Best Startup Cities

Best startup cities in Belgium in 2027

9 cities in Belgium make our ranking of 1,000 startup cities worldwide. Brussels leads at #72 with a total score of 6.5, followed by Ghent (#158) and Antwerp (#237).

For women founders, Leuven scores highest in Belgium on the MeanCEO Index with 70/100. Each city page covers funding, company registration, taxes, founder visas, pros and cons, and the ten MeanCEO factors.

Startup cities in Belgium, ranked

#CityWorld rankTotalQuantityQualityBusinessMeanCEO
1 Brussels #72 6.5 1.13 2.07 3.31 68
2 Ghent #158 3.52 0.45 0.37 2.71 64
3 Antwerp #237 1.5 0.21 0.14 1.15 68
4 Leuven #311 0.87 0.1 0.1 0.67 70
5 Liege #390 0.57 0.07 0.07 0.44 61
6 Hasselt #543 0.32 0.04 0.04 0.24 66
7 Waterloo #667 0.23 0.02 0.03 0.17 57
8 Aalst #701 0.21 0.02 0.03 0.16 61
9 Mechelen #847 0.16 0.01 0.02 0.12 58

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 Europe

All countries ยท All 1,000 cities, ranked