Best Startup Cities

Best startup cities in Australia in 2027

12 cities in Australia make our ranking of 1,000 startup cities worldwide. Sydney leads at #36 with a total score of 12, followed by Melbourne (#39) and Brisbane (#112).

For women founders, Sydney scores highest in Australia on the MeanCEO Index with 79/100. Each city page covers funding, company registration, taxes, founder visas, pros and cons, and the ten MeanCEO factors.

Startup cities in Australia, ranked

#CityWorld rankTotalQuantityQualityBusinessMeanCEO
1 Sydney #36 12 3.13 5.37 3.5 79
2 Melbourne #39 10.57 2.14 4.93 3.5 76
3 Brisbane #112 4.95 0.86 0.58 3.5 72
4 Perth #175 2.92 0.37 0.28 2.27 74
5 Adelaide #198 2.17 0.37 0.11 1.69 73
6 Sunshine Coast #249 1.37 0.22 0.09 1.07 77
7 Canberra #269 1.2 0.18 0.09 0.94 61
8 Gold Coast #276 1.14 0.2 0.05 0.88 74
9 Hobart #439 0.46 0.06 0.04 0.36 69
10 Newcastle #464 0.42 0.06 0.04 0.33 70
11 Wollongong #520 0.35 0.05 0.03 0.27 72
12 Darwin #744 0.19 0.01 0.03 0.15 66

Total = quantity (startups, accelerators, coworking spaces) + quality (traction of top startups, unicorns, exits) + business environment (national conditions), from the StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index (2024 edition). The MeanCEO Index (0 to 100) is our own score of how livable and welcoming a city is for women founders.

Other countries in Asia and Oceania

All countries ยท All 1,000 cities, ranked