BizWorld Updates Monthly Draper Innovation Index Global
Nations Compete to Land in Top Ten of Best Places Globally
to Launch a Startup

Switzerland Reclaims 3rd Place From Canada
Finland and Netherlands Rise in DII Global Top 10; Singapore Declines
South Korea and Ireland Climb DII Top 20; New Zealand, Germany Fall
China Sees Small Dip; India Improves
Ecuador, Honduras, and Paraguay Rise; El Salvador Declines Slightly
Dominican Republic, Angola, and Maldives See Largest Gains
Namibia, Nepal, and Colombia See Largest Declines

Oakland, California – BizWorld announces its November 2025 update to the Draper Innovation Index Global (DII Global), which evaluates each nation’s ability to develop, support, and retain entrepreneurs, innovators, startups, and investors. First published in 2021, the DII Global provides the most well-rounded and up-to-date look at entrepreneurial environments across the globe.

“Switzerland, in the words of a recent European Business Magazine article, has crossed the crypto Rubicon,” said BizWorld Founder Tim Draper. “Switzerland’s banks and stock exchange offer regulated cryptocurrency and digital securities on a timeline far ahead of the United States, United Kingdom, or European Union. This month, it overtook Canada for third overall on our DII Global rankings, which suggests that this is a successful next step for a country with a long history as a global banking and finance capital. This is a powerful signal that embracing decentralized technologies is a direct path to economic strength and attracting top entrepreneurial and investment talent. Nations that provide clear, forward-thinking regulations will win the global race for innovation, while those that create regulatory friction will fall behind.”

Top Takeaways from the DII Global November 2025 Update

• Switzerland overtook Canada for 3^rd place thanks to a combination of stronger currency performance and AI//Machine Learning venture capital investment growth.
• Singapore fell to 10^th place, allowing Finland (up to 8^th) and the Netherlands (9^th) to rise by one place each. Finland and Netherlands saw comparatively stronger overall and AI/Machine Learning venture capital investment growth.
• South Korea (11^th) and Ireland (13^th) both rose by one place due to improved World Uncertainty Index scores. They overtook New Zealand (12^th) and Germany (14^th), respectively.
• Japan slipped from 17^th to 19^th in the DII Global primarily due to weak currency performance.
• As Japan (19^th) fell, Estonia (17^th) and France (20^th) each improved by 1 place thanks to growth in AI/Machine Learning venture capital investments.
• China fell from 72^nd to 73^rd in the DII Global due to comparative weakness in currency and low overall venture capital investment performance.
• India rose thanks to a ‘positive’ outlook from S&P Global Ratings.
• El Salvador dropped 6 places – from   115^th to 121^st– as a result of weaker currency performance.
• Both Ecuador (135^th) and Honduras (163^rd) improved by 3 places while Paraguay (80^th) improved by 1 place, thanks in all cases to stronger currency performance.
• Uruguay rose from 36^th to 35^th due to rising AI/Machine Learning venture capital investments.
• Namibia saw this month’s largest decline this month, falling 19 places to 145^th, because of poor performance across a range of the DII Global’s Government Quality metrics.
• Due to recent civil unrest, Nepal received a ‘Reconsider Travel’ U.S. Travel Advisory and fell from 160^th place to 172^nd.
• Colombia fell from 84^th to 95^th due to general weakness across all many DII Global data indicators.   
• The Dominican Republic posted this month’s largest improvement, rising 19 places from 131^st to 112^th, supported by comparatively stronger AI/Machine Learning venture capital investment growth and a stable outlook from S&P Global Ratings.
• Angola had the second largest improvement in the DII Global, jumping 12 places to 155^th thanks to comparatively stronger currency performance.
• Maldives moved from 96^th to 86^th, buoyed primarily by strong currency performance. 
• Guatemala fell from 156^th to 162^nd poor AI/Machine Learning venture capital investment growth.
• Panama rose 8 places, from 69^th to 61^st supported by strong currency performance.  

“In addition to its pioneering cryptocurrency policy, the Swiss economy benefits from solid fundamentals across the board,” said BizWorld Chief Economy Advisor Dr. Wallace Walrod. “It has a highly educated population, one of the world’s freest economies, and a strong currency. These strengths, combined with forward-looking cryptocurrency policy, will likely keep Switzerland near the top of future DII Global rankings. It’s this synergy—a stable foundation combined with innovative policy—that makes its position so robust. As we continue to track the data, we’ll be watching to see how these policies further impact venture capital inflows and new startup creation in the coming months.”

The DII Global will release monthly updates to continually reflect the latest developments in global innovation and entrepreneurship, available here.

About BizWorld

BizWorld.org is a global non-profit organization based in Oakland, CA, whose mission is to enable youth from all backgrounds to unlock the power of entrepreneurship to create career opportunities, inspire self-reliance, and build confidence that drives economic prosperity globally.     Founded over 25 years ago by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, BizWorld.org programs teach students real-world 21st century skills and leadership that encourage them to become responsible leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. More than 850,000 students in more than 100 countries have participated in BizWorld programs. https://www.bizworld.org/