Ask HN: 2026, where is the best place in the world to create a startup?
5 comments
Overall probably still SV. But depending on the circumstances China, Singapore, Dubai are all good. The physical location matters so little from a business perspective now though. So I think it's actually more of a lifestyle choice vs a business one.
In 2026, the 'best place' isn't a physical city like SF anymore, but the jurisdiction that offers the best AI-compute subsidies and clear data privacy frameworks. We’re seeing a massive shift toward 'distributed hubs' in places that prioritize NPU-native infrastructure. If you're building hardware-adjacent software, look where the energy is cheap and the AI regulations are stable. The physical location is becoming secondary to the digital infrastructure you're plugged into
China if its not politically sensitive. Singapore otherwise.
I would say Singapore too. Lots of funds. Smart people.
There both Chinese and Americans working in tech companies there, often trying to access the other market. It's a bit of a proxy. Some people consider it some kind of betrayal, but it's been like that for many years. Both English and the Chinese dialects are well known in SG. It's a common middle ground for east and west negotiations too.
The downside is market and cost. So raise money in SG. Make use of the better laws and low corruption.
Engineering can move to one of the nearby countries. Even Australia is cheaper than Singapore these days, and there's a large bucket of untapped talent there. But Malaysia is nearby, and some people literally drive over the bridge to work in SG. Hybrid with 1 day in the office is also very doable.
Indonesia is a fine nearby market, projected to be top 5 highest GDP in 2050. If you're building a unicorn, you'd be good there. Though some people incorporate in SG, market to EU/US too. On a list of foreign tech, people generally have a positive view of Made in Singapore.
The region is AI-friendly too. Doesn't have the talent to build another Anthropic or Google, but enough to build a second degree one like ElevenLabs or Cursor.
There both Chinese and Americans working in tech companies there, often trying to access the other market. It's a bit of a proxy. Some people consider it some kind of betrayal, but it's been like that for many years. Both English and the Chinese dialects are well known in SG. It's a common middle ground for east and west negotiations too.
The downside is market and cost. So raise money in SG. Make use of the better laws and low corruption.
Engineering can move to one of the nearby countries. Even Australia is cheaper than Singapore these days, and there's a large bucket of untapped talent there. But Malaysia is nearby, and some people literally drive over the bridge to work in SG. Hybrid with 1 day in the office is also very doable.
Indonesia is a fine nearby market, projected to be top 5 highest GDP in 2050. If you're building a unicorn, you'd be good there. Though some people incorporate in SG, market to EU/US too. On a list of foreign tech, people generally have a positive view of Made in Singapore.
The region is AI-friendly too. Doesn't have the talent to build another Anthropic or Google, but enough to build a second degree one like ElevenLabs or Cursor.