Startup Nations Standards Report 2024 unveiled: Europe is progressing in building startup-friendly ecosystems

The Startup Nations Standard Report 2024 reveals a 61% implementation rate of startup-friendly policies across Europe, highlighting progress in critical areas, namely in access to finance and attracting and retaining talent

STOCKHOLM, Feb. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Europe Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA) releases today the Startup Nations Standard (SNS) Report 2024 at TechArena Stockholm, offering a comprehensive benchmark for assessing progress across 24 European countries in creating environments favourable to startups.

It evaluates the implementation of the eight Startup Nations Standards, revealing an average of 61% implementation rate; highlights progress in access to finance and talent attraction, crucial drivers of Europe's startup competitiveness.

Structured around eight core Standards of Excellence, the report assesses how each nation performs against these standards, highlighting key strengths and areas for improvement in: 1. Fast Startup Creation, Smooth Market Entry; 2. Attracting and Retaining Talent; 3. Stock Options; 4. Innovation in Regulation; 5. Innovation in Procurement; 6. Access to Finance; 7. Social inclusion, Diversity and protecting democratic Values; 8. Digital First.

Highlights:

• Access to Finance and funding opportunities are enhanced with an average of 72% implementation rate across surveyed countries, with seven performing at 100% implementation rate. It's the best-performing standard with the steepest progression.
• Attracting and Retaining Talent stands among the best-performing standards with 64% implementation and three countries achieving full implementation (100%); nine having a programme in place to encourage the return of EU tech nationals who emigrated outside of the continent.
• Fast Startup Creation, Smooth Market Entry. Europe has been simplifying and accelerating the process of setting up a business reaching a 70% implementation rate. Documents emitted by foreign entities are accepted in 19 of the countries. As per the business setup, it can be carried out within one day and for less than €100 in four countries. 
• Digital-first is gaining traction, with 20 countries offering a variety of administrative processes online and 19 implementing national digitalization strategies, reaching an average implementation of 70%.

The Report provides comprehensive data on the challenges and successes faced by 24 European countries. It provides a detailed analysis of how each country is adopting best practices, creating a favourable environment for entrepreneurs, and scaling their startup ecosystems.

"SNS Report is an essential tool for policymakers, governments and entrepreneurs to assess how conducive their countries' ecosystems are to fostering innovation and scaling businesses," says Arthur Jordão, Executive Director at ESNA. 

"As Europe continues to face rapid changes in technology, regulation and the global economic landscape, it provides valuable insights into the areas where governments can improve to make Europe a global leader in fostering a vibrant startup culture."

SNS Report was unveiled during a keynote presentation by Linda Capusa, Board Member at ESNA followed by a panel discussion addressing challenges such as scaling startups, funding innovation, and fostering cross-border collaboration, emphasizing Europe's role in driving global innovation, featuring experts:

• Jessica Rosencrantz, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs
• Vojtech Horna, Index Ventures
• Sam Hinton-Smith, Head of Public Policy EMEA and APAC, Stripe.

Visit www.esnalliance.eu/en/standards to download the Report and access the interactive version that provides access to country-specific insights and key data, featuring tools to visualise individual countries' performance.

About ESNA

Following a declaration signed by 26 EU Member States and Iceland and Ukraine, ESNA was established to propel the European startup ecosystem to global leadership by enhancing its entrepreneurial, innovative and competitive capabilities. ESNA is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal. It is guiding the implementation of the "EU Startup Nations Standards of Excellence," designed to promote and harmonise eight standards for startup-friendly policies and initiatives.

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