In an increasingly interconnected and borderless business landscape, the crucial choice of where best to locate your own startup company is now less constrained by geography than ever before, meaning cities across the globe are becoming increasingly competitive in the race to attract tech entrepreneurs and exciting new startups. When faced with deciding where is the right place for you and your startup, there are a number of key considerations, including the local pool of available talent, living costs, ease of doing business rankings and local infrastructure concerns. Of course your choice will also be influenced by the type of startup in question, but there are a number of hotspots which wield an outsized influence in attracting the greatest volume of startups, and for good reason. Here’s the roundup of the best cities to launch your business in 2018.

 

San Francisco, U.S.A.

Probably the least surprising entry on this list, San Francisco has long been established as one of the startup Meccas of the world. This is thanks largely to an incredibly business-friendly environment and a huge, diverse pool of local talent attracted to the city due to its world class universities and of course its top-notch credentials for housing world leading tech companies such as Uber, Twitter and AirBnB. There are tens of thousands of startups that have made their home in the city, which has also led to skyrocketing living costs and some of the highest commercial rents in the world, meaning it’s increasingly difficult for newcomers to gain a foothold. Nonetheless, the city’s strengths in other areas means there’s few better places for startups.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin has enjoyed a reputation as Europe’s capital of cool, being a cultural powerhouse and arguably boasting the best nightlife on the planet. As a result, many of Europe’s most creative, tech-savvy and talented young minds have chosen to settle here, and in recent years have helped drive an explosion of successful start-ups across the city (with SoundCloud arguably being the most prominent example), which have benefited from cheap rents and a friendly business climate. 

London, U.K.

Whilst also suffering from high living costs, the British capital attracts more startup investment than anywhere else in Europe by a considerable stretch, and the famous “silicon roundabout” area of the city is a world-renowned hub for innovative new tech companies. The city itself has worked hard to attract companies by offering financial incentives and bonuses to outdo other cities, similar to the way that some companies do for their customers. The local authority offers fixed-rate startup loans of up to £25,000 to help new companies get off the ground, and the mayor of London set up Tech.London, which offers loans and freebies such as co-working spaces and even free travel passes for tech startup workers. Any aspiring startup thinking of setting down roots in London only has to have a quick look online at the Tech.London site to see all the bonuses and incentives the city offers, in a similar way to how comparison site Oddschecker lists offers from big name betting companies like William Hill. In the same way, London’s political leaders have prioritised startups by offering low taxes, free commercial space, and a number of fun freebies to get them on board.

 

If there’s any cities which you think belong at the top of the league tables for startup attractiveness, mention below in the comments.