Australia

Australia offers the strongest R&D tax incentive among the top 10, with a 43.5% refundable credit for companies under AUD $20 million turnover, far outpacing the average global rate of 25%. This benefit, combined with its Founder Visa and Global Talent Visa, has spawned tech giants like Canva ($26B valuation), Afterpay (acquired for $29B), and Atlassian ($50B+ market cap). The Sydney and Melbourne ecosystems, ranked in the top 20 globally, provide direct access to the fast-growing Asia Pacific market, a strategic edge over the more isolated positions of #3 Canada and #4 UK.