Many people have strong reactions to hearing the phrase "solo founders". They tend to fall into two camps.
Camp A can't imagine the stress of building a company without co-founders. They recoil at this single point of failure.
Camp B nods along knowingly, having already assumed that real executive decisionmaking is not a team sport and one person is the driving force regardless.
And most VCs are squarely in Camp A.
But whichever camp you ascribe to, the trend is clear: more and more founders are starting their companies by themselves. Over a third of the founders who incorporated in H1 2025 on Carta were solos.
And so we did what we usually do (big data deep dive) but this time our friends at Solo Founders enriched our data with commentary and reporting and frankly delightful design.
Check it out: Solo Founders Report
…what, you don't care about solo founders? Okay well how about a full report on theState of Seed Startups? Does that do it for you?
So much data, so little time.
Onwards!
Subscribe here if you're new to the Data Minute. Forwarding encouraged!
Cheers,
Peter Walker
Carta Insights
DISCLOSURE: This communication is on behalf of eShares, Inc. dba Carta, Inc. ("Carta"). This communication is for informational purposes only, and contains general information only. Carta is not, by means of this communication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business or interests. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business or interests, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. This communication is not intended as a recommendation, offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Carta does not assume any liability for reliance on the information provided herein. © 2026 Carta. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
