The Top 100 Trending Startup Cities

Curious about where startups thrive? Startups of The Year 2023 celebrated 1,382 winners on January 24, 2024, after a 9-month journey that kicked off in May. We’ve open-sourced the voting data, offering insights into global startup hubs, popular domain endings, and more for those who want to explore further. Each winning startup received a free .Tech domain, a HackerNoon NFT, and an Evergreen Company Page. These pages include key business details like headcount, founding year, social links, domain ranking, live updates from HackerNoon stories, and relevant headlines. Public companies also get rankings and stock price visuals. By analyzing the total votes received by startups in each city, we’ve measured the global interest of the HackerNoon community and compiled the findings into this detailed breakdown. Enjoy! Most voted on Startup City Award (Rank By Votes, Name, Population, Votes) RANK CITY NAME POPULATION VOTES 1 Sydney 5.3 million 159,361 2 London 9.5 million 138,496 3 Singapore 5.6 million 38,887 4 Telangana 39 million 22,064 5 San Francisco 873,000 19,147 6 Mumbai 20.7 million 13,974 7 Austin 975,000 12,756 8 Cleveland 367,000 11,770 9 Bengaluru 13.6 million 8,452 10 Algiers 4.5 million 8,184 11 Manhattan 1.6 million 7,898 12 Chicago 2.7 million 5,616 13 Melbourne 5.1 million 4,817 14 SoMa 30,000 4,630 15 Tel Aviv 465,000 4,551 16 Dubai 3.5 million 4,063 17 Visakhapatnam 2.2 million 3,929 18 Toronto 2.9 million 3,902 19 New York City 8.5 million 3,777 20 Berlin 3.6 million 3,773 21 Seattle 740,000 3,640 22 Los Angeles 3.9 million 3,210 23 Palo Alto 68,000 2,930 24 Warsaw 1.8 million 2,861 25 Miami 454,000 2,801 26 Powai 150,000 2,503 27 Perth 2.1 million 2,349 28 Ghent 260,000 2,097 29 Boston 645,000 1,996 30 Dublin 1.3 million 1,976 31 Amsterdam 920,000 1,970 32 Bari 320,000 1,959 33 Downtown San Francisco 873,000 1,758 34 Kyiv 2.9 million 1,709 35 Tallinn 445,000 1,697 36 Lagos 16 million 1,676 37 Frankfurt Am Main 770,000 1,636 38 Paris 2.2 million 1,553 39 Barcelona 1.6 million 1,481 40 Delhi 32 million 1,312 41 Lisbon 545,000 1,257 42 Alcobendas 116,000 1,182 43 Houston 2.3 million 1,182 44 Hong Kong 7.3 million 1,181 45 Accra 2.5 million 1,178 46 Ahmedabad 8.3 million 1,157 47 Stockholm 975,000 1,135 48 Zurich 440,000 1,133 49 Munich 1.5 million 1,047 50 Mexico City 22 million 1,042 51 Gibraltar 34,000 1,039 52 Washington DC 670,000 1,039 53 San Diego 1.4 million 1,038 54 Santiago 6.3 million 1,030 55 Buenos Aires 15 million 1,015 56 Lombardy 10 million 1,001 57 Noida 750,000 958 58 Tokyo 37.5 million 950 59 Chennai 11.2 million 946 60 San Jose 1.1 million 923 61 Seoul 9.5 million 917 62 Denver 740,000 901 63 Gurgaon 1.2 million 900 64 Zug 30,000 878 65 Hyderabad 10.2 million 876 66 Oslo 700,000 808 67 Atlanta 510,000 716 68 Goa, India 1.5 million 716 69 San Francisco, Bay Area 7.75 million 702 70 Brooklyn 2.7 million 695 71 Vienna 2 million 682 72 Richmond 116,000 681 73 Sao Paulo 12.4 million 667 74 Columbus 922,000 662 75 Pune 7.7 million 623 76 Jaipur 4 million 619 77 Kuala Lumpur 1.9 million 609 78 Charlottesville 46,000 530 79 Pittsburgh 303,000 510 80 Montreal 1.8 million 504 81 Copenhagen 805,000 503 82 Vancouver 675,000 490 83 Baku 2.3 million 489 84 Madrid 6.7 million 466 85 New Delhi 32 million 433 86 San Mateo 105,000 428 87 Atasehir 422,000 396 88 Vilnius 600,000 390 89 Phasi Charoen 130,000 381 90 JLT 75,000 374 91 Tampa 385,000 374 92 Rome 2.8 million 372 93 Bangkok 11 million 352 94 Wilmington 71,000 352 95 Istanbul 15.8 million 341 96 California 39 million 336 97 Dallas 1.3 million 328 98 Bangalore Urban 1.3 million 327 99 Mountain View 82,000 315 100 Limassol 240,000 308 Some notable trending startup locations relative to population Data from the 2023 Startups of The Year shows that locations historically known for being startup-friendly through business and tax incentives—like Singapore (3rd), Dublin (30th), and Dubai (17th)—attracted global interest in their startups, far surpassing their local populations. Despite their strong reputations as business and tax havens, several cities have underperformed in global interest. Zug, Switzerland (64th), Luxembourg, and New Delhi (85th) have all seen lower-than-expected engagement. Even San Francisco (5th), despite its tech dominance, together with Dubai (16th) and Hong Kong (44th), known for their pro-business environments, haven't captured as much global attention as their track records would suggest. Several smaller or unexpected cities have ranked surprisingly high. Cleveland ranks 8th with 11,770 votes, despite not being a typical global business hub. SoMa, a San Francisco neighborhood, is 14th with 4,630 votes, despite its tiny population. Gibraltar stands out at 51st, likely due to its financial center status, despite having just 34,000 residents. These trends illustrate a shifting landscape in global startup interest, where both traditional and emerging locations experience varying degrees of success. While some well-established hubs are failing to attract the anticipated global engagement, smaller, unconventional cities are making unexpected progress. This indicates that the global startup ecosystem is becoming more dynamic and dispersed, with opportunities emerging in a wider range of locations. We look forward to seeing what the next Startups of the Year data will reveal as these trends continue to evolve. Startups can thrive anywhere! Reflecting on the Startups of The Year 2023 data, it’s clear that startups can emerge from any corner of the globe. This is a strong testament to how technology has democratized entrepreneurship. Several factors have contributed to this shift, including easier access to technology and tools, the rise of remote work and global talent acquisition, and local innovation initiatives. Access to technology and tools: Thanks to the widespread access to digital tools and cloud technologies, startups can thrive everywhere. Platforms like AWS and GitHub help startups to operate globally from any location, allowing less traditionally recognized and even remote regions to launch competitive businesses on a global scale. The shift toward remote work and hiring global talents: The rise of remote work has left a lasting mark on the startup ecosystem by allowing companies to recruit top talent from anywhere in the world (take HackerNoon for example). This trend has opened opportunities for startups as they can now build strong teams without the need for physical relocation, significantly leveling what the global market has to offer. Local innovation initiatives: Local governments and institutions are increasingly providing support and funding to nurture startups within their regions. For instance, initiatives in cities like Boulder (US) and Lagos (Nigeria) have seen significant investment in infrastructure to support tech startups, reflecting a growing recognition that fostering local innovation is key to economic development. With that being said, startups no longer have to be confined to traditional tech hubs such as San Francisco or New York. They can now emerge and succeed from any part of the world, driven by technology, global connection, and local support. Check out what some of the 2023 Startup participants had to say about their company, experiences, global startup interest, and the future of startups: Meet C-Power, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA Meet HarperDB, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Denver Meet Roam Telecoms, Runner-up of the Startups of The Year in London, UK Meet React Bricks, Runner-up of the Startups of The Year in Lombardy, Italy Meet Hoken Tech, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Bari Meanwhile, subscribe to our Startups page to stay informed on all the latest updates about Startups of the Year. About HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year Startups of The Year 2024 is HackerNoon’s flagship community-driven event celebrating startups, technology, and the spirit of innovation. Currently in its third iteration, the prestigious Internet award recognizes and celebrates tech startups of all shapes and sizes. This year, over 150,000 entities across 4200+ cities, 6 continents, and 100+ industries will participate in a bid to be crowned the best startup of the year! Millions of votes have been cast over the past few years, and many stories have been written about these daring and rising startups. The winners will get a free interview on HackerNoon and an Evergreen Tech Company News page. Visit our FAQ page to learn more. Read more about this year’s design system here. HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year is a branding opportunity unlike any other. Whether your goal is brand awareness or lead generation, HackerNoon has curated startup-friendly packages to solve your marketing challenges. Meet our sponsors: Wellfound: Join the #1 global, startup-focused community. At Wellfound, we're not just a job board—we're the place where top startup talent and the world's most exciting companies connect to build the future. Notion: Notion is trusted and loved by thousands of startups as their connected workspace—from building product roadmaps to tracking fundraising. Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months, to build and scale your company with one powerful tool. Get your offer now! Hubspot: If you’re looking for a smart CRM platform that meets the needs of small businesses, look no further than HubSpot. Seamlessly connect your data, teams and customers in one easy-to-use scalable platform that grows with your business. Bright Data: Startups that leverage public web data can make faster, data-driven decisions, giving them a competitive edge. With Bright Data’s scalable web data collection, businesses can grow from a small operation to an enterprise by harnessing insights at every stage. Curious about where startups thrive? Startups of The Year 2023 celebrated 1,382 winners on January 24, 2024 , after a 9-month journey that kicked off in May. We’ve open-sourced the voting data , offering insights into global startup hubs, popular domain endings, and more for those who want to explore further. Startups of The Year 2023 Startups of The Year 1,382 winners on January 24, 2024 open-sourced the voting data open-sourced the voting data Each winning startup received a free . Tech domain, a HackerNoon NFT, and an Evergreen Company Page . These pages include key business details like headcount, founding year, social links, domain ranking, live updates from HackerNoon stories, and relevant headlines. Public companies also get rankings and stock price visuals. Tech domain, Evergreen Company Page By analyzing the total votes received by startups in each city, we’ve measured the global interest of the HackerNoon community and compiled the findings into this detailed breakdown. Enjoy! Most voted on Startup City Award (Rank By Votes, Name, Population, Votes) RANK CITY NAME POPULATION VOTES 1 Sydney 5.3 million 159,361 2 London 9.5 million 138,496 3 Singapore 5.6 million 38,887 4 Telangana 39 million 22,064 5 San Francisco 873,000 19,147 6 Mumbai 20.7 million 13,974 7 Austin 975,000 12,756 8 Cleveland 367,000 11,770 9 Bengaluru 13.6 million 8,452 10 Algiers 4.5 million 8,184 11 Manhattan 1.6 million 7,898 12 Chicago 2.7 million 5,616 13 Melbourne 5.1 million 4,817 14 SoMa 30,000 4,630 15 Tel Aviv 465,000 4,551 16 Dubai 3.5 million 4,063 17 Visakhapatnam 2.2 million 3,929 18 Toronto 2.9 million 3,902 19 New York City 8.5 million 3,777 20 Berlin 3.6 million 3,773 21 Seattle 740,000 3,640 22 Los Angeles 3.9 million 3,210 23 Palo Alto 68,000 2,930 24 Warsaw 1.8 million 2,861 25 Miami 454,000 2,801 26 Powai 150,000 2,503 27 Perth 2.1 million 2,349 28 Ghent 260,000 2,097 29 Boston 645,000 1,996 30 Dublin 1.3 million 1,976 31 Amsterdam 920,000 1,970 32 Bari 320,000 1,959 33 Downtown San Francisco 873,000 1,758 34 Kyiv 2.9 million 1,709 35 Tallinn 445,000 1,697 36 Lagos 16 million 1,676 37 Frankfurt Am Main 770,000 1,636 38 Paris 2.2 million 1,553 39 Barcelona 1.6 million 1,481 40 Delhi 32 million 1,312 41 Lisbon 545,000 1,257 42 Alcobendas 116,000 1,182 43 Houston 2.3 million 1,182 44 Hong Kong 7.3 million 1,181 45 Accra 2.5 million 1,178 46 Ahmedabad 8.3 million 1,157 47 Stockholm 975,000 1,135 48 Zurich 440,000 1,133 49 Munich 1.5 million 1,047 50 Mexico City 22 million 1,042 51 Gibraltar 34,000 1,039 52 Washington DC 670,000 1,039 53 San Diego 1.4 million 1,038 54 Santiago 6.3 million 1,030 55 Buenos Aires 15 million 1,015 56 Lombardy 10 million 1,001 57 Noida 750,000 958 58 Tokyo 37.5 million 950 59 Chennai 11.2 million 946 60 San Jose 1.1 million 923 61 Seoul 9.5 million 917 62 Denver 740,000 901 63 Gurgaon 1.2 million 900 64 Zug 30,000 878 65 Hyderabad 10.2 million 876 66 Oslo 700,000 808 67 Atlanta 510,000 716 68 Goa, India 1.5 million 716 69 San Francisco, Bay Area 7.75 million 702 70 Brooklyn 2.7 million 695 71 Vienna 2 million 682 72 Richmond 116,000 681 73 Sao Paulo 12.4 million 667 74 Columbus 922,000 662 75 Pune 7.7 million 623 76 Jaipur 4 million 619 77 Kuala Lumpur 1.9 million 609 78 Charlottesville 46,000 530 79 Pittsburgh 303,000 510 80 Montreal 1.8 million 504 81 Copenhagen 805,000 503 82 Vancouver 675,000 490 83 Baku 2.3 million 489 84 Madrid 6.7 million 466 85 New Delhi 32 million 433 86 San Mateo 105,000 428 87 Atasehir 422,000 396 88 Vilnius 600,000 390 89 Phasi Charoen 130,000 381 90 JLT 75,000 374 91 Tampa 385,000 374 92 Rome 2.8 million 372 93 Bangkok 11 million 352 94 Wilmington 71,000 352 95 Istanbul 15.8 million 341 96 California 39 million 336 97 Dallas 1.3 million 328 98 Bangalore Urban 1.3 million 327 99 Mountain View 82,000 315 100 Limassol 240,000 308 RANK CITY NAME POPULATION VOTES 1 Sydney 5.3 million 159,361 2 London 9.5 million 138,496 3 Singapore 5.6 million 38,887 4 Telangana 39 million 22,064 5 San Francisco 873,000 19,147 6 Mumbai 20.7 million 13,974 7 Austin 975,000 12,756 8 Cleveland 367,000 11,770 9 Bengaluru 13.6 million 8,452 10 Algiers 4.5 million 8,184 11 Manhattan 1.6 million 7,898 12 Chicago 2.7 million 5,616 13 Melbourne 5.1 million 4,817 14 SoMa 30,000 4,630 15 Tel Aviv 465,000 4,551 16 Dubai 3.5 million 4,063 17 Visakhapatnam 2.2 million 3,929 18 Toronto 2.9 million 3,902 19 New York City 8.5 million 3,777 20 Berlin 3.6 million 3,773 21 Seattle 740,000 3,640 22 Los Angeles 3.9 million 3,210 23 Palo Alto 68,000 2,930 24 Warsaw 1.8 million 2,861 25 Miami 454,000 2,801 26 Powai 150,000 2,503 27 Perth 2.1 million 2,349 28 Ghent 260,000 2,097 29 Boston 645,000 1,996 30 Dublin 1.3 million 1,976 31 Amsterdam 920,000 1,970 32 Bari 320,000 1,959 33 Downtown San Francisco 873,000 1,758 34 Kyiv 2.9 million 1,709 35 Tallinn 445,000 1,697 36 Lagos 16 million 1,676 37 Frankfurt Am Main 770,000 1,636 38 Paris 2.2 million 1,553 39 Barcelona 1.6 million 1,481 40 Delhi 32 million 1,312 41 Lisbon 545,000 1,257 42 Alcobendas 116,000 1,182 43 Houston 2.3 million 1,182 44 Hong Kong 7.3 million 1,181 45 Accra 2.5 million 1,178 46 Ahmedabad 8.3 million 1,157 47 Stockholm 975,000 1,135 48 Zurich 440,000 1,133 49 Munich 1.5 million 1,047 50 Mexico City 22 million 1,042 51 Gibraltar 34,000 1,039 52 Washington DC 670,000 1,039 53 San Diego 1.4 million 1,038 54 Santiago 6.3 million 1,030 55 Buenos Aires 15 million 1,015 56 Lombardy 10 million 1,001 57 Noida 750,000 958 58 Tokyo 37.5 million 950 59 Chennai 11.2 million 946 60 San Jose 1.1 million 923 61 Seoul 9.5 million 917 62 Denver 740,000 901 63 Gurgaon 1.2 million 900 64 Zug 30,000 878 65 Hyderabad 10.2 million 876 66 Oslo 700,000 808 67 Atlanta 510,000 716 68 Goa, India 1.5 million 716 69 San Francisco, Bay Area 7.75 million 702 70 Brooklyn 2.7 million 695 71 Vienna 2 million 682 72 Richmond 116,000 681 73 Sao Paulo 12.4 million 667 74 Columbus 922,000 662 75 Pune 7.7 million 623 76 Jaipur 4 million 619 77 Kuala Lumpur 1.9 million 609 78 Charlottesville 46,000 530 79 Pittsburgh 303,000 510 80 Montreal 1.8 million 504 81 Copenhagen 805,000 503 82 Vancouver 675,000 490 83 Baku 2.3 million 489 84 Madrid 6.7 million 466 85 New Delhi 32 million 433 86 San Mateo 105,000 428 87 Atasehir 422,000 396 88 Vilnius 600,000 390 89 Phasi Charoen 130,000 381 90 JLT 75,000 374 91 Tampa 385,000 374 92 Rome 2.8 million 372 93 Bangkok 11 million 352 94 Wilmington 71,000 352 95 Istanbul 15.8 million 341 96 California 39 million 336 97 Dallas 1.3 million 328 98 Bangalore Urban 1.3 million 327 99 Mountain View 82,000 315 100 Limassol 240,000 308 RANK CITY NAME POPULATION VOTES RANK RANK CITY NAME CITY NAME POPULATION POPULATION VOTES VOTES 1 Sydney 5.3 million 159,361 1 1 Sydney Sydney Sydney 5.3 million 5.3 million 159,361 159,361 2 London 9.5 million 138,496 2 2 London London London 9.5 million 9.5 million 138,496 138,496 3 Singapore 5.6 million 38,887 3 3 Singapore Singapore Singapore 5.6 million 5.6 million 38,887 38,887 4 Telangana 39 million 22,064 4 4 Telangana Telangana Telangana 39 million 39 million 22,064 22,064 5 San Francisco 873,000 19,147 5 5 San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco 873,000 873,000 19,147 19,147 6 Mumbai 20.7 million 13,974 6 6 Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai 20.7 million 20.7 million 13,974 13,974 7 Austin 975,000 12,756 7 7 Austin Austin Austin 975,000 975,000 12,756 12,756 8 Cleveland 367,000 11,770 8 8 Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland 367,000 367,000 11,770 11,770 9 Bengaluru 13.6 million 8,452 9 9 Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru 13.6 million 13.6 million 8,452 8,452 10 Algiers 4.5 million 8,184 10 10 Algiers Algiers Algiers 4.5 million 4.5 million 8,184 8,184 11 Manhattan 1.6 million 7,898 11 11 Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan 1.6 million 1.6 million 7,898 7,898 12 Chicago 2.7 million 5,616 12 12 Chicago Chicago Chicago 2.7 million 2.7 million 5,616 5,616 13 Melbourne 5.1 million 4,817 13 13 Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne 5.1 million 5.1 million 4,817 4,817 14 SoMa 30,000 4,630 14 14 SoMa SoMa SoMa 30,000 30,000 4,630 4,630 15 Tel Aviv 465,000 4,551 15 15 Tel Aviv Tel Aviv Tel Aviv 465,000 465,000 4,551 4,551 16 Dubai 3.5 million 4,063 16 16 Dubai Dubai Dubai 3.5 million 3.5 million 4,063 4,063 17 Visakhapatnam 2.2 million 3,929 17 17 Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam 2.2 million 2.2 million 3,929 3,929 18 Toronto 2.9 million 3,902 18 18 Toronto Toronto Toronto 2.9 million 2.9 million 3,902 3,902 19 New York City 8.5 million 3,777 19 19 New York City New York City New York City 8.5 million 8.5 million 3,777 3,777 20 Berlin 3.6 million 3,773 20 20 Berlin Berlin Berlin 3.6 million 3.6 million 3,773 3,773 21 Seattle 740,000 3,640 21 21 Seattle Seattle Seattle 740,000 740,000 3,640 3,640 22 Los Angeles 3.9 million 3,210 22 22 Los Angeles Los Angeles Los Angeles 3.9 million 3.9 million 3,210 3,210 23 Palo Alto 68,000 2,930 23 23 Palo Alto Palo Alto Palo Alto 68,000 68,000 2,930 2,930 24 Warsaw 1.8 million 2,861 24 24 Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw 1.8 million 1.8 million 2,861 2,861 25 Miami 454,000 2,801 25 25 Miami Miami Miami 454,000 454,000 2,801 2,801 26 Powai 150,000 2,503 26 26 Powai Powai Powai 150,000 150,000 2,503 2,503 27 Perth 2.1 million 2,349 27 27 Perth Perth Perth 2.1 million 2.1 million 2,349 2,349 28 Ghent 260,000 2,097 28 28 Ghent Ghent Ghent 260,000 260,000 2,097 2,097 29 Boston 645,000 1,996 29 29 Boston Boston Boston 645,000 645,000 1,996 1,996 30 Dublin 1.3 million 1,976 30 30 Dublin Dublin Dublin 1.3 million 1.3 million 1,976 1,976 31 Amsterdam 920,000 1,970 31 31 Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam 920,000 920,000 1,970 1,970 32 Bari 320,000 1,959 32 32 Bari Bari Bari 320,000 320,000 1,959 1,959 33 Downtown San Francisco 873,000 1,758 33 33 Downtown San Francisco Downtown San Francisco Downtown San Francisco 873,000 873,000 1,758 1,758 34 Kyiv 2.9 million 1,709 34 34 Kyiv Kyiv Kyiv 2.9 million 2.9 million 1,709 1,709 35 Tallinn 445,000 1,697 35 35 Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn 445,000 445,000 1,697 1,697 36 Lagos 16 million 1,676 36 36 Lagos Lagos Lagos 16 million 16 million 1,676 1,676 37 Frankfurt Am Main 770,000 1,636 37 37 Frankfurt Am Main Frankfurt Am Main Frankfurt Am Main 770,000 770,000 1,636 1,636 38 Paris 2.2 million 1,553 38 38 Paris Paris Paris 2.2 million 2.2 million 1,553 1,553 39 Barcelona 1.6 million 1,481 39 39 Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona 1.6 million 1.6 million 1,481 1,481 40 Delhi 32 million 1,312 40 40 Delhi Delhi Delhi 32 million 32 million 1,312 1,312 41 Lisbon 545,000 1,257 41 41 Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon 545,000 545,000 1,257 1,257 42 Alcobendas 116,000 1,182 42 42 Alcobendas Alcobendas Alcobendas 116,000 116,000 1,182 1,182 43 Houston 2.3 million 1,182 43 43 Houston Houston Houston 2.3 million 2.3 million 1,182 1,182 44 Hong Kong 7.3 million 1,181 44 44 Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong 7.3 million 7.3 million 1,181 1,181 45 Accra 2.5 million 1,178 45 45 Accra Accra Accra 2.5 million 2.5 million 1,178 1,178 46 Ahmedabad 8.3 million 1,157 46 46 Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad 8.3 million 8.3 million 1,157 1,157 47 Stockholm 975,000 1,135 47 47 Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm 975,000 975,000 1,135 1,135 48 Zurich 440,000 1,133 48 48 Zurich Zurich Zurich 440,000 440,000 1,133 1,133 49 Munich 1.5 million 1,047 49 49 Munich Munich Munich 1.5 million 1.5 million 1,047 1,047 50 Mexico City 22 million 1,042 50 50 Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City 22 million 22 million 1,042 1,042 51 Gibraltar 34,000 1,039 51 51 Gibraltar Gibraltar Gibraltar 34,000 34,000 1,039 1,039 52 Washington DC 670,000 1,039 52 52 Washington DC Washington DC Washington DC 670,000 670,000 1,039 1,039 53 San Diego 1.4 million 1,038 53 53 San Diego San Diego San Diego 1.4 million 1.4 million 1,038 1,038 54 Santiago 6.3 million 1,030 54 54 Santiago Santiago Santiago 6.3 million 6.3 million 1,030 1,030 55 Buenos Aires 15 million 1,015 55 55 Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Buenos Aires 15 million 15 million 1,015 1,015 56 Lombardy 10 million 1,001 56 56 Lombardy Lombardy Lombardy 10 million 10 million 1,001 1,001 57 Noida 750,000 958 57 57 Noida Noida Noida 750,000 750,000 958 958 58 Tokyo 37.5 million 950 58 58 Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo 37.5 million 37.5 million 950 950 59 Chennai 11.2 million 946 59 59 Chennai Chennai Chennai 11.2 million 11.2 million 946 946 60 San Jose 1.1 million 923 60 60 San Jose San Jose San Jose 1.1 million 1.1 million 923 923 61 Seoul 9.5 million 917 61 61 Seoul Seoul Seoul 9.5 million 9.5 million 917 917 62 Denver 740,000 901 62 62 Denver Denver Denver 740,000 740,000 901 901 63 Gurgaon 1.2 million 900 63 63 Gurgaon Gurgaon Gurgaon 1.2 million 1.2 million 900 900 64 Zug 30,000 878 64 64 Zug Zug Zug 30,000 30,000 878 878 65 Hyderabad 10.2 million 876 65 65 Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad 10.2 million 10.2 million 876 876 66 Oslo 700,000 808 66 66 Oslo Oslo Oslo 700,000 700,000 808 808 67 Atlanta 510,000 716 67 67 Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta 510,000 510,000 716 716 68 Goa, India 1.5 million 716 68 68 Goa, India Goa , India Goa 1.5 million 1.5 million 716 716 69 San Francisco, Bay Area 7.75 million 702 69 69 San Francisco, Bay Area San Francisco , Bay Area San Francisco 7.75 million 7.75 million 702 702 70 Brooklyn 2.7 million 695 70 70 Brooklyn Brooklyn Brooklyn 2.7 million 2.7 million 695 695 71 Vienna 2 million 682 71 71 Vienna Vienna Vienna 2 million 2 million 682 682 72 Richmond 116,000 681 72 72 Richmond Richmond Richmond 116,000 116,000 681 681 73 Sao Paulo 12.4 million 667 73 73 Sao Paulo Sao Paulo Sao Paulo 12.4 million 12.4 million 667 667 74 Columbus 922,000 662 74 74 Columbus Columbus Columbus 922,000 922,000 662 662 75 Pune 7.7 million 623 75 75 Pune Pune Pune 7.7 million 7.7 million 623 623 76 Jaipur 4 million 619 76 76 Jaipur Jaipur Jaipur 4 million 4 million 619 619 77 Kuala Lumpur 1.9 million 609 77 77 Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur 1.9 million 1.9 million 609 609 78 Charlottesville 46,000 530 78 78 Charlottesville Charlottesville Charlottesville 46,000 46,000 530 530 79 Pittsburgh 303,000 510 79 79 Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pittsburgh 303,000 303,000 510 510 80 Montreal 1.8 million 504 80 80 Montreal Montreal Montreal 1.8 million 1.8 million 504 504 81 Copenhagen 805,000 503 81 81 Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen 805,000 805,000 503 503 82 Vancouver 675,000 490 82 82 Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver 675,000 675,000 490 490 83 Baku 2.3 million 489 83 83 Baku Baku Baku 2.3 million 2.3 million 489 489 84 Madrid 6.7 million 466 84 84 Madrid Madrid Madrid 6.7 million 6.7 million 466 466 85 New Delhi 32 million 433 85 85 New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi 32 million 32 million 433 433 86 San Mateo 105,000 428 86 86 San Mateo San Mateo San Mateo 105,000 105,000 428 428 87 Atasehir 422,000 396 87 87 Atasehir Atasehir Atasehir 422,000 422,000 396 396 88 Vilnius 600,000 390 88 88 Vilnius Vilnius Vilnius 600,000 600,000 390 390 89 Phasi Charoen 130,000 381 89 89 Phasi Charoen Phasi Charoen Phasi Charoen 130,000 130,000 381 381 90 JLT 75,000 374 90 90 JLT JLT JLT 75,000 75,000 374 374 91 Tampa 385,000 374 91 91 Tampa Tampa Tampa 385,000 385,000 374 374 92 Rome 2.8 million 372 92 92 Rome Rome Rome 2.8 million 2.8 million 372 372 93 Bangkok 11 million 352 93 93 Bangkok Bangkok Bangkok 11 million 11 million 352 352 94 Wilmington 71,000 352 94 94 Wilmington Wilmington Wilmington 71,000 71,000 352 352 95 Istanbul 15.8 million 341 95 95 Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul 15.8 million 15.8 million 341 341 96 California 39 million 336 96 96 California California California 39 million 39 million 336 336 97 Dallas 1.3 million 328 97 97 Dallas Dallas Dallas 1.3 million 1.3 million 328 328 98 Bangalore Urban 1.3 million 327 98 98 Bangalore Urban Bangalore Urban Bangalore Urban 1.3 million 1.3 million 327 327 99 Mountain View 82,000 315 99 99 Mountain View Mountain View Mountain View 82,000 82,000 315 315 100 Limassol 240,000 308 100 100 Limassol Limassol Limassol 240,000 240,000 308 308 Some notable trending startup locations relative to population Data from the 2023 Startups of The Year shows that locations historically known for being startup-friendly through business and tax incentives—like Singapore (3rd), Dublin (30th), and Dubai (17th)—attracted global interest in their startups, far surpassing their local populations. Despite their strong reputations as business and tax havens, several cities have underperformed in global interest. Zug, Switzerland (64th), Luxembourg, and New Delhi (85th) have all seen lower-than-expected engagement. Even San Francisco (5th), despite its tech dominance, together with Dubai (16th) and Hong Kong (44th), known for their pro-business environments, haven't captured as much global attention as their track records would suggest. Several smaller or unexpected cities have ranked surprisingly high. Cleveland ranks 8th with 11,770 votes, despite not being a typical global business hub. SoMa, a San Francisco neighborhood, is 14th with 4,630 votes, despite its tiny population. Gibraltar stands out at 51st, likely due to its financial center status, despite having just 34,000 residents. These trends illustrate a shifting landscape in global startup interest, where both traditional and emerging locations experience varying degrees of success. While some well-established hubs are failing to attract the anticipated global engagement, smaller, unconventional cities are making unexpected progress. This indicates that the global startup ecosystem is becoming more dynamic and dispersed, with opportunities emerging in a wider range of locations. We look forward to seeing what the next Startups of the Year data will reveal as these trends continue to evolve. Startups can thrive anywhere! Startups can thrive anywhere! Reflecting on the Startups of The Year 2023 data, it’s clear that startups can emerge from any corner of the globe. This is a strong testament to how technology has democratized entrepreneurship. Several factors have contributed to this shift, including easier access to technology and tools, the rise of remote work and global talent acquisition, and local innovation initiatives. Access to technology and tools: Thanks to the widespread access to digital tools and cloud technologies, startups can thrive everywhere. Platforms like AWS and GitHub help startups to operate globally from any location, allowing less traditionally recognized and even remote regions to launch competitive businesses on a global scale. Access to technology and tools: Thanks to the widespread access to digital tools and cloud technologies, startups can thrive everywhere. Platforms like AWS and GitHub help startups to operate globally from any location, allowing less traditionally recognized and even remote regions to launch competitive businesses on a global scale. Access to technology and tools: The shift toward remote work and hiring global talents: The rise of remote work has left a lasting mark on the startup ecosystem by allowing companies to recruit top talent from anywhere in the world (take HackerNoon for example). This trend has opened opportunities for startups as they can now build strong teams without the need for physical relocation, significantly leveling what the global market has to offer. The shift toward remote work and hiring global talents: The rise of remote work has left a lasting mark on the startup ecosystem by allowing companies to recruit top talent from anywhere in the world (take HackerNoon for example) . This trend has opened opportunities for startups as they can now build strong teams without the need for physical relocation, significantly leveling what the global market has to offer. The shift toward remote work and hiring global talents: (take HackerNoon for example ) HackerNoon for example Local innovation initiatives: Local governments and institutions are increasingly providing support and funding to nurture startups within their regions. For instance, initiatives in cities like Boulder (US) and Lagos (Nigeria) have seen significant investment in infrastructure to support tech startups, reflecting a growing recognition that fostering local innovation is key to economic development. Local innovation initiatives: With that being said, startups no longer have to be confined to traditional tech hubs such as San Francisco or New York. They can now emerge and succeed from any part of the world, driven by technology, global connection, and local support. Check out what some of the 2023 Startup participants had to say about their company, experiences, global startup interest, and the future of startups: Check out what some of the 2023 Startup participants had to say about their company, experiences, global startup interest, and the future of startups: Meet C-Power, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA Meet HarperDB, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Denver Meet Roam Telecoms, Runner-up of the Startups of The Year in London, UK Meet React Bricks, Runner-up of the Startups of The Year in Lombardy, Italy Meet Hoken Tech, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Bari Meet C-Power, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA Meet C-Power, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA Meet HarperDB, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Denver Meet HarperDB, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Denver Meet Roam Telecoms, Runner-up of the Startups of The Year in London, UK Meet Roam Telecoms, Runner-up of the Startups of The Year in London, UK Meet React Bricks, Runner-up of the Startups of The Year in Lombardy, Italy Meet React Bricks, Runner-up of the Startups of The Year in Lombardy, Italy Meet Hoken Tech, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Bari Meet Hoken Tech, Winner of the Startups of The Year in Bari Meanwhile, subscribe to our Startups page to stay informed on all the latest updates about Startups of the Year. Meanwhile, subscribe to our Startups page to stay informed on all the latest updates about Startups of the Year . Startups page Startups of the Year About HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year Startups of The Year 2024 is HackerNoon’s flagship community-driven event celebrating startups, technology, and the spirit of innovation. Currently in its third iteration, the prestigious Internet award recognizes and celebrates tech startups of all shapes and sizes. This year, over 150,000 entities across 4200+ cities, 6 continents, and 100+ industries will participate in a bid to be crowned the best startup of the year! Millions of votes have been cast over the past few years, and many stories have been written about these daring and rising startups. Startups of The Year 2024 many stories The winners will get a free interview on HackerNoon and an Evergreen Tech Company News page. Evergreen Tech Company News Visit our FAQ page to learn more. Read more about this year’s design system here . FAQ here here HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year is a branding opportunity unlike any other. Whether your goal is brand awareness or lead generation, HackerNoon has curated startup-friendly packages to solve your marketing challenges. startup-friendly packages Meet our sponsors: Wellfound: Join the #1 global, startup-focused community . At Wellfound, we're not just a job board—we're the place where top startup talent and the world's most exciting companies connect to build the future. Wellfound: Join the #1 global, startup-focused community Notion: Notion is trusted and loved by thousands of startups as their connected workspace—from building product roadmaps to tracking fundraising. Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months , to build and scale your company with one powerful tool. Get your offer now ! Notion: Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months Get your offer now ! Hubspot: If you’re looking for a smart CRM platform that meets the needs of small businesses, look no further than HubSpot. Seamlessly connect your data, teams and customers in one easy-to-use scalable platform that grows with your business. Hubspot: Bright Data: Startups that leverage public web data can make faster, data-driven decisions, giving them a competitive edge. With Bright Data’s scalable web data collection , businesses can grow from a small operation to an enterprise by harnessing insights at every stage. Bright Data: Bright Data’s scalable web data collection