Europe rates highly with Dealroom for tech ecosystem density

The Global Tech Ecosystem Index for 2026 tracks start-up ecosystems in 325 cities across 77 countries through three categories.

European cities account for 10 of the top 20 densest tech ecosystems in the world, according to a new report by innovation tracking platform Dealroom.

The ‘Global Tech Ecosystem Index’ for 2026 tracks start-up ecosystems in 325 cities across 77 countries through three categories: scale, per capita performance – or density – and growth, aiming to provide a “multidimensional view of the global innovation landscape”.

In density ratings, 45 European cities feature in the global top 100, ahead of North America’s 40. The rankings measure innovation output per capita, including start-up activity, enterprise value creation, ‘unicorns’ and university affiliations.

Cambridge, London, Stockholm, Ghent, Lausanne, Oxford, Tallinn, Copenhagen, Munich and Amsterdam are among the 20 global density leaders. The UK’s Cambridge is third in this metric, behind only the Bay Area and Boston, both in the US.

US ecosystems account for nine entries overall for density leaders.

Europe is one of six global macro regions monitored by the index – alongside North America; Latin America; Asia-Pacific; Middle East and North Africa; and Sub-Saharan Africa – for economic ties, investment flows and tech ecosystem integration.

The index suggests this approach reflects how innovation ecosystems operate in practice, connected by trade, talent and capital rather than by strict geography alone.

In the index’s scale rankings, tracking the “world’s largest and most successful tech ecosystems”, London (fourth), Paris (eighth) and Stockholm (19th) feature in the top 20, with 11 places occupied by North American cities.

Istanbul, Zagreb and Kyiv are European entries in the top 20 growth locations globally.

“As Europe struggles with entrenched low growth, political leaders see tech and innovation as a fundamental building block of economic competitiveness,” said Yoram Wijngaard, Dealroom’s founder and CEO.

“Innovation is seen as a route not only to securing growth but also national resilience and strategic autonomy. What stands out is not just the strength of leading hubs like London and Paris, but the rise of high-performing smaller ecosystems often built around leading research and academic institutions.”

In the AI sector, European ecosystems account for 10 of the index’s global top 20 by density, with Cambridge ranking second for the category. Tel Aviv, Israel and nine US cities complete the category.

In the index’s defence sector top 20 by density, European cities account for six entries, with Munich ranking second for the category.

Dealroom said: “The rankings reflect Europe’s distinctive innovation model – globally competitive ecosystems built around research institutions, technical talent and specialised industries rather than scale alone. Across the continent, smaller cities are increasingly producing outsized impact in areas such as AI, biotech, climate-tech and advanced manufacturing.”

According to Dealroom, its database draws from four sources: aggregated public information such as news, filings, registries, job boards; community-submitted data from start-ups, investors and accelerators validated by Dealroom; direct government API connections; and third-party data partnerships.

Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.