Startup City Rankings
Our goal is to provide an analytical, objective benchmark to help companies and individuals alike understand how micro-environments within the Midwest are performing relative to each other.
2017 – 2018 Highlights
- $150M Rise of the Rest Fund
- $100M HighAlpha Fund II
- Duo Security sold for $2.35B
- Indiana launched the $250M Next Level Fund
- Ohio became the third state to make blockchain data legally valid to store electronic records
Explore the Cities
How Rankings are Calculated
Startup Activity
41% Weight
A measure of how active the tech community in the city is, and the size and quality of the network available to a new startup. It considers factors such as the number of startups present, the number of exits and (one of the new additions this year) the growth in startup activity and the scale of outcomes (both large exits and large fundraises).
Source: PitchbookAccess To Resources
41% Weight
A measure of how supportive the city's environment is, and the value-add it can provide to help a startup grow. It considers factors such as the quality of the talent, investor activity, accelerators, universities and government support.
Source: The US Census, US Patent Office, Pitchbook, US News & World Report and the <a href="http://www.seedrankings.com/?ref=MidwestStartups">Seed Accelerator Rankings Project</a>Business Climate
18% Weight
A measure of how conducive the city's economic environment is to attract and scale a business. It includes factors such as the cost of living, labor costs, population and GDP per capita. This year we added a "Connectivity" subcategory here, which measures the quality of airport and highway infrastructure.
Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US Census, the Tax Foundation, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Google Flights.