The State of Solo Founding

Hey Solo Founders,

This year, for the first time in history, solo founders account for more than one-third of new companies. This milestone represents a 53% increase from 2019, when solo-founded companies accounted for less than one-quarter of startups.

Solo founding is still considered “odd” in many startup circles. But it’s also the future. The shift is happening — and accelerating. We put together The State of Solo Founding to make that change visible, using Carta’s proprietary dataset of tens of thousands of companies, plus firsthand commentary from solo founders who are leading the way.

This isn’t a dry white paper. If you’re a solo founder — or thinking about starting a company in the future — you’ll find plenty of tactical insights around fundraising, early team-building, and more alongside the data from some of the best solo founders and investors.

One more thing: if you’re reading this, you’re early. You’re part of the wave that’s making solo founding more viable for the founders who come next. We’d love your help sharing this milestone:

• Share the launch: X post / LinkedIn post — ideally with an original thought on the report or why you’re building solo.

Solo, together.

— Julian & The Solo Founders Team