Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, is a globally connected city and a key hub for Northern Europe. It combines a Scandinavian quality of life with strong access to EU and global markets. The city is home to thriving clusters in life sciences, green technologies and digital innovation, supported by organizations such as Copenhagen Capacity, which helps international companies to establish and grow in the region (visit copcap.com to learn more and get in touch).

Climate action, deeptech and international commercialism intersect in startups like Again (a carbon-utilization tech company that raised €39 million (~$45 million) in a Series A funding round), Copenhagen Atomics (thorium molten salt reactors that promise to deliver energy for half of the typical price from classic nuclear reactors) and Too Good To Go (a food‑waste solution with 63 million users). Copenhagen, the heart of Scandinavia’s knowledge-intensive economy, blends its maritime heritage – reflected in harbor-based startups and floating office spaces – with sleek urban design exemplified by CopenHill, an innovative waste-to-energy plant that doubles as a ski slope.

Copenhagen’s startup ecosystem thrives through deep public–private collaboration, supported by national instruments such as the Danish Growth Fund, Innovation Fund Denmark and accelerator initiatives like Beyond Beta. The city is recognized for its digital strength: in the Economist Impact Digital Cities Index 2022, Copenhagen ranked first globally for overall digital performance, while Denmark ranked second in the European Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2022, leading in connectivity and integration of digital technology, and ranked fifth in digital skills and eighth in digital public services.

A business hub with global ambitions

Copenhagen is home to major clusters in life sciences, clean energy and digital tech, and the city attracts professional talent and investment from all over the world. It supports international entrepreneurs mainly through Greater Copenhagen’s official investment-promotion agency, Copenhagen Capacity, helping international companies establish R&D centers, sales offices or headquarters in this region with zero-cost advisory services, and placing special emphasis on life science, tech and green-transition sectors. The city also supports startups and SMEs through Copenhagen Business Hub (Erhvervshus Hovedstaden), which offers free, impartial guidance on subsidies, digitalization, sustainability and internationalization.

Innovation ecosystems and startup enablers

Copenhagen’s diverse and mature innovation ecosystem is built around both sector-specific accelerators and multidisciplinary incubators. Beyond Beta, Denmark’s largest accelerator, has helped over 600 startups raise over DKK 3.3 million (~$500,000), with participating companies growing an average of 28% in staff during the program. Beyond Beta operates in collaboration with Accelerace, TechBBQ, Erhvervshus Hovedstaden and 13 sector clusters across Denmark (including Clean, Danish Life Science Cluster, Danish Sound Cluster), tailoring cohorts and mentorship to specific industries to support stronger connections between founders and the local ecosystem.  

Symbion, part of Innovation District Copenhagen, is another relevant ecosystem supporter, providing flexible coworking, private offices, labs, demo spaces and networking for around 550 startups and scaleups, including programs in IoT, SaaS, agritech, biotech, hardware, healthtech and more. Symbion’s four campuses across Østerbro, Islands Brygge, Frederiksberg and Nørrebro offer a mix of facilities and community events, anchoring Copenhagen’s R&D and maker culture.

Copenhagen’s knowledge landscape is robust, contributing to a strong innovation ecosystem. Universities and applied science institutions, such as Copenhagen Business School, University of Copenhagen, Technical University of Denmark and Copenhagen Business Academy, together educate close to 76,000 students annually, with many of them engaged in entrepreneurship, digital innovation and biotech.

Sustainability as a founding principle

Copenhagen embeds sustainability at the core of its urban identity and policy, winning repeated praise in international rankings. The city was recognized by the UN as a top performer on the Sustainable Development Goals and by the World Bank for excellence in digital infrastructure and green city services. According to the City of Copenhagen’s Regnskab 2023 report, it has reduced emissions by approximately 78% between 2010 and 2023, and is on track for carbon neutrality by 2025–2026, having already reduced emissions by approximately 80% since 2010. This is visible in everyday life from CopenHill to floating solar arrays on reservoirs and harbor swimming zones that showcase regenerative infrastructure.

Copenhagen’s transport and energy layers reinforce this ethos. The city operates 385 kilometers (239 miles) of dedicated bike lanes, including 16 “cycle superhighways” connecting urban and suburban areas, often with separate traffic signals and green waves; and more than 60% of residents commute by bike daily. Municipal investment in cycling totals over €200 million (~$223 million) in the past decade, with consistent funding of around €10 million (~$11 million) annually to keep Copenhagen in the top ranks of global cycling cities. On the EV front, Denmark’s grid integration and EV policy have created a supportive context. Europe added more than one million public chargers in 2024, and Copenhagen’s charging infrastructure continues to expand in line with EU standards.

Public events also reinforce the sustainability-focused mindset. Many green conferences take place in the city, such as WindEurope, the UN Climate SDGs Conference and CO₂ Capture & Reuse. In 2024, CopenPay for tourists (which ran from July to August) encouraged eco-friendly behavior through an incentive-based pilot program; for example, by offering free ice cream for using sustainable transport. Urban planning initiatives also support sustainability, with neighborhoods such as Nordhavn being redeveloped to operate within the “five-minute city” concept, ensuring that the city's essential services and institutions, from schools and other institutions to grocery stores, are reachable within five minutes of home by either walking, cycling or taking the public transport – favoring human-scale infrastructure over cars. For founders, this means launching startups in an ecosystem engineered for low-carbon transport, resource-efficient infrastructure and civic action.