Multipolitan, the world’s first platform for borderless living, has released new findings from its The Startup Friendly Cities Index 2026, offering a detailed comparison of how global cities support founders, investors and innovators. The research measures the everyday experience of building a start-up and links it to deeper systems such as infrastructure, regulation and urban liveability that sustain innovation over time.
According to the Index, Lagos stands out as one of Africa’s most dynamic centres of venture-backed innovation. The report notes that with focused improvements in infrastructure, clearer regulation and better urban living conditions, the city is positioned to convert its fast-growing entrepreneurial momentum into competitiveness comparable to leading global hubs.
Lagos is described as a defining symbol of Africa’s modern tech story. Thousands of early-stage companies, especially in fintech, now use the city as a launchpad for scalable solutions across the continent and beyond. The Index finds that Lagos performs strongly on founder density, market depth and sector diversity, and already operates like a high-potential global city that is still early in its scaling journey.
“Lagos has a scale, urgency and ingenuity that are very hard to replicate. It has the raw entrepreneurial energy to be Africa’s start-up capital, and that energy is increasingly being matched by ecosystem players who want to build around it,” said Chee Okebalama, Executive Partner at Multipolitan.
Multipolitan’s analysis highlights that founders in Lagos are building world-class solutions in finance, e-commerce and digital infrastructure, often while working around limited resources. Structural gaps in power supply, transport systems and broadband access mean many entrepreneurs must design products and operations that can function despite fragility in basic services.
“The next phase is not about whether Lagos can produce more unicorns. It is about whether the city can match its entrepreneurial firepower with the infrastructure, regulatory confidence and quality of life needed for sustained innovation,” said Nicholas Michael, Group Head of Market Development at Multipolitan.
The report notes that investor confidence in African technology remains resilient, even amid global uncertainty. However, regulatory volatility in areas such as foreign exchange management, fintech licensing and digital assets continues to influence how capital is allocated between Lagos, other African cities and global hubs. The Index suggests that Lagos and Nigeria can improve their standing by adopting more transparent regulatory roadmaps, consistent sector rulebooks and wider use of time-bound sandboxes instead of abrupt policy shifts.
It adds that simplifying capital movement for both local and international investors, alongside clearer and more predictable investment rules, would further strengthen Lagos’s ambition to compete globally. These steps are seen as critical to reducing uncertainty and improving long-term planning for founders and funders alike.
The Startup Friendly Cities Index 2026 also places strong emphasis on liveability as a strategic advantage. It notes that Lagos can deepen its appeal by investing in developer-friendly live-work districts, improving mobility, healthcare and housing systems, and creating targeted visa and residency pathways for founders and tech workers across Africa who want to build from Nigeria.
“The ambition of Lagosian entrepreneurs is unparalleled. What matters now is how quickly the city can reduce friction for talent, investors and operators. Lagos already behaves like a start-up capital. Full global recognition will come as its infrastructure and governance catch up with its ambition,” Okebalama added.
The Index concludes that Lagos’s entrepreneurial gravity is too strong to ignore. Its future position among the world’s leading innovation hubs will depend less on a single breakout success and more on its ability to align innovation, capital and policy at the same pace as its growing entrepreneurial class.
