Best startup cities in Malaysia in 2027

5 cities in Malaysia make our ranking of 1,000 startup cities worldwide. Kuala Lumpur leads at #80 with a total score of 6.3, followed by George Town (#349) and Johor Bahru (#748).

For women founders, George Town scores highest in Malaysia 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 Malaysia, ranked

#	City	World rank	Total	Quantity	Quality	Business	MeanCEO
1	Kuala Lumpur	#80	6.3	1.25	1.98	3.06	60
2	George Town	#349	0.7	0.04	0.13	0.53	70
3	Johor Bahru	#748	0.19	0.02	0.03	0.14	62
4	Senai	#916	0.13	0.01	0.02	0.1	60
5	Sandakan	#953	0.11	0.01	0.02	0.08	59

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 · All 1,000 cities, ranked