Estonian Business School (EBS) has been ranked first in Europe among business schools for start-up creation efficiency in the Redstone University Startup Index 2026, a study evaluating how effectively higher education institutions generate start-ups relative to their institutional budgets.

The report assessed 1,050 higher education institutions across the European Union, European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and EBS emerged as the top-ranked institution in the business school category.

The findings underscore the growing importance of entrepreneurial ecosystems within higher education.

EBS is located in the country with the highest number of unicorns per capita in the world, enabling the business school to turn Estonia’s start-up density into a structural advantage for its students.

Dr Joern Block from Trier University, who conducted the study in collaboration with Redstone and the Technical University of Munich, said: “The Estonian Business School stands out for its exceptional efficiency in start-up creation. In terms of start-up output relative to its budget, it leads the group of business schools. This success stems from its highly focused strategy, with entrepreneurship as a core pillar, and its deep integration into the Estonian and Baltic start-up ecosystems, where numerous successful role models are nearby.”

The achievement reflects the combined efforts of EBS faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners across Estonia’s innovation landscape. Faculty members bring active start-up and business experience into the classroom, while university staff and ecosystem contributors continue to strengthen the infrastructure and networks that support entrepreneurship at every stage.

“This recognition confirms that entrepreneurial impact is not determined by the size of an institution, but by the strength of its culture, networks, and ambition,” said Meelis Kitsing, Rector of Estonian Business School.

“At EBS, we have intentionally built an environment where students learn directly from founders, engage with real start-ups, and develop the confidence to create companies of their own. Being ranked first in Europe for start-up creation efficiency is a significant milestone in our strategy to become the leading entrepreneurial university ecosystem in Northern Europe.”

The full Redstone University Startup Index 2026 report is available at: https://redstone.vc/research/redstone-university-startup-index-2026

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