Dublin, and Helsinki. Coming from only one, London, in 2013. Most founders take the opportunity of free movement across the European Union, so the EU beats the US as a preferred location for European entrepreneurs.

57% of founders prefer Europe over the US. When asked where founders would prefer to start their company if they had a free choice and all the possibilities, still a majority would go for Europe. In no EU area, the US has beaten Europe in 2021.”

Learn more in our Blog Post a