By Stamatis Zisimou

 

 

The value of the Greek ecosystem in 2022 was 8.2 billion euros, according to Elevate Greece. Greece’s rise in the international ranking of start-ups is one of the goals of Elevate Greece. 

 

However, there is much scope for improving regional performance, while the need to activate the region in the international startup entrepreneurship ecosystem is imperative.

 

In order to achieve this goal, the main factors are the constant upward trend in the creation of start-ups, the dispersion of start-up entrepreneurship across the territory, the breadth of the fields of activity, the extroversion of start-ups and their interconnection with other ecosystems outside of Greece. In this way, the high economic impact of start-ups, the attraction of more investors from abroad, significant investments (deal flow), the highest valuation, the most disinvestments, and more unicorns can be achieved.

 

In 2020-2022, the registered start-up companies represented 48.8% compared with 51.2% that they were rejected. In absolute numbers, the registered companies in Elevate Greece amounted to 728 against 763 that were rejected out of a total of 3,280 evaluations. The 728 startups correspond to 7,300 employees.

 

In 2022 Greece re-entered the top 50 in the Global Ranking after climbing 6 spots, now ranking 48th globally and 5th in the Balkans, jumping over Serbia. Greece’s climb up the Index has been achieved thanks to the startup ecosystem of Athens, which had a massive jump of 21 spots, entering the global top 150. It is ranked 132nd globally and the 3rd ranked city in the Balkans. Additionally, Athens ranks high in the top 100 global ecosystems for the Social and Leisure industry at 51st globally.