01 Jun 2026
New scoreboard shows success of European startup policies
On 29 May 2026, the European Commission presented the first-ever European Startup and Scaleup Scoreboard (ESSS). The scoreboard shows that since 2020, the baseline year for the Scoreboard, 20 out of 27 EU Member States have improved their performance, proving that targeted support for founders fuels innovation, job creation, and economic growth.
The Scoreboard highlights a direct link between innovation-friendly regulations, access to talent, and venture capital – and the success of startups and scaleups. Front-runner countries – Estonia, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark – perform well above the EU average (from 40 to 60 percentage points) in 36 measuring indicators, showing how bold policies translate into thriving ecosystems:
- Estonia leads in digital infrastructure and early-stage funding, with 615 venture capital-backed companies per million inhabitants – the highest in the EU.
- Sweden excels in talent and later-stage financing, producing 409 unicorns per million inhabitants – more than any other EU nation.
- Finland combines strong R&D investment with high patenting activity, proving that innovation and commercialisation go hand-in-hand.
The ESSS 2026 reveals untapped potential in rising countries (Greece, Latvia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania), which score 30 percentage points below the EU average in the same 36 measuring indicators. Three key challenges stand out:
- Weak venture capital access: Later-stage funding is scarce, forcing high-growth companies to look abroad for capital.
- Scaling bottlenecks: Fragmented regulations and slow administrative processes delay expansion, costing time and momentum
- Brain drain: Talent leaves for more dynamic ecosystems, draining local innovation.
The Scoreboard's results and analysis will help shape a series of strategic actions aimed at further strengthening Europe's startup and scaleup ecosystems - particularly the upcoming European Innovation Act.
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