Brazil entered the list of the top 20 countries in a global ranking of ecosystems for small technology companies (startups). The country rose 17 positions and ranked among the world's elite in the survey that takes into account the quantity and quality of startups, support institutions and the innovation ecosystem as a whole, involving the business environment.

The survey is carried out by the company StartupBlink. It analyzed 1,000 companies in 100 cities around the world.

The best placed countries in the ranking were the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Canada and Germany. According to the authors, the US remains well ahead of other nations due to its robust innovation ecosystem. Also at the top of the top 10 are the Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland, Spain and Sweden.

Along with Brazil, another country that climbed positions and entered the ranking was Singapore, occupying 16th position. In addition to entering the top 20, Brazil ranked best in Latin America, ahead of Argentina (40th), Mexico (41st) and Colombia (46th).

Brazil performed better in the quality criteria of startups and business environment. But in terms of quantity, it still lags behind the best placed countries.

São Paulo is the main center of innovation, ranking 18th by city. In addition to the capital of São Paulo, other cities listed were Rio de Janeiro (93rd position), Belo Horizonte (101st position) and Curitiba (183rd position).

“Considering the vast potential of the Brazilian market and the population of more than 200 million people, the technology ecosystem has all the conditions for rapid growth. This is evidenced by the growing number of unicorns [companies with a market value of more than US$ 1 billion]”, analyze the authors of the study.