Bengaluru Ranks Second in Asia’s AI-Native Startup Clusters

Bengaluru-Karnataka ranked second among Asia’s AI-native startup clusters in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026, after Beijing. The same report placed Bengaluru 15th among the top 40 global startup ecosystems and assessed its startup ecosystem value at $153 billion.

Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026

The Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026 was launched at VivaTech in Paris on 17 June 2026. In the report, Bengaluru scored 8 out of 10 in the AI-native cluster factor, 9 in performance and R&D, and 7 in funding and market reach.

Bengaluru Startup Ecosystem Profile

Bengaluru’s startup ecosystem had 30 unicorns as of 17 June 2026. The city’s unicorn count was higher than the global average of 11 per city, and its ecosystem attracted $39 billion in venture capital funding between 2021 and 2025.

AI Talent and Startup Base

Bengaluru is recognised as the world’s second-largest AI talent hub with 600,000 AI and machine learning professionals. As of 10 January 2026, Bengaluru had 606 AI-native startups, of which 239 were funded.

Funding Stages and Exits

Among Bengaluru’s AI-native startups, 63 had secured Series A+ funding as of 10 January 2026. The city recorded $46 billion in exits between 2021 and 2025.

Important Facts for Exams

• Beijing ranked first in Asia’s AI-native cluster list in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026.
• Bengaluru ranked 15th globally among the top 40 startup ecosystems in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026.
• VivaTech is an annual technology and startup event held in Paris, France.
• A unicorn is a privately held startup valued at $1 billion or more.

AI-Native Startups

An AI-native startup is a company built with artificial intelligence as a core part of its product, service, or business model. Bengaluru had one AI-native startup that achieved unicorn status as of 10 January 2026.