The country now has 12 start-up hubs and incubators among the top 150 innovation hubs in Europe—five more than a year ago—according to the “Europe’s Leading Startup Hubs” ranking by the Financial Times, in collaboration with Statista and Sifted. Unicorn Factory (24th), Lispolis (32nd), and Fintech House (35th) are the highest-placed Portuguese entries in the British newspaper's ranking.
This ranking of Europe’s leading startup hubs, now in its third year, distinguishes the top centres offering programmes to help create or scale a business. Germany occupies the top three spots on the 2026 list. In first place is Munich-based UnternehmerTUM, which leads the ranking for the third consecutive year. Founded in 2002, it has already incubated more than 1,000 companies.
Start2 Group, also from Munich, takes second place, standing out for its strong international presence across 18 countries. Nuremberg's BayStartUP, in third place, is noted for its consistent track record in connecting early-stage founders with funding opportunities across Bavaria.
This year’s list covers 180 hubs across 25 European countries. The UK, Germany, and Spain were the countries with the highest number of winners overall.
Discover the 12 most innovative Portuguese startup hubs in Europe, according to the ranking:
