Nairobi — Nairobi and Mombasa have been ranked among Kenya's most popular startup hotspots, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025.
The report shows that Nairobi climbed six places to position 107 globally, falling just short of breaking into the top 100.
Mombasa also registered strong progress, moving up to position 916 in the global city ranking from 1,122 last year.
"There are two Kenyan cities ranked in the global top 1,000, with an addition of one," the report states.
"Nairobi has a healthy growth rate of more than 22% while Mombasa enjoys the highest growth rate in Kenya of over 104%."
The Global Startup Ecosystem Index ranks 118 countries and 1,473 cities worldwide, measuring startup activity, quality, and the overall business environment. It highlights regions and countries emerging as strong business hubs, while identifying those that are stagnating.
However, the report notes that Kisumu is lagging behind its peers, ranking at 1,020 globally.
In 2024, Kenyan startups raised Sh82.3 billion ($638 million), propelling the country to the top position in Africa's startup funding rankings.
It was followed by Nigeria, which raised Sh52.9 billion ($410 million), followed by Egypt with Sh51.6 billion ($400 million) and South Africa (Sh51 billion).
