The Greek innovation ecosystem presents a rather mixed picture this year, as on the one hand, Athens has secured a place among the most dynamic technology hubs in Europe. On the other hand, this momentum has not yet “translated” into real progress for the ecosystem as a whole, with Greece losing ground in international rankings.
According to Dealroom’s “Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2026” report, Athens ranks fourth in Europe’s “Rising Stars” category, just below Zagreb. Istanbul and Kyiv occupy the top two spots.
This category highlights tech ecosystems where the value of companies and the rate of creating unicorns (companies valued at over $1 billion) is accelerating. The report, of course, also takes local economic conditions into account to reflect the true growth potential of each city.
Globally, the Greek capital ranks 52nd among 325 cities, while the value of its ecosystem increased 6.7-fold between 2019 and 2025.
Greece drops in the international rankings
Nevertheless, Greece fell out of the top 50 in StartupBlink’s global ranking, dropping four spots compared to last year.
Specifically, according to data from the “Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026,” our country fell to 51st place globally, its lowest ranking since 2022, while simultaneously dropping in the European rankings to 29th place, down from 27th in 2025. This development is partly due to the ecosystem’s annual growth rate (4.8%), which is significantly lower than the global average.
Greece, however, ranks higher on the Innovators Business Environment Index, where it is in 33rd place. This performance suggests that the domestic startup ecosystem has not yet managed to fully capitalize on the more favorable business conditions now prevailing in our country.
Three Greek cities among the top
Furthermore, three Greek cities rank among the top 1,000 globally in terms of the startup ecosystem, although two of them have lower scores compared to the previous year.
Athens has a score 7.4 times higher than Thessaloniki, a level considered expected for a strong national hub, without any excessive concentration of activity in the capital.
Nevertheless, the picture that emerges from StartupBlink regarding Athens’ ecosystem is less positive. According to the report, the Greek capital fell 17 places in the global ranking, now occupying 134th place, as it recorded a negative growth rate of 4.8%. This development also significantly affected Greece’s overall position in the international ranking.
In contrast, Thessaloniki recorded a growth rate of 29.1%, although it fell four places in the global ranking and now stands at 443rd place, as other cities grew at a faster pace.
Finally, Heraklion achieved the highest growth rate (64.5%) among Greek cities, climbing 89 places to reach 771st place.