The Financial Times (FT) has released its annual Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs list, showcasing the top European hubs supporting innovative entrepreneurs with incubators and accelerator programs.
Among the 150 hubs featured in the 2025 list, six are recognized for their contributions to the fintech and insurtech sectors, driving innovation and growth in these industries.
Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs, now in its second edition, is a ranking of the top centers for startup founders looking to build or grow a company. The ranking, produced in collaboration with Statista and Sifted, highlights the most prominent and influential hubs and ecosystems in Europe that provide incubation and acceleration support.
These hubs were selected through a two-phase evaluation process.
In Phase 1, around 3,000 potential hubs were invited to register, provided they met criteria such as offering incubation or acceleration programs, having a physical European location, and being operational since 2020. In Phase 2, alumni from these hubs evaluated their experiences in areas like mentoring, infrastructure, legal help, business development, networking, and funding, generating an Alumni Score.
Investors and entrepreneurs also provided their assessments, contributing to an Expert Score. Information about the most successful startups from each hubs was also collected, forming a Track Record Score.
An Overall Score for each hub was then calculated by taking a weighted average of these three scores, providing a comprehensive picture of each startup hub’s ability to support and grow successful startups, and making it easier to compare startup hubs across Europe.
In the 2025 Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs ranking, 150 hubs were featured, with the UK leading the list with 29 hubs. Germany followed suit with 19 hubs, while Spain and Portugal had a combined total of 24 hubs.
Among the 150 hubs showcased in this year’s edition, six are dedicated to fintech and insurtech innovation. Today, we take a closer look at these hubs, exploring what makes them premier destinations for Europeans fintech entrepreneurs looking to take their businesses to the next level.
https://fintechnews.ch/funding/top-fintech-accelerators-and-incubators-in-europe-for-2025/75162/