Lithuania's startup ecosystem has been in the spotlight in international rankings this week. Vilnius has been named the 13th fastest-growing startup ecosystem in the world and the leading technology city in the European Union (EU). Innovation Agency expert Karolina Urbonaitė says that while Lithuania has slipped a few positions in one of the rankings, Vilnius is still considered one of the strongest cities in the world in terms of startup friendliness.
"The fact that two international rankings almost simultaneously include Lithuania on the global ecosystem map shows that our efforts do not go unnoticed. Today, Lithuania is no longer just a rapidly growing market - we are becoming a reliable exporter of innovations, a partner for investors and a center of talent. Such assessments are not only pleasing, but also obliging - we must seize this opportunity, strengthen internationality, and support the creators of technologies that the world needs," says Karolina Urbonaitė, Head of the Startup Lithuania Department of the Innovation Agency.
Dealroom: Lithuania is the first in the EU
Lithuania has earned significant international recognition in Dealroom's new 2025 Global Tech Ecosystem Index report, which compares the world's fastest-growing tech ecosystems over the past year in terms of business value growth, number of unicorns and investment growth, country's GDP per capita, and cost of living.
The report identifies Vilnius as the fastest growing tech city in the EU, and only Kyiv and Istanbul outrank it in Europe. Vilnius ranks 13th on the global list, and is also among the leaders in terms of startup density, ranking 51st.
StartupBlink: Vilnius is on the rise, Lithuania remains competitive
Lithuania ranked 2025th in the global StartupBlink 19 startup ecosystem ranking this year, down several positions from last year. According to Innovation Agency expert K. Urbonaitė, the reason for this is slower growth, with the Lithuanian ecosystem growing by 7,5 percent over the year, while other countries in the TOP20 grew by at least 10 percent.
According to StartupBlink 2025, Vilnius grew by 22 percent per year and rose two positions in the world's cities ranking, from 71 to 69. It is currently the only Lithuanian city to be among the top XNUMX in the world in terms of ecosystem activity, assessment of the impact and success of activities, and business environment conducive to growth.
Lithuania is among the leaders in cybersecurity and marketing
According to the head of the Innovation Agency Startup Lithuania department, Lithuania maintains high positions where it has long-term potential and a clear competitive advantage. In cybersecurity assessments this year, the country ranks 3rd in the world and leads in Europe.
Lithuania is also among the leaders in marketing and sales, ranking 15th in the world. This position reflects both the strengthening of technology commercialization competencies and the ability of startups to create products attractive to the global market.
"When evaluating the results of global rankings, we see that Lithuania is mentioned among the most influential and strongest technology centers. To strengthen the ecosystem, we use world-class accelerators, which provide a favorable environment and community. For example, this fall we will invite innovators, investors and technology leaders from all over the world to the 14th Startup Fair conference," says K. Urbonaitė, an expert at the Innovation Agency.
Emerging sectors: fintech and life sciences
Lithuania remains competitive not only in global rankings, but also in business environment assessments. Technology companies operating in the country benefit from a favorable regulatory framework, relatively low operating costs, and a supply of highly qualified IT specialists.
In the field of financial technologies, Lithuania continues to maintain its leadership in the EU in terms of the number of licensed electronic money and payment institutions. The 2023–2028 national fintech strategy provides long-term priorities for strengthening the sector, ensuring sustainable development and competitiveness in the international market.
At the same time, the life sciences sector is establishing itself as one of the fastest growing areas of innovation in Lithuania. This is supported by a strong research and experimental development infrastructure - Vilnius University Life Sciences Center, Santara Valley, advanced R&D ecosystem and active state policy. Lithuania is also making targeted investments in the acceleration and incubation of life sciences startups.
