Top 10 Key Findings from the #GSER2021

#Ecosystem is a key theme of Global Entrepreneurship Week - see how yours stacks up and what is making news in the latest Global Startup Ecosystems Report.
JF
Gauthier

As communities around the world celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week, here at Startup Genome we are reflecting on the top findings from the Global Startup Ecosystem Report (#GSER2021), released in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network this September. 

GSER is the world’s most comprehensive and widely-read research on startups, with data from over 3 million companies across 280 ecosystems. The Report ranks the top 30 and 10 runner-up global ecosystems and a top 100 ranking of emerging ecosystems.  

This year’s GSER has an expanded regional focus, ranking ecosystems in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, MENA, North America, and Oceania. The Report also includes regional insights and founder-focused articles from thought leaders and experts worldwide - including GEN President Jonathan Ortmans, Board Chair Jeff Hoffman and Startup Huddle lead Pauly Suchy - on topics ranging from the democratization of entrepreneurship and importance of building entrepreneurial communities to how to divvy up equity and the value of accelerators, among other critical topics.

We are grateful to our Members and more than 300 partner organizations, including GEN, that make this research possible. 

Top 10 Key Findings from the #GSER2021:
 

  1. There are now 79 ecosystems generating over $4 billion in value, more than double the number identified in 2017 (in 2019, Startup Genome predicted there will be 100 by 2029). A majority of the new entrants are in Europe. 
  2. The global startup economy is worth over $3.8 trillion in Ecosystem Value, more than the individual GDP of most G7 economies, not including the value of exits prior to 2018. 
  3. The globalization of tech added more than $540 billion in Ecosystem Value in the top 100 emerging ecosystems, a 55% increase from the previous GSER period.
  4. Ninety-one ecosystems have unicorns in 2020. Mexico City, Montevideo in Uruguay, Dallas, Houston, Busan, and Pune had their first unicorns in 2020.
  5. Despite a turbulent year for many, the top five global startup ecosystems maintain their reign at the top, with Silicon Valley in the #1 position, followed by New York City and London tied at the #2 positions for the second year in a row. Beijing and Boston follow at #4 and #5, respectively. 
  6. North America continues to dominate the Global Rankings, with 50% of the Top 30 ecosystems coming from this region, followed by Asia continuing its rise with 27% and Europe with 17% of the top-performing ecosystems globally.
  7. The biggest movers this year other than Tokyo and Philadelphia are Toronto-Waterloo, up 4 places from #18 in 2020 to #14, and Seoul from #20 in 2018 to #16 this year.
  8. Mumbai is once again the #1 Emerging Ecosystem, outperforming in the areas of Performance, Funding, Experience, and Talent to retain its top spot. 
  9. The Top 100 emerging ecosystems created 124 billion-dollar startups in the 10 year period of 2011-2020, with the majority created in 53 ecosystems. MENA started producing unicorns in 2016 and Latin America in 2018. Asia is currently taking the lead, with 36% of the billion-dollar club, followed by North America with 30%, and Europe with 27%.
  10. The Top 100 Emerging ecosystems represent over $540 billion in ecosystem value, which is a 55% increase from last year.

As you celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week, I encourage you to share these findings with entrepreneurs, community leaders, policymakers and anyone else you meet along the way - it might just spark a conversation that plants the seeds for new opportunities to help local startups thrive. 

Learn more by downloading the report at www.startupgenome.com/report/gser2021 or by watching our recent panel discussions with 30+ experts here.