The startup scene is no longer bound to Silicon Valley.
The best products are now coming out of small cafes in Canggu, desert co-working pods in Morocco, rooftop offices in Medellín, and high-speed trains between Istanbul and Sofia.
In 2025, the question isn’t “Where are the VCs?” — it’s “Where are the builders?”
And the answer? Everywhere.
A Global Rebalancing
For decades, building a startup meant being in a major city:
San Francisco
New York
London
Berlin
Today, people are trading skyscrapers for surfboards, glass offices for jungle views — without losing ambition.
Why? Because:
Remote tech has matured
AI has leveled the playing field
Talent is borderless
And frankly, people are burnt out by Western cost and chaos
The New Builder Hubs (You Should Know About)
🏝️ Bali, Indonesia
Who’s here: Startup bootstrappers, indie hackers, UI/UX designers, crypto bros, and spiritual founders
Why: Affordable living, creative energy, endless networking in co-working spaces like Dojo and BWork
Bonus: Close to the Aussie market and startup events in Singapore
🏜️ Dahab, Egypt
Who’s here: Solo developers, freelancers, climate-conscious founders
Why: Low cost, laid-back Red Sea vibe, amazing diving and unplug zones
Underrated: The internet is solid. Communities are growing fast.
🏔️ Tbilisi, Georgia
Who’s here: Tech founders from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the EU escaping instability
Why: Visa-free access for many, cheap housing, great food, surprisingly rich tech culture
🏖️ Colombo & Southern Sri Lanka
Who’s here: Product teams, early-stage bootstrappers, design agencies
Why: Big talent pool, culture of service, fast-growing tech ecosystem, and a chill beach-to-meeting ratio
Drifting Desk was built here
🌆 Lagos, Nigeria
Who’s here: Local founders, fintech builders, mobile-first startups
Why: Explosive growth, underserved markets, incredible energy
Reality check: Infrastructure challenges, but the payoff is massive
🌄 Medellín, Colombia
Who’s here: Devs, agency owners, crypto startups, and US expats building MVPs
Why: Fast Wi-Fi, low cost, a growing bilingual tech scene, year-round spring weather
What’s Common Across These Places?
No matter where they are, these hubs all share a few things:
🌐 Strong internet
💸 Low cost of living
🧠 Creative & entrepreneurial community
🛠️ Access to coworking spaces, accelerators, and service providers
🌍 A sense of global connection — but also off-grid quiet
In short: they help people build better. With less bullshit.
So What’s the Catch?
Let’s be honest — relocating isn’t always easy.
Time zones can destroy your calendar
Visas are still bureaucratic (though improving)
Local laws and tax policies vary
It can be lonely if you don’t plug into the right community
There’s still a learning curve to working globally
But if you design your systems, use the right tools, and build a team that’s async-first, the benefits easily outweigh the hurdles.
What It Means for Builders, Freelancers & Founders
Whether you’re:
Starting your first MVP
Running a lean agency
Or freelancing in AI, design, or dev…
These hubs give you:
Time
Headspace
Focus
Creative support
Lower burn rate
Faster iterations
That’s the true currency in startup life: runway and focus.
Drifting Desk: Helping You Build From Anywhere
At Drifting Desk, we don’t just work with clients in these places — we’re there ourselves.
We’ve helped:
A Middle East-based founder hire a remote dev team across Sri Lanka & Kenya
A Bali-based solo operator launch a course with AI automations
A US-based startup build and test a prototype with a distributed product team
Our mindset is global.
Our tools are async-first.
Our network? Nomadic, but strong.
Where Do You Want to Build From?
It’s a wide world.
You don’t need a San Francisco zip code to ship something legendary.
You just need:
The right people
The right tools
The right environment
And maybe a little guidance along the way.
We’re building a global tribe of makers, operators, and misfits.
If that sounds like you…