For the fifth year in a row, Birmingham has topped the list for the highest number of new start-ups outside London.
A staggering 12,108 businesses were set up in Birmingham last year and almost 4,000 more than third-placed Manchester.
London remains number in the start-up scene with an incredible 187,250 new businesses set up last year.
Ian Ward, Birmingham City Council leader, said: “Birmingham is once again creating more businesses than any city outside the capital, cementing our status as one of Britain’s most innovative cities. Through dedicated support for entrepreneurs and small firms, more start-ups are being created than ever before, and record numbers of businesses and people are choosing Birmingham as their home. This has not happened by coincidence and is the result of years of hard work to create the perfect environment for skilled entrepreneurs, who are provided with world-class accelerator schemes, affordable office space and access to a global market. These statistics just go to show that Birmingham is the perfect place for people with a good idea to succeed.”
Andy Street, Mayor for the West Midlands Combined Authority, added: “Recent successes with the Commonwealth Games and Coventry City of Culture demonstrate the confidence and excitement in our region and these record numbers of start-ups created last year reinforce the view that this is our time. It’s never been more important to focus on driving growth in our great regions, and Birmingham is leading the way with more small businesses being created than any other regional city.
“With the West Midlands fighting to attract Channel 4 to our region, successes like this – which are heavily based on our strengths in the digital and creative industries – will help our case significantly.”
