Survey finds most young Spanish founders bootstrap, use AI and struggle with bureaucracy

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A survey called Generación Founder 2026 asked Spanish entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 how they build and run their companies. Of those who answered, 62.2% are men and 37.8% women, and 45.9% are over 32. The same share, 45.9%, work in technology and digital innovation. Some 75.7% pay for growth through bootstrapping or reinvested revenue rather than giving up control to outside investors, which is one way to keep the cap table short. On revenue, 37.8% bring in between €100,000 and €500,000 a year and 35.1% already exceed €1 million.

Artificial intelligence is used by 89.2% of them, mostly to automate processes and cut costs, and it is the core of the product for 35.1%. International expansion is the main traction milestone for 48.6%. In a separate question, closing a first large funding round was the top milestone for just 18.4%.

The obstacles are more familiar. Bureaucracy is the biggest financial-management frustration for 64.9% of founders. Some 40.5% want large corporations to adapt their purchasing processes to start-ups, and 35.1% would prefer paid pilots to idea contests. Another 29.7% put their stress level at 7 out of 10. Asked how they measure success, 59.5% pointed to social or environmental impact and 54.1% to a highly profitable company that grows more slowly, which suggests a fair number of respondents would like both.