The Ghana Startup Ecosystem Ranking 2020 which was launched recently has placed Cape Coast, Ho, and Wa as the three emerging cities in Ghana’s Startup Ecosystem.

The ranking captured 13 regions that were mapped.

It forms part of Ghana Tech Lab’s Ecosystem Mapping initiative which seeks to build a stronger ecosystem by enabling startups, entrepreneurs, and other relevant stakeholders from across various regions in Ghana to easily connect and promote startup ecosystem activities.

According to Mohammed Zakaria, Policy, Governance & Regulation Lead, Ghana Tech Lab, the initiative seeks to build a stronger ecosystem and measures the nature and level of Ghana’s Startup Ecosystem in 13 regions across Ghana.

He indicated that the Ghana Startup Ecosystem Mapping forms part of the Pathways to Sustainable Employment (PaSE) Project funded by Mastercard Foundation under the Young Africa Works initiative (YAW) which seeks to create three million jobs in Ghana by 2030.

‘‘The ranking spans six pillars namely; Media, Women & Culture, Human Capital, Support & Infrastructure, Policy, Governance & Regulation, Access to Finance, and Access to Markets”, he said.

“These key startup ecosystem indicators and players have been aggregated in an index that ranks from 1st to 13th place in terms of the nature and level of the entrepreneurial startup ecosystem in Ghana,’ he added’’.

Mr. Zakaria indicated that the ranking enables the regional startup ecosystems across Ghana to discover unique and strategic opportunities through relevant information and findings to access networking, startup skills, cultural support, process innovation, risk acceptance, technology absorption, and high growth, which serve as key elements used in the analysis of the data gathered.

Emelia Enyonam Kuleke, Media, Women and Culture Lead, disclosed that over 3000 companies, institutions, and firms were mapped, captured, and interacted with during the Ghana Startup Ecosystem Mapping programme in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and partner hubs across 13 regional capitals in Ghana between 2020/2021.

The key findings would propel deep conversations on strengthening Ghana’s Startup Ecosystem by engaging all stakeholders, especially on policy to shape and develop Ghana’s Startup Ecosystem for better participation on the part of all stakeholders for development, Miss Kuleke added.

During the event, the Ghana Startup Ecosystem Mapping magazine was launched. The magazine has detailed reports and findings.