According to InvestHK’s latest survey, as of 2016 there were nearly 2,000 startups in Hong Kong employing over 5,000 employees (up 24% from last year ). The funding environment is dominated by a fresh batch of “rising star” VC firms including Mindworks Ventures and Vectr Ventures as well as the large family foundations such as Horizons Ventures. Large Chinese corporations such as Alibaba’s Entrepreneurship Fund has also been investing in local startups. Hong Kong also has the interest of the 5 million high net worth individuals (HNWI) in Asia who now are more open to supporting startups. There are currently over 50 co-working spaces, accelerators, incubators and innovation labs in Hong Kong. The most important spaces are Cyberport, CoCoon and The Hive. The govenment entity InvestHK is the main player that connects the ecosystem, facilitating inbound foreign direct investment. InvestHK hosts ieach January the StartmeupHK initiative to focus specifically on the startup community. This event is now one of the premier startup events in the entire world. The city’s greatest strength has always been the proximity to Shenzhen, which is being labeled now as the “Silicon Valley of China.” Hong Kong is also located strategically in the center of Asia–a mere 5-hour flight away from half of the entire world’s population (China and India). Hong Kong also remains one of the top-three financial centers of the world, being a huge opportunity for all the Fintech startups. Hong Kong’s top challenges is the high cost of living. Building a company is hard enough as it is, and the last thing an investor wants is to spend its investment dollars on exorbitantly high rents.

Macao, officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, is an autonomous region in East Asia. As a free port, Macao has long benefited from global trade and investment, thriving as a second gateway for international trade into mainland China next to Hong Kong, especially for Portuguese-speaking countries. The entrepreneurial environment is generally efficient and streamlined. The service sector, particularly the tourism and gaming industry, significantly leads Macao’s economy, contributing with over 90% of GDP output. Macao’s largest international trade event – the 22nd Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) – will take place in Macao on October 19 to 21, 2017. MIF has been held successfully for 21 editions since 1996 and serves as one of the most celebrated annual international economic and trade events in Macao. MIF serves to demonstrate to the world Macao’s advantages as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, and as a premium business and trade co-operation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs), providing business opportunities as well as benefits under Macao’s diverse economic environment. MIF is also dedicated to introducing prospective partners to the participating exhibitors, thereby cultivating dynamic business opportunities and enabling new businesses to further develop.

Berlin is the fastest growing startup ecosystem globally, according to the  “Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking 2015” report. Berlin’s diverse startup 1 scene involves over 2.000 startups, and the startup ecosystem is expected to create more than 100.000 new jobs by 2020. Berlim hosts a large number and variety of co-working spaces, accelerators, incubators, innovation labs and entrepreneurship programs the provide the infrastructure for creative new ideas to flourish and develop into successful new businesses. The German government supports and recognizes the importance of startups and their R&D to sustain economic wellbeing, making the city a friendly startup hub for all entrepreneurial talents that decide to build their future in Berlin. Because of that more than 44% of all new entrepreneurs in Berlin are non-German. Also more than 60.000 people work in the digital industry, hence software and app startups make the headlines. But the startup scene in Berlin is also very diverse, with many founders working also in advanced technologies like nanotech, cleantech, biotech, mobility, new media, food, hardware, healthcare, logistics, and especially at the developing intersections of science, technology, arts & culture, and society, like cultural entrepreneurship or fintech.

New York’s startup scene has emerged as a heavy-hitting startup ecosystem, with a strong foundation of entrepreneurial and tech talent, venture capital, accelerator and incubation programs. New York is now a serious alternative to the Bay Area for founders hoping to make it big. The New York startup scene is starting to resemble the traditional New York economy. Companies and investors are looking for companies that are already making big money instead of big promises and potential grow. There is a lot of support for companies and entrepreneurs that want to start their business in New York. Like any other big city there is no shortage of accelerators, workspaces, business groups, events, and government initiatives. The tech industry originally started in what’s called the Silicon Alley (an area surrounding 23rd street and ha since expanded up north to Harlem and the Bronx, as well as out to Queens, and even to entirely new developments in Brooklyn. Silicon Alley is still filled with traditional tech companies (Fintech, AdTech, etc.), while Brooklyn attracts more UrbanTech and CreativeTech companies, FoodTech. Biotechnology startups are showing up in Queens and social good enterprises are setting up in Harlem and the Bronx.

Although Lisbon is considered as one of the youngest startup ecosystems in the world, most startup reports refer it as one of the most fast growing startups ecosystems in the world. Lisbon presently scores vey well on almost every indicator such as access to talent, affordable housing, afordable cost of running a company and quality of life. Bloommerang recently compared Lisboa an being the San Francisco of Europe, refering to the commonalities “Surf, electric and golden bridges” where “Young entrepreneurs can live the technological dream”. Lisbon thriving startup ecosystem has been able to attract Web Summit, one of the worlds biggest entrepreneurial, which attracted in its 2016 edition more than 53,000 people from 166 countries, among them 15,000 companies, 7,000 CEOs and 700 investors.