Ecosystem Maturity Levels

Where there are startups, there is also startup communities and a startup ecosystem. However startup ecosystems vary a lot in clarity, visibility, size and and their maturity level. When it comes to initial startup ecosystem development - getting clarity and understanding the maturity level matter most.

Clarity is about how clear are the lines of mutual understanding between innovation, entrepreneurship, SME and startup ecosystems are, and how well the ecosystem overal is understood in context to the startup development phases - while the maturity is mainly about how complete, vibrant, understandable, managed and measured the ecosystem is as a whole.

​To get a sense of the maturity level of your local ecosystem, you can evaluate with descriptions below, what level best describes your ecosystem?

​This maturity level then gives a good starting point for what development approach and efforts should be focused next, to develop your ecosystem to the next level and beyond.
A. Awakening & Manifesto
  • Starting to embrace startup culture, development and understanding. Early awareness of startup ecosystem mindset.
  • Want to fully understand about global megatrends and changes taking place in innovation, entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem developments.​
  • Assessing proper view on how own position, activities and focus areas are aligned with compared to international peers, local targets and assumptions.
B. Mapped & Vision
  • Seeking strategies, policies and new support functions & services at economic development, to grow business creation via entrepreneurship and innovative SME’s. 
  • Developing and embracing entrepreneurial culture, startup development and startup ecosystem knowledge among local key stakeholders for common understanding and alignment. 
  • Building a shared vision and development roadmap for local ecosystem(s).
C. Aligned & Measured
  • Mapped out, visualized and actively connecting ecosystem startups, activities, services and applications from research, events, innovation services, advisory networks, funding instruments and talent pools oriented with startup development phases.
  • Good accessibility, transparency and active effort on reducing overlaps, removing bottlenecks in support functions & filling knowledge gaps.
  • Increased focus on measuring and benchmarking ecosystem performance and development progress at all levels.
D. Orchestration & Iteration 
  • Fully embracing entrepreneurial culture & entrepreneurship lead innovation to maintain and improve own position in locally important key areas in global ecosystem rankings.
  • Following annually updated sustainable long term roadmap & milestones with growing resources available.
  • Digitally connected locally and internationally for local real-time data driven development, benchmarking & to attract international investments. ​
  • Improving in volume, quality, velocity & ROI.

Value Of Ecosystem Development

​Encouraging startups in your region isn't just "trendy thing" to do. Innovative startups are recognized as the positive drivers of change, R&D departments of the cities and cornerstone of growing economies. 

Entrepreneurship lead innovation is positive and powerful driver to push societies forward. Startups focus this drive and energy to create and validate new innovations to find solutions for problems at various scale, while creating majority of the new jobs. ​

Dynamic startup ecosystems breed new startups that create 2/3 of new jobs, attract international talent and foreign direct investments. Network connectivity within and between the ecosystems is the single most important contributor to growth.
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To what level should your ecosystem be in next few years? What knowledge, services and tools will you need to get there?