NovaUCD Named One of Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs by Financial Times
NovaUCD, the hub of innovation and start-up activities at University College Dublin (UCD) since 2003, has today been named as one of Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs by the Financial Times and Statista, the international data and research company, for the second year in a row.
The Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs 2025, a ranking of the top centres across Europe offering incubator and/or accelerator programmes to founders who want to build or grow a company, was published online today by the Financial Times.
The 2025 ranking showcases the top 150 start-up hubs located across Europe.
NovaUCD is one of only five start-up hubs in Ireland to be included in the list and is the only University-based hub in Ireland to be included in the ranking.
Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact said, “I am delighted that NovaUCD has been recognised by the Financial Times and Statista as one of the leading start-up hubs in Europe, for the second year in a row, and is once again the only university-based start-up hub in Ireland to feature in the Report.
UCD is at the heart of Ireland’s vibrant economy and as such is committed to its key role in Ireland’s innovation and knowledge exchange ecosystem. One way we demonstrate this commitment is through NovaUCD’s activities and its strategic focus on establishing new ventures, supporting and scaling job creating high-tech start-ups, and more established companies, with international potential and reach.
We welcome today’s recognition and look forward to continuing to support the next generation of entrepreneurs and start-ups with global ambitions.”
Approximately 3,000 start-up hubs from 38 countries across Europe were identified as potential candidates and invited to submit online applications. To be eligible for consideration hubs had to have at least one physical base within Europe, have been in operation since at least 2020 and offer at least one incubation or accelerator programme.
The criteria used to determine the rankings of eligible hubs were based on the assessment of survey responses (4,300+ in total) of alumni who had participated on at least one programme run by of the respective hub from 2018 to 2023, recommendations from external experts (such as investors, entrepreneurs and academics), and track-record of a hub based on the evaluations of the top start-ups which emerged from incubator programmes or participated in accelerators.
Since 2003, UCD has supported over 600 companies and early-stage ventures, through the services and supports provided across the University by NovaUCD, and through business support programmes, including dedicated accelerator programmes, run and managed by NovaUCD.
NovaUCD delivers several annual accelerator programmes including; AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme; AI Ecosystem Accelerator; NovaUCD Student Enterprise Competition, and UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator. NovaUCD is also partnering with IADT Media Cube to deliver an Enterprise Ireland funded New Frontiers Programme and is a member of the ESA BIC Ireland consortium.
In addition to NovaUCD (ranked 117th), Catalyst (ranked 94th, Belfast), Dogpatch Labs (ranked 20th), Furthr (ranked 88th) and Republic of Work (ranked 49th) are the only other start-up hubs in Ireland included in the 2025 ranking of Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs by the Financial Times and Statista.
UnternehmerTUM in Munich, Germany, is ranked in first place.
Twenty-nine of the ranked hubs are based in the UK, 19 in Germany and 17 in Spain.
Click here to read more about Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs 2025.
ENDS
27 February 2025
For further information contact Micéal Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, UCD Research and Innovation, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie.
NovaUCD has been nurturing and supporting high-tech start-ups with global potential since 2003. During the last 20+ years NovaUCD has developed an excellent and expanded infrastructure and a suite of comprehensive business support programmes, dedicated accelerator programmes, and an ecosystem of mentors, investors and industry partners that help to nurture an enthusiastic and dynamic community of start-ups and established companies, to grow and scale on the global stage.
NovaUCD’s reach and influence has also expanded since 2003 as the NovaUCD, which includes UCD’s Knowledge Transfer team, now also manages and operates NexusUCD, the University’s Industry Partnership Centre, ConsultUCD, the University’s managed consultancy service, and the AgTechUCD Innovation Centre, which is located at UCD Lyons Farm in Co. Kildare. NovaUCD was originally funded through a unique public-private partnership that included AIB; AMD; Arthur Cox; Deloitte; Enterprise Ireland; Ericsson; Goodbody and UCD. www.novaucd.ie