Virgin StartUp Founder Barometer 2026

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity isn’t. 
 
The Virgin StartUp Founder Barometer 2026 is our snapshot of founder life across the UK. It looks at how business owners are feeling, the challenges they’re facing and what they need to build, grow and keep going. 

We asked founders about the things shaping business life right now, from money, sales and confidence to mental health, AI, growth and government support. We also looked at whether the experience changes depending on your background or where in the UK you’re building your business. 

What they told us is a mixed picture. 

Founders are ambitious. They’re adapting. They’re embracing new technology and looking for ways to grow. But confidence is falling, wellbeing is under pressure and not everyone has the same chance to succeed. 

Our Founder Barometer 2026 brings those experiences together and asks a bigger question: what needs to change to give every founder a fair shot? 

What founders told us about building a business in Britain today 

Founders are used to uncertainty. It comes with the territory when you’re building something of your own but our Founder Barometer shows just how much pressure small business owners are carrying right now. 

For many, it’s not simply a question of how to grow. It’s how to keep going. Rising pressures are hitting confidence, putting wellbeing under strain and making the next 12 months feel far from certain. 

The numbers tell the story. 

51% are worried their business won’t survive the next 12 months. 

33% say their mental health has worsened in the past six months. 

55% say increasing sales is their biggest priority. 
 

Running a business has never been the easy option. But taken together, these findings show the scale of what founders are juggling: keeping the business moving, finding new customers and looking after themselves at the same time. 

And look a little closer, and another problem comes into view. 

Not every founder is facing the same odds. 

There’s an opportunity gap. Our research found that 70% of founders from higher socio-economic backgrounds feel financially confident. For working-class founders, that falls to just 27%. 

That’s a gap we can’t ignore. 

Great ideas don’t care where you grew up, who you know, or what’s sitting in your bank account. But too often, opportunity still does. 

And the differences don’t stop there. Our research found that neurodivergent founders are more likely to report worsening mental health, while founders across different parts of the UK are having very different experiences of building and growing their businesses.  

At Virgin StartUp, we believe entrepreneurship should be open to everyone. Not just in theory, but in the funding, advice, connections and opportunities founders can actually access. 

Founders haven’t stopped moving forward. 

Despite everything they’re up against, founders are still looking ahead. 

55% are focused on increasing sales. 

65% are already using AI in their businesses. 

And across the country, founders told us about the ways they’re adapting, learning and finding a way forward.  

That determination deserves to be matched by the support around them. 

That means making finance easier to access. Making business support easier to navigate. And opening up mentoring and networks that can make all the difference when you’re building something from scratch. 

We’re taking those findings beyond this report too. Andy Fishburn MBE, Managing Director of Virgin StartUp, has written to MPs to share what founders have told us and invite a conversation about what needs to change. 

Because while listening is important, what we do next matters more. 

Building a business? We want to hear your side of the story. 

If you’re a founder, some of these findings might feel very familiar. Others might not reflect your experience at all. Either way, we want to hear from you. 

Read the full Founder Barometer, share the findings and join the conversation on our social channels. Tell us what rings true, what doesn’t, and what you think UK founders need next.