Amid a global slump in startup activity, Calgary is bucking the trend with significant growth in its innovation ecosystem. The 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER), released at Vivatech Paris by Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network, highlights a 13% increase in Calgary’s ecosystem value since 2023 — a sharp contrast to the 14% average decline seen worldwide.

Calgary now ranks among the Top 30 ecosystems in North America and the Top 50 emerging ecosystems globally. The city earned high marks for talent affordability and startup return on investment, placing in the Top 10 in North America for talent costs and in the Top 15 globally for value per dollar spent by founders. Local organizations such as Platform Calgary and Calgary Economic Development credit the city’s momentum to a collaborative, founder-focused environment.

Recent funding successes by companies like Neo Financial and Summit Nanotech have helped solidify Calgary’s reputation as a rising tech hub. While the GSER reports an ecosystem value of $6.7 billion — down from last year’s $8.1 billion — the change reflects an updated valuation methodology, not a decline in activity. Recalculated under the new criteria, last year’s figure would have been closer to $7 billion.

Officials say the city’s upward trajectory aligns with Calgary’s Innovation Strategy — a long-term plan introduced earlier this year aiming to create up to 187,000 jobs and add $28 billion to the local economy by 2034. The strategy focuses on building industry-specific innovation hubs and addressing funding gaps to support the growth of sectors like cleantech, life sciences and aerospace.

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