Spotlight Drop: Canada slips to #5 in global startup rankings

Canada Just Got Bumped in the Startup World.

Author

Founded in Canada
June 02, 2025

StartupBlink dropped their 2024 ecosystem rankings—and Canada’s no longer in the top 4.
We’re not mad, we’re just... disappointed.

Singapore leapfrogged us, and now we’re chilling at #5, while our biggest hubs (Toronto, Montreal) are losing ground too.

So let’s break it down, builder-style.

So what happened?

  • Singapore zooms past us into 4th place

  • Toronto drops 2 spots

  • Montreal falls out of the top 40

  • Vancouver’s still hanging in the top 50, but not by a wide margin

  • The US, UK, Israel, and Singapore are heating up while we… politely stagnate?

Okay but… why does this matter?

Because rankings like these shape perception—and perception shapes opportunity. Capital, talent, and media attention follow momentum.

And right now, the message is:
Canada’s potential is high, but velocity is low.

❝ “We have funding—but it’s painfully cautious.”
❝ “We have programs—but they’re buried in PDFs and portals.”
❝ “We have ambition—but the red tape is real.”

Sound familiar?

Here's what actually needs fixing:

  1. Kill the friction. Simplify access to grants, capital, and support.

  2. Fund bolder bets, not just safer returns.

  3. Empower ecosystem builders, not just startups.

  4. Un-silo the system. Local → provincial → federal needs to flow.

  5. Tell better stories about what’s happening between unicorn headlines.

Built something? Hit a wall? Got ideas?

We want to hear what’s actually going on out there.
The good, the bad, the red-tape ridiculous.

→ Reply to this email or shout us out at foundedincanada.com

PS: We're building Canada’s no-BS startup directory.

No logins. No fluff. No shady gatekeeping.
Just fast, filterable listings for orgs, funding, programs, and more—across the entire country.

FiC exists to make sense of all this.

We help you:
 ✅ Track live programs and funding calls
 ✅ Find the right ecosystem orgs without rage-scrolling for hours
 ✅ Actually use stuff buried in mandate letters and policy PDFs

Because founders don’t have time for filler. We’re here to cut through it and bring you what actually matters.

Ready to plug into the good stuff?

  • Explore the FiC Directory — no login, no fluff

  • Subscribe for more drops like this

  • Or just hit reply. We like humans more than forms.

— Built by builders. For builders.
Top 3 or not, we’re here to fix the mess and fuel what’s next.

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