Asia: SFI Regional Overview on a Comparative Scale Showing the Motivating Factors of Each Ecosystem

Our SFI analyzes the startup ecosystems of 58 cities globally and compares them to each other. By relying on a wide variety of data sources and placing cities on a comparative scale, we can compare apples to oranges so to speak; regardless of regional, national or local differences we can assign a total score to understand how the ecosystems compare and what insights we may learn from each one. From there, our analysts dig deeper to understand why each city has received its score and what are the motivating factors of each ecosystem.

At a regional glance, we can already see some trends that emerge. Singapore (along with Hong Kong) emerges as not only a regional leader but a global leader, often competing with Berlin. Indeed, Singapore is a regional incorporation hub and is often lauded for its policies and focus on entrepreneurship as a pathway for economic growth. Its ecosystem attempts to partner strategically with neighboring countries such as Vietnam, India, and Indonesia, in which startup ecosystems are somewhat less equipped, but are instead powered by a hunger for entrepreneurship.

We dive deeper into this pattern in our first issue of empower. We will also see how many regional Asian ecosystems have begun to move into a new phase: innovating solutions for the region and setting their sites on global expansion sooner.