Single-founder startups reach record levels

In May 2026, Stripe reported that 63 percent of companies created through its Atlas service in the second quarter were founded by a single founder, the highest percentage recorded.

AI coding tools change startup dynamics

According to the State of Startups 2026 survey by Supabase, 61 percent of startup founders said more than half of their code was written by AI. Among founders without a technical background, 54 percent said AI handled more than three-quarters of the coding.

Lower technical barriers for new founders

The survey suggests that AI has reduced the technical challenges of starting a company. A founder with an idea and access to a code assistant can now launch a product in a few weeks, a process that once required an engineering team and funding.

AI startup growth in France

This trend has led to increased competition. In France, the number of AI startups rose to 1,114 in 2026, up from 750 the previous year, according to a mapping by France Digitale and Sopra Steria Ventures.

AI lacks real-world experience

While AI can read large parts of the internet, it lacks firsthand experience in fields like real estate, construction, or warehousing. It doesn’t understand which data a customer checks first or which steps are skipped in daily processes.

Human expertise adds value to AI tools

On a real estate analysis and valuation platform, a professional from the sector provided essential insights. While AI accelerated development, the product’s value came from the professional’s knowledge of what investors look for and what makes an estimate credible.

Combining expertise and technology is key

The combination of a professional from a specific field and a technical profile has become more valuable than ever. The technical barrier for starting a company has decreased, but the need for technical skills has evolved to focus on system design and integrating field knowledge into software.

Future success depends on domain knowledge

Stripe’s data shows a trend where AI allows individuals to start alone, but success will depend on understanding the profession, possessing relevant data, and inspiring enough trust to run software at the core of customers' operations. For experts with software ideas but no technical background, the technical barrier has never been lower, and their field knowledge has never been more valuable.