As a startup ecosystem, Miami is moving on up and growing faster nearly all of its peers.
That’s the big finding in a new global ecosystem ranking, where the Miami metro area made a particularly strong showing.
The recently published Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026 is StartupBlink’s 9th-annual ranking of 1,556 cities and 100 countries, produced in collaboration with more than 100 government partners. StartupBlink offers a global innovation economy research platform for public sector ecosystem developers, corporate startup programs, multilateral organizations, and researchers.
The findings: Miami ranked No. 22h globally in the new report, and the metro area climbed six spots from 2025, and up eight spots from 2024. This ranking is calculated using over 40 parameters that assess ecosystem performance, including the number of startups, total funding, unicorn count and valuation, startup exit activity, the presence of global tech company branches and more, according to StartupBlink. This year the ranking also included ecosystem value based on startup valuations and exits since 2006.
But it’s the Miami area’s growth rate of 41.8% that also puts it in an elite category. Miami is the fastest-growing among the top 25 ecosystems of the world and third-fastest growing in the top 100, following only Riyadh, with 117.6% growth, and Taipei, with 55.7% growth.
The United States retains first place in the global ecosystem, and its 23.6% growth rate is the second-highest in the top 10. The United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore, Canada, Sweden, and Germany all hold their 2025 positions within the top seven. The top 10 records an average growth rate of 16.3%.
No surprise, San Francisco is the undisputed leader among cities. The SFBA now scores about 2.7 times higher than No. 2 New York, driven largely by its strength in artificial intelligence. New York, however, stands out as the fastest-growing city in the top 10, at 11.6%, outpacing San Francisco (9.7%) and London (5.4%) at No. 3. Los Angeles and Boston were Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. Austin ranked 14th globally.
Austin and Miami were cited for their strength in “industry breadth.” Miami ranked 15th overall for energy/environment and 16th for hardware/IoT, the report said. Among only US cities and Washington DC, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area ranked 9th.
Two other Florida cities made the global top 100: Orlando and Tampa. Tampa ranked No. 82, rising 13 places from 2025 in the worldwide ranking. Orlando ranked 91st, up 3 places. Orlando’s growth rate was 14.9%, while Tampa clocked in a 26.7% growth rate, according to the report.
Recent venture data supports these findings. In 2025, startups in South Florida took in $4.13 billion in venture capital, up sharply from $2.7 billion in 2024, while startups throughout the state raised $5.83 billion (up from $4.31 billion in 2024), according to the eMerge Americas Insights Report for 2025 results. Both the Miami metro area and the state ranked in the top 10 against their peers. In Q1 of 2026, Pitchbook reported that South Florida startups raised $1.15 billion in venture capital, led by medtech deals, while startups around the state attracted $1.78 billion.
Additionally, more than 2 dozen tech companies announced relocations or significant expansions in 2025 to the tri-county area, accounting for hundreds of new tech jobs, according to Refresh Miami’s reporting. Meanwhile, the recent Miami Tech Week, anchored by the eMerge Americas conference, featured dozens of startup events, including the Endeavor Summit, Miami Tech Summit, hackathons and AI-focused discussions. That was closely followed by Israel Tech Miami Miami and more conferences.
For much more about the global picture, including Latin America, the 456-page StartupBlink report contains data , insights, case studies, and rankings of the top 1,000 ecosystems. Download the report here.
“A strong startup ecosystem is not optional. It is essential. The quality of a location’s startup ecosystem will define the future of its economy, resilience, and its general perception in the world. Cities and countries with a strong startup ecosystem are simply better prepared for whatever challenges come their way,” said Eli David Rokah, CEO of StartupBlink, in the report.
“Our startup founders will be the ones determining the success of our ecosystem,” he continued. And to founders, he added: “Keep building, we are all counting on you. Just make sure to build in a place that works for you, not against you. Where you are matters more than ever.”
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