UBI Global World Rankings of Business Incubators and Accelerators

Editions

How the ranking works

Programs apply to the World Benchmark Study and submit self-reported data. The 2019-20 and 2021-22 cycles used 21 KPIs in three equally weighted groups (Value for Ecosystem, Value for Client Startups, Value for Program), covering jobs, revenue, talent retention, services and mentoring, funds raised, applications, sponsorships, survival rates and exits, with each KPI weighted high, medium or low. Programs are grouped by type (university vs public/private, incubator vs accelerator) and region, then ranked against peers.

The method changed often: the 2013 and 2014 indices covered only university business incubators and used 50+ indicators; 2015 used about 60 indicators; 2017-18 about 40 indicators and four university-linked categories; from 2019-20 the ranking added public and private programs and settled on 21 KPIs. The funnel is large on paper (1,580 to 1,895 programs 'assessed') but only 109 to 364 programs completed benchmarking in recent cycles.

Tiers: Items grouped into named tiers with no order inside a tier. Programs must apply and submit their own data to the World Benchmark Study; only participants can be ranked. UBI Global is a membership organization: its site lists Basic, Premium and Premium+ memberships at EUR 300, 900 and 1,170, and an Incubator Plan at EUR 979 a year that includes 'Free Registration to UBI Ranking - Participation guaranteed', with the membership application starting at a billing and payment step. The 2021-22 participation page did not state a fee, so whether non-members could ever be ranked for free is unconfirmed.

Read the publisher’s methodology

How far to trust it

Superscout grades every ranking on six criteria, each scored 0 to 2. UBI Global World Rankings of Business Incubators and Accelerators scores 4 of 12, grade D.

Transparency 1/2

KPI groups and weight levels published, but not scores or full data.

Independence 0/2

Publisher sells memberships and benchmarking to ranked programs; membership now guarantees ranking registration.

Evidence 1/2

Quantitative KPIs, but all self-reported by participants.

Stability 0/2

Categories, indicator counts and scope changed nearly every cycle.

Coverage 0/2

Only programs that apply and submit data are ranked.

Track record 2/2

Six published cycles since 2013.

History

UBI (University Business Incubator) Index launched in 2013 with 150 university incubators from 22 countries, grew to over 300 in 67 countries in 2014, and was rebranded UBI Global with global awards in London in November 2015. The 2017-18 cycle focused on university-linked programs (259 benchmarked from 1,370), and the 2019-20 cycle, announced at the World Incubation Summit in Doha and sponsored by Qatar Development Bank, broadened to public and private programs (364 from 1,580 in 82 countries).

The 2021-22 cycle, run with DMZ as research partner, was published in January 2023 with 109 programs retained from 1,895. A 2023-24 cycle opened but no results were found. In October 2025 UBI Global announced a relaunch of its services (UBI Benchmark, UBI Ranking, UBI Academy), and its site advertises a 2026 World Ranking. The former study domain worldbenchmarkstudy.com no longer serves UBI content.

How it is received

Ranked programs such as SETsquared, the DMZ, Kerala Startup Mission, imec and the Accelerator Centre publicize their placings widely, and outlets like CBC, Silicon Republic and university newsrooms report the results. The ranking is useful mainly as a signal among programs that opt in.

The main limits are structural rather than reported criticism: only programs that submit data (and, under the current plan, members) are ranked; results rely on self-reported data; and the publisher sells memberships, benchmarking and events to the same organizations it ranks. No published independent critique was found.

Open questions

Facts not verified yet. They stay visible so they are not mistaken for settled facts.

• Whether ranking has always required paid membership; the 2021-22 sign-up page stated no fee, while current pages tie ranking registration to a paid plan. Which of the EUR 300/900/1,170 tiers and the EUR 979 plan is current is unclear.
• No results found for the 2023-24 World Benchmark Study; unclear if it was published.
• 2019-20 ranks after first place, and leaders for private incubators and public accelerators, not confirmed.
• Full lists for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017-18 not found publicly.
• Exact 2013 release day not found (UF release dated July 23, 2013).
• 2021-22 World Top rank order comes from the May 2023 release; the January report is alphabetical.