Greece is steadily climbing the ladder, with its stock option policies now ranked among the most competitive in the world, alongside US, Germany, and France.
According to the latest Index Ventures and Not Optional list, Greece ranked in the top six globally for stock option policies with a score of 24 out of 30 points — closely trailing leading countries. This ranking highlights Greece’s increasing appeal and signals that the country’s startup environment is poised for more growth.
Index Ventures and Not Optional: Advocating for Stock Option Reforms
In 2019, Index Ventures, a European venture capital firm, launched Not Optional with 500 European startup founders and CEOs to campaign for stock option policy reform across the continent. They recognized that for Europe’s tech ecosystem to truly thrive, startups must be able to attract and retain top talent by offering employees a stake in their success. Since the launch of the Not Optional campaign, there have been significant improvements in policies across the continent, and Greece has become one of the countries to benefit.
To compile the ranking, Not Optional evaluates stock option policies across 20 European countries and four non-European countries. Each country is scored on a five-point scale across six essential factors that determine the ‘friendliness’ of the stock option environment. The factors include:
Plane Scope: Favorable treatment of stock options for employees and companies.
Strike Price: Offering options below the last valuation without negative tax impacts.
Minority Shareholders and Bureaucracy: Effects of minority shareholder status and administrative requirements.
Employee Tax Timing: Whether employees are taxed when they sell shares or exercise options.
Employee Tax Rate: The applicable tax rate (income, capital gains) and employee social contributions.
Employer Taxation: Financial impacts on companies from offering stock options.
Boosting Greece’s Startup Ecosystem and Global Competitiveness
Greece’s high ranking reflects the country’s success in building a thriving environment for startups, sparking innovation, generating jobs, and making a valuable impact on the global economy. By matching the standards of established markets, Greece is positioned to attract both worldwide talent and new business ventures eager to join a competitive, dynamic environment. A strong stock option framework for Greek startups means higher talent retention, deeper employee engagement, and a greater pool of motivated innovators and future founders — proving Greece is a hub for innovation and progress.
Beyond this, stock options are the catalyst behind the Multiplier Effect that Endeavor is committed to amplifying. By empowering professionals with a stake in their company’s success, Greece is fostering a cycle of progress: employees grow, gain experience, and are inspired to launch new ventures of their own. In recent years, Greece has made significant strides in economy, society, and innovation, leveling up its global competitiveness and attractiveness. But it’s the shared economy — where employees participate in the success stories they help create — that is the basis of Greece’s sustainable growth trajectory.
To learn more about Greece’s position in attracting global talent and fostering economic growth, visit Innovation Nation.