Founder-led sales and early-stage GTM statistics 2026

• 36.3%

  of new startups had a solo founder in the first half of 2025, up from 23.7% in 2019

  Carta, December 2025Copy citationEmbed

• 30%

  of startups founded in 2024 were solo-led, but they received 14.7% of cash raised in priced equity rounds that year

  Carta, December 2025Copy citationEmbed

• 75%

  of B2B buyers in the survey said they personally knew sellers

  6sense, November 2025Copy citationEmbed

• 85%

  of buyers had prior experience with the vendor that won the deal

  6sense, November 2025Copy citationEmbed

• 58%

  was average account executive quota attainment at software companies in 2025 year to date, compared with 59% in 2024

  ICONIQ, 2025Copy citationEmbed

These figures come from Founder-Led Marketing Statistics 2026: Trust and Buyer Data, which puts them in context.