Digital Startup Hotspots Across The World
Late last year we looked at how Leeds has moved on from its textiles industry roots and turned into one of the UK’s most important business hotspots.
The Leeds digital industry in particular has been thriving, employing over 35,000 people and contributing £270 million GVA to the Leeds City Region in 2013. From digital agencies such as Parallax, branding agencies and software companies, to startups that develop video games, Leeds is really becoming a city to rival London. The digital agency scene is booming in Leeds, with many spreading their wings and opening up offices in our beautiful capital, further emphasising the city’s growth.
With incubator offices at Leeds Metropolitan University, and co-working spaces at Duke Studios, Munro House, and the Round Foundry Media Centre, entrepreneurs and startup businesses aren’t short of encouragement and are popping up all over the city.
But what about across the world? Here are some of the most exciting startup cities globally with thriving digital industries that you may not have thought about:
Stockholm, Sweden
With a population of just over 2 million people, residing in Stockholm (pictured above) are some of the most exciting startups in the world. Stockholm and Sweden have a fantastic standard of living, a hugely entrepreneurial attitude to life and have brought us some incredible businesses over the past few years.
Brands such as Spotify, Skype, and iZettle have all launched from Stockholm, breaking boundaries and spawning industries along the way. According to recent reports, between 2005 and 2012, 6.5% of the world’s billion-dollar exits were from Swedish companies.
Pretty amazing, right?
Melbourne, Australia
When people think of doing business down under, they generally think of Sydney. With it’s iconic landmarks and stunning beaches, that comes as no surprise. However, situated further down the coast with equally stunning landmarks, as well as it’s own beautiful beaches and culture sits Melbourne.
From tech startups, to a thriving digital agency culture, Melbourne has it all. Despite having a population of over 4 million, it’s still small enough to be able to meet and mingle with the right people. The second-largest city in Australia, Melbourne digital agencies mostly have sister offices in the country’s largest city, Sydney. As well as that, a lot of the more recognised global digital agencies and advertising agencies are picking Melbourne as a home for their outposts down under.
Berlin, Germany
It’s probably impossible to not mention Berlin when it comes to exciting startup cities across the world. One of the most talked about destinations for startup businesses, Berlin features some of the most exciting new tech businesses in the world.
Wooga is one of Berlin’s most prolific startups. The third biggest games company on Facebook, Wooga have over 50 million active online users each month, they’ve since expanded to creating iOS apps. Berlin is also home to the ever popular Soundcloud, which has grown to become the world’s largest streaming website with 38 million users. Intending to capitalise on this success, Soundcloud recently announced advertising features alongside Pro access.
Other awesome startups in Berlin include Sociomantic, Clue, Trademob and many more.
Paris, France
Paris isn’t all about the tourism trade. Rumbling beneath the surface of those delectable Parisian streets are a whole host of exciting startups that are changing the world as we speak. Digital champion and billionaire Xavier Niel has recently announced the creation of a ‘42’, a free-tuition academy for coders and entrepreneurs where up to 1000 students will be taught through a project-based system.
Also situated in Paris are a plethora of startups including Captain Dash, an app that enables marketers to to visualise data from across their social channels. Another big name in the music-streaming market, Deezer are also located in Paris. They currently have over 26 million customers, providing some heavyweight competition for Spotify and Soundcloud.
Très bien!
Tel Aviv, Israel
When you think of tech and digital startups, Israel probably wouldn’t be the first place that you’d think of. However, do a bit of research and you’ll see that there are hundreds of new businesses and a buzzing community thanks to strong ties with multinationals such as Google, IBM and Intel.
Situated in Tel Aviv is the hilarious Fiverr, an online marketplace where users offer their services or “gigs” to customers for the price of $5. From design and copywriting, to the just plain weird, Fiverr has blown up in the past couple of years. Also located in Tel Aviv is Wix, a website creating application that uses HTML5 to allow users to drag and drop elements and create their own websites. Wix has grown hugely and has over 29 million websites published through its platform.
The digital industry is booming right now across every corner of the world. We can’t wait to see what the future holds! What are your thoughts? Drop us a comment below.