TOP 10 CITIES TO STARTUP YOUR BUSINESS

Count down the top 10 cities around the world to startup your business !

1. Beijing

China is still leading the chart! No wonder, China is increasingly focusing on higher-end, higher-margin advanced manufacturing, which “Made in China” no longer means cheap and low-quality, but high quality. In addition, China has a tax relief program for startups with annual tax deductions of up to RMB9,600 (US$1,500) to businesses established by previously unemployed workers and recent college graduates. Wow, isn’t it a good opportunity?

2. Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia is much cheaper in terms of cost of living than Singapore and also its currency. So we’re seeing many startups living in Thailand or Malaysia, but incorporated in Singapore, where there are a lot of private & public institutions that are investing in startups & it is easier to incorporate there.

Startups tend to also prefer Malaysia because it is a good test market (for sure, it’s larger than Singapore) and Malaysia is a mixed of Chinese, Malay or Indonesian and also Indian. Its mixed people makes Malaysia a good test market.

3. Warsaw

Poland is considered stronger than Czech Republic and Slovakia. It has a bigger internal market & stronger entrepreneurial history. Warsaw is also attracting some of the top tech companies around the world such as Google, which will open a campus by the end of this year.

4. Moscow

Soviet people heritage the pool of high quality engineers and is followed by the number of hardware companies. These days, IoT (Internet of Things) is very important. Well, Moscow is a good choice, moreover for you who want to build an engineering or IT related company.

5. Bangalore

India is mentioned as the next China. It’s proved by the ratification of “Make in India” by PM Modi. Here are the famous Indian cities for its market: Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi or Chennai. The market is huge and the number of engineers graduating per year in the country is impressive. The corporate tax level is 30%, plus surcharges. There are no incentives for startups and it can take several months to set up a business, the cost is not prohibitively high.

6. Sydney

Being an entrepreneur in Sydney is quite a milestone and well regarded, but people still tend to aim for the more comfortable lifestyle of corporate employment. We see many startups focusing only on their local market but there is a shift in mindset where they think more and more globally. The ecosystem in Sydney is growing & maturing quickly.

Government does not really allow special tax incentives for entrepreneurs. There is a 45% discount for R&D projects, and any capital expenditure up to 20,000 AUD ($14, 500) is tax deductible, other tax incentives are not really sure. Also, there is a new incentive to change the current system, where employees are taxed on the expected valuation.

7. Tunis

Tunis is still a very young place where finance, coaching & mentoring are just at the beginning. The Arab spring was a turning point for the entrepreneurial mindset of the population: the focus shifted towards civic entrepreneurship. In Tunis, startups often use and create tech products to mobilize communities, often engaging them in political discussions and working for a collective good. To make a better support for the local growing ecosystem, policy makers are implementing new strategies and programs to boost incubators, accelerators, and education program.

8. London

In the first quarter of 2015, investors pumped a record-breaking £459m of venture capitalist funds into London’s digital sector, it’s a 66% rise compared to last year’s. Seed enterprise investment schemes (SEIS), the British Business Bank, R&D tax breaks and government startup loans all add up to one big picture. Tech is viewed as the innovative source powering Britain’s economic recovery.

9. Cairo

Doing business in African countries may face many challenges, but when we see the bright side, we can find out new ways: exploiting the birth of many new accelerators and crowdfunding campaigns. Among them, some are already gaining some traction such as accelerator

10. Sofia

Less people know about Sofia, but who knows there’s big opportunity there! Sofia has one of the lowest income tax rates (10%) and has one of the fastest internet speeds in the world. Moreover, Sofia also became a strong regional hub (attracting top entrepreneurs) as they’ve been able to access the EU investment funds.