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Scout startups in Chicago

Learn where early startup activity happens in Chicago and how to turn local context into a stronger scouting practice.

Country
United States
Population
2,696,555
Time zone
America/Chicago
Chicago
SectionStanding
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Startup ecosystem standing

Where Chicago ranks

Rankings that list Chicago
RankingEditionPositionSince last editionTrustWhat it measures
Kearney logoGlobal Cities Index (Kearney)2025#10Down 3BCompetitiveness, Performance, Talent, Business Climate
Z/Yen Group (Long Finance) logoGlobal Financial Centres IndexGFCI 40#15Down 1BFinance, Competitiveness, Business Climate
StartupBlink logoGlobal Startup Ecosystem Index (cities)2025#19Down 2BEcosystem, Activity, Finance, Business Climate
Startup Genome logoGlobal Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER)GSER 2026#20Down 4CEcosystem, Performance, Finance, Talent, Innovation
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) logoGlobal Innovation Index: Innovation Cluster Ranking (formerly Science and Technology Clusters)2026#34Down 3BInnovation, Research, Activity
Oxford Economics logoGlobal Cities Index (Oxford Economics)2026#47No prior editionBPerformance, Growth, Talent, Competitiveness, Business Climate
Positions as published in each edition. The ranking name opens its method and trust notes, the edition opens the full list, and publisher sources are listed below. Trust grades cover method, transparency and whether places are paid for.

191 organizations with a profile

Who's based in Chicago

Investors 104

The 3 most prominent of 104. Browse all investors

Incubators 34

The 3 most prominent of 34. Browse all incubators

Accelerators 29

The 3 most prominent of 29. Browse all accelerators

Venture studios 24

The 3 most prominent of 24. Browse all venture studios

Based here, most-ranked first

Universities in Chicago

Pick what describes you

Your way in

Questions about Chicago

How does Chicago rank as a startup ecosystem?
Chicago is #19 of 1,473 in StartupBlink Index (cities) (2025). It appears in 6 rankings tracked on Superscout; the table above lists each one.
How many startup investors are based in Chicago?
Superscout has profiles for 104 investors based in Chicago, including HPA, G Squared and S2G Ventures.
Are there accelerators or incubators in Chicago?
Yes. Superscout lists 29 accelerators, 34 incubators and 24 venture studios based there, including Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics, 1871 and Candor Venture Partners (Acq. By Austin Capital).
Which universities in Chicago are on Superscout?
One university has a profile: University of Chicago.

Geographic proximity

Nearby cities to Chicago

Browse cities in United States

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Superscout documents Chicago ecosystem information independently from canonical records and linked sources. Missing facts stay missing.

Suggest a correctionHow the research works
Sources and known limits

A reviewed date is not available for this page.

Organizations are placed by their recorded headquarters (Google place, ROR or company record). Only organizations with a Superscout profile are counted, so totals undercount the full ecosystem.

The population value has no measurement date in the canonical record and should be treated as approximate context.

Superscout is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the organizations documented here.