The Financial Times (FT) has released its annual Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs list, showcasing the top European hubs supporting innovative entrepreneurs with incubators and accelerator programs.
Among the 150 hubs featured in the 2025 list, six are recognized for their contributions to the fintech and insurtech sectors, driving innovation and growth in these industries.
Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs, now in its second edition, is a ranking of the top centers for startup founders looking to build or grow a company. The ranking, produced in collaboration with Statista and Sifted, highlights the most prominent and influential hubs and ecosystems in Europe that provide incubation and acceleration support.
These hubs were selected through a two-phase evaluation process.
In Phase 1, around 3,000 potential hubs were invited to register, provided they met criteria such as offering incubation or acceleration programs, having a physical European location, and being operational since 2020. In Phase 2, alumni from these hubs evaluated their experiences in areas like mentoring, infrastructure, legal help, business development, networking, and funding, generating an Alumni Score.
Investors and entrepreneurs also provided their assessments, contributing to an Expert Score. Information about the most successful startups from each hubs was also collected, forming a Track Record Score.
An Overall Score for each hub was then calculated by taking a weighted average of these three scores, providing a comprehensive picture of each startup hub’s ability to support and grow successful startups, and making it easier to compare startup hubs across Europe.
In the 2025 Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs ranking, 150 hubs were featured, with the UK leading the list with 29 hubs. Germany followed suit with 19 hubs, while Spain and Portugal had a combined total of 24 hubs.
Among the 150 hubs showcased in this year’s edition, six are dedicated to fintech and insurtech innovation. Today, we take a closer look at these hubs, exploring what makes them premier destinations for Europeans fintech entrepreneurs looking to take their businesses to the next level.
Top fintech accelerators in Europe
The Lloyd’s Lab (UK)
The Lloyd’s Lab, based in the UK, is a leading innovation hub for the insurance industry. With an Overall Score of 83.219, the hub ranks 13th among Europe’s top startup hubs and first in the fintech and financial services industry.
Set up in 2018, the Lloyd’s Lab is an award-winning space dedicated to accelerating and fostering new products and solutions for the insurance sector. Located in the heart of the world’s specialist insurance market, the Lloyd’s Lab gives insurtech startups access to a co-working space in the iconic building and the chance to develop their ideas alongside their target audience.
The hub’s main program is a 10-week insurtech accelerator program, which aims to help innovative ideas gain traction and success. Participants get mentorship from Lloyd’s market experts and senior leadership, a chance to develop their idea at scale in partnership with the largest insurance market in the world, and the opportunity to grow their network within the global insurance and insurtech sectors.
The Lloyd’s Lab also runs other programs, including the Product Launchpad, which connects insurers with innovative product concepts, and FutureMinds, a platform for training industry experts in transforming ideas into market-ready solutions.
The House of Startups (Luxembourg)
The House of Startups (HoST), established by the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, is a key player in the Luxembourg ecosystem. With an Overall Score of 80.86, the hub ranks 26th among Europe’s top startup hubs and the second-best fintech accelerator on the continent.
HoST’s mission is to foster the development of startups and innovation while supporting the innovation needs of businesses. For that, it hosts a dynamic ecosystem with three main incubators and accelerators, supporting up to 175 startups.
The Luxembourg-City Incubator (LCI) is a startup incubator launched in September 2017 by the Chamber of Commerce with the City of Luxembourg as its main sponsor. It is one of the larger incubators hosted within HoST, supporting startups in urbantech, environment, commerce, construction/housing, tourism and logistics.
The House of Financial Technology (LHoFT) is a public-private sector initiative that’s dedicated to advancing Luxembourg’s ambitions in fintech through acceleration programs, educational initiatives, and collaborative projects like Catapult: Future Foundation Program, which aims to create shared technology solutions to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance client experiences.
Finally, le Village by CA Luxembourg (LVbyCA) is an innovation and startup hub located in Luxembourg, part of the broader network of Village by CA. It connects startups with the network of French banking group Crédit Agricole, offering strategic growth opportunities.
Beyond its incubation and acceleration programs, HoST also collaborates with key ecosystem players for fundraising, sustainability initiatives and education. It also facilitates corporate-startup collaboration through the Luxembourg Open Innovation Club (LOIC) and organizes events that boost networking and visibility.
Techleap (The Netherlands)
Techleap, based in the Netherlands, is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the country’s tech ecosystem. With an Overall Score of 80.595, the hub ranks 29th among Europe’s top startup hubs and the third-best fintech accelerator and incubator on the continent.
Funded by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Techleap’s mission is to support startups and scaleups by improving access to capital, markets, and talent. To do so, it offers specialized programs to help tech founders navigate challenges such as hiring, fundraising, and international expansion.
The Rise program, formerly known as BOLD, connects participants with peers and leading experts to facilitate growth. Meanwhile, the Shine program supports late-stage companies preparing for initial public offerings (IPOs) through peer-to-peer (P2P) mentoring. For deeptech startups, Pole Position provides access to experienced entrepreneurs and strategic guidance to scale globally.
Finally, the Academic Startup Competition is the place to be for academic entrepreneurs to compete for a spot in the top 20 of the most promising upcoming science based startups in the Netherlands. Winners of the competition are provided access to P2P sessions with investors, experienced founders and experts. They also receive a global stage through media coverage and networking events.
Beyond its structured programs, Techleap also hosts events, workshops, and initiatives designed to drive innovation and economic growth.
Founders Foundation (Germany)
A prominent startup ecosystem in Germany, the Founders Foundation ranks 45th among Europe’s top startup hubs and the fourth-best fintech accelerator and incubator on the continent with an Overall Score of 78.737.
Founded in 2016 in Bielefeld, the Founders Foundation focuses on training the next generation of successful entrepreneurs and developing a sustainable business-to-business (B2B) startup ecosystem within the German Mittelstand. As a non-profit organization, it plays a crucial role in fostering innovation, particularly in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region, where it bridges traditional industries with new business models.
The Founders Foundation’s flagship initiative, the Hinterland of Things conference, has become one of Germany’s leading tech events, connecting startups, investors, and corporates each to drive innovation, particularly in deeptech, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet-of-Things (IoT).
The organization also runs the Accelerator Program, which aims to help B2B tech startups reach product-market fit and prepare for growth, focusing primarily on customer acquisition, product validation, and market positioning. This five-month, full-time program provides selected teams with expert coaching, industry-specific workshops, and direct access to Germany’s top investors and corporate leaders. Participants benefit from mentorship by experienced entrepreneurs and 24/7 access to the Founders Home coworking space.
Startup Leiria (Portugal)
Startup Leiria is a leading entrepreneurial ecosystem based in Portugal. With an Overall Score of 77.604, Startup Leiria ranks 68th among Europe’s top startup hubs and the fifth-best fintech accelerator on the continent.
Established in 2004 as a non-profit association by the Polytechnic of Leiria, the Business Association of the Leiria Region (NERLEI) and the Leiria City Council, Startup Leiria aims to provide essential support and resources to entrepreneurs and growing startups, acting as a launchpad for ambitious entrepreneurs aiming for sustainable growth and global market success.
Its incubation model includes workspaces, access to partnerships and benefits that offer or make available at a lower cost specialized services, as well as connections with mentors, venture capitalists (VCs) and other sources of financing. These programs are based in the city of Leiria, focusing on sectors including information technology, commerce, services and tourism, among others.
Startup Leiria also promotes knowledge sharing among incubators and organizes networking activities and events, such as workshops and mentoring sessions.
Insurtech Gateway (UK)
Insurtech Gateway is a specialist insurtech incubator and VC fund based in the UK. With an Overall Score of 73, Insurtech Gateway ranks 139th among Europe top startup hubs and the sixth-best fintech accelerator and incubator on the continent.
Dedicated to supporting early-stage insurtech startups, Insurtech Gateway offers a fast-track framework for launching and scaling innovative insurance businesses, including managing general agents (MGAs) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions. Its Insurtech Gateway Incubation program, hosted in both London and Sydney, offers hands-on support, regulatory guidance, underwriting capacity, as well as investment from Pre-Seed to Series A, helping founders develop and commercialize breakthrough insurance products.
Insurtech Gateway has a portfolio of 45 companies spanning 98 countries. These companies have pioneered 16 world-first innovations, earned 245 awards, and built strong partnerships with 75 leading insurance providers.
Among the groundbreaking technologies backed by Insurtech Gateway the first risk model for offshore wind, the first carbon credit insurance, and the first solution to insure milk yield.
Featured image credit: edited from freepik
