Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion on the list with the 1000 most “innovative” cities

Athens ranks 117th out of 1000, on the list with the cities that host domestic or foreign start-up companies, while on the same list are Thessaloniki (439) and Heraklion (860).

The Greek capital recorded growth of 19% in start-up companies compared to 2025 and returned also to the top positions of the Balkan cities.

Also, as Kathimerini reports, apart from the above hubs of innovation that in recent years attract the interest of companies, the first foundations for strengthening the innovation ecosystem have also been laid in Ioannina. Apart from multinational companies such as TeamViewer and P&I that have opened in the area, from 2020 onwards some start-up companies have appeared which are taking their first steps.

Start-up companies are new businesses that develop innovative products or services, aiming at rapid growth and scalable business models.

At the top of the list are San Francisco, New York City and London, which is threatened by Paris that is gradually greatly increasing the number of start-ups it hosts.

Companies based in San Francisco gathered in 2025 45% of the total investments in the US, recording an increase of 33% from 2024. New York City followed, where start-up companies gathered 17% of the total funding.

Start-up (newly founded) companies are new businesses that develop innovative products or services, aiming at rapid growth and scalable business models.

Πηγή: Καθημερινή