Ukraine Ranks Fourth in Europe for Startup Support

Ukraine has been ranked fourth in Europe for its level of startup support, according to the Ministry of Digital Transformation, citing the 2024 report by the European Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA).

The country joined the ESNA initiative in November 2024 and immediately secured the fourth spot out of 24 EU countries, outperforming the European average by 12%.

The ranking assesses how effectively countries foster the growth and scaling of tech companies based on eight criteria: speed of company formation, access to funding, digital public services, talent attraction and retention, regulatory innovation, procurement innovation, inclusiveness, and stock options and taxation.

Ukraine received the highest possible score in four out of the eight categories:

• Speed of online business registration: Opening a business in minutes is now a reality thanks to the Diia platform.
• Access to funding: The Ukrainian Startup Fund was recognized as a benchmark for effective startup support policy. It has already awarded 570 grants totaling ₴423 million to launch breakthrough tech companies and support local innovation.
• Availability of digital public services: Ukraine is building the most user-friendly tools for running a business online — eliminating long lines and paperwork. Digitization has made processes more convenient and transparent.
• Stock options and favorable taxation: The legal and tax framework for tech companies under Diia.City provides numerous advantages, including tools to attract investment.

Ukraine ranked behind France, Spain, and Lithuania.