Taiwan climbed five places to 20th in the StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026, with a 41.1% score increase. It recorded the fastest growth in the group comprising Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and India, which occupy consecutive positions from 18th to 21st.
Only 0.142 points separate the group’s highest and lowest scores. Japan’s score is around 0.7% above India’s, making the apparent distance in ranking places much larger than the underlying score gap.
| Ecosystem | Global rank | Score | Score change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 18 | 20.037 | 10.7 |
| South Korea | 19 | 19.992 | 20.6 |
| Taiwan | 20 | 19.948 | 41.1 |
| India | 21 | 19.895 | 25.9 |
Closely matched scores change the interpretation
Small performance changes can reorder a tightly packed group. Businesses therefore have reason to examine several markets rather than treating one ranking position as decisive.
Taiwan moved ahead of India even though India’s score rose 25.9%. That reflects differing growth rates, not evidence that India’s technology sector contracted or capital moved directly between the two markets.
Progress across city tiers
Taipei Tech Corridor climbed 15 places to 39th globally, with score growth of 55.7%. Taichung rose 172 places to 364th, recording 170.6% growth from a smaller base. The percentage does not establish a level of activity comparable with Taipei’s.
Progress across different city tiers adds depth to the national result. The table alone cannot attribute that progress to individual deals, companies or industries.
Implications for partner searches
Taiwan’s momentum provides a reason to broaden technology partner searches. Relevant expertise, commercial fit and specific market conditions should determine the final comparison. The narrow national score gaps illustrate the limitations of choosing a location solely by its overall rank.