15 Startup Incubators Around the World You Haven’t Heard Of

For entrepreneurs looking for support – community, education, mentorship, and capital – to help grow their companies, a startup incubator is the perfect cure for the hardships of startup life.

While still relatively young in the grand scheme of business – the first business incubator was created in 1959 by Joseph Mancuso in New York – incubators have proven to be effective resources for entrepreneurs to leverage. And with startups facing a high likelihood of failure, the resources and support they provide are invaluable.

There are thousands of startup incubators with varying focuses around the world. If you’re in the startup space, chances are you’ve heard of Founders Space, Runway, and Capital Factory.

However, for every Founders Space or Runway there are dozens of other startup incubators that are proving to be invaluable for entrepreneurs. Here are 15 dotting the global landscape that you might not have heard of.

Startup Incubators Supporting Entrepreneurs

Station F

Located in Paris, France, Station F is the largest startup incubator in the world with over 3,000 desks, eight event spaces, and one restaurant all in a 34,000 square meter building – equivalent to 8 acres to put the sheer size of it into perspective.

Binance Labs

Created by the largest cryptocurrency market in the world, Binance, Binance Labs is a social impact fund and an initiative built to incubate blockchain and cryptocurrency entrepreneurs, projects, and communities.

Venture Catalyst

Venture Catalyst is an incubator located in the fastest growing economy in the world, India, which has gone through a digital revolution over the years. Through funding, mentorship, networking with successful founders and executives, and deep technical product expertise, they’re using an integrated approach to help startups scale their efforts.

Demium Startups

With locations in Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, and Malaga, Demium Startups is an incubator that builds companies from scratch by connecting business opportunities with top entrepreneurial talent.

Through an event series they organize called #AllStartup, the incubator identifies people with different skillsets and connects them together to create teams. These teams are then put through a six month incubation period with the end goal of launching a solution that’s ready for funding.

Spaze Ventures

Spaze Ventures is a startup incubator and seed capital firm based in Singapore. Startups accepted into this program are granted seed funding, full-time incubation, intensive mentorship, office space, and other perks.

Z80 Labs Technology Incubator

As Buffalo, New York’s first Internet­-focused technology incubator, Z80 Labs is on a mission to transform Buffalo and Western New York into a technology hotbed.

Founded by investors Jordan Levy and Ron Schreiber, the incubator provides an environment where entrepreneurs can access industry leaders from New York and Silicon Valley, capital, and support.

Sting

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Sting enables talented people to turn their ideas into sustainable businesses. They offer entrepreneurs qualified coaching in business development, a business angel network, a venture capital fund, a recruitment service, and an international network of investors, business contacts and experts.

YBF Ventures

Founded in 2011 in Melbourne, YBF Ventures is on a mission to put Australian startups on the map by providing a platform for startups to succeed.

With over 12,000 people in the startup incubator’s ecosystem and over 250 events organized per year, YBF provides its members with community, access to corporate and tech partners, and facilities like privative offices.

First Flight Venture Center

Founded in 1991, First Flight Venture Center is an incubator and venture capital firm specializing in early-stage companies. The venture arm primarily invests in technology and biotechnology companies that are based in or are relocating to North Carolina, which is where the company is located.

IncuBus Ventures

Famous for its red double-decker bus (appropriately named “IncuBus”), InBus Ventures is a London-based startup incubator that provides eight hours of mentorship and skills-based workshops per week, desk space, and £500,000 worth of resources among other benefits.

Throughout the program, startups can use IncuBus for marketing purposes or at events.

Startup Lab

Over 250 technology companies have come through their doors of Startup Lab over the years. The It’s one of Scandinavia’s largest startup incubators and accelerators located at Oslo Science Center. More than 85 companies are current members and have access to workshops, mentors, investors, data science labs, hardware lab, free legal advice, accounting services, and meeting rooms. In other words, the works.

Launch Academy

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Launch Academy is a startup incubator that provides the mentorship, resources, network, and environment that entrepreneurs need to launch, fund, and grow startups.

Startup Lisboa

Founded in 2012 and based in Portugal, Startup Lisboa focuses on connecting founders with people and organizations. Similar to Travel Startups Incubator, Startup Lisboa uses the physical and virtual space model. Regardless of which model a startup goes with, the team provides mentoring, capital, access to strategic partnerships, and an extensive list of perks and benefits, along with an engaged community based on knowledge and sharing.

Hubraum

Started in 2012 and based in Germany, Hubraum is the tech-focused startup incubator of Deutsche Telekom, the largest telecommunications provider in Europe. This combination allows Hubraum to leverages the network, capital, and business opportunities of Deutsche Telekom to create new business opportunities for both sides.

Dogpatch Labs

Based in Dublin, Ireland, Dogpatch Labs is a hub for startups that provides a variety of benefits for its members, including event space, conference rooms, and workshops. Its mission? To accelerate the development of Ireland’s startup ecosystem by providing a valuable community where startups can grow, share knowledge, and form connections.

Final Thoughts

Starting and growing a business isn’t easy. While the former is easier than the latter thanks to the barriers to entry being so low, it’s hard to grow a business when you don’t have the resources, mentorship, or community to lean on.

Are incubators a must to be a successful entrepreneur? Absolutely not. However, they offer resources that are invaluable for startups looking to grow and reach a level of sustainability that will keep them around for a long time.

• Originally published June 21, 2019, updated May 5, 2023