A decade ago, we launched the Best of the Midwest Startup City Rankings asking mostly one question: how much support does a city offer its founders? Over ten editions, that lens has shifted toward what a startup is actually doing—momentum, exits, big outcomes—rather than just what surrounds it. The leaderboard has told an equally wild story along the way: Chicago and Minneapolis have never budged from #1 and #2, but #3 has changed hands just once. Indianapolis broke a five-year "natural order" in 2022 on the back of the $250M Next Level Fund that launched in 2018 leading to increased startup activity across the state.

This year's 2026 Best of the Midwest Startup City Rankings brought that story full circle: Indiana wound down the very fund that helped fuel Indianapolis’ rise, and the state's cities fell across the board (Indianapolis slid to a tie for #5 with Detroit, Evansville dropped 17 spots). Pittsburgh reclaimed #3 for the first time since 2021, and Columbus posted its best-ever finish at #4. We also previewed "Midwest+," running the same methodology on 8 cities just outside the region—Denver would land at #2 overall. Get the full breakdown, plus Victor's take on this year's biggest storylines, and see how your city stacked up.

Have any insights into the Midwest ecosystem or a funding announcement to share? Want to share your thoughts on the 2026 rankings? Send us an email: [email protected]

Startup Funding

VC Funds

Other News

Have exciting news to share? If you're announcing a funding round, exit or other milestone, send your press release to [email protected] to be featured. While we can’t share everything, we love to feature great stories from across the region.

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