In Spain, the figure of the ‘solopreneur’ is erupting in an environment where only 6% of these companies are founded by women
The profile of the entrepreneur has not changed significantly in Spain in recent years. Not even the failures or structural problems that persist in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The gender gap that persists among founders is one of the most important pending issues in an environment where six in ten startups are founded by men and only 6% by women.
It should also be noted that 40% of female founders leave the project and in Spain 20% represent female entrepreneurs. A structural problem that repeats itself year after year, a percentage that remains stable and which is one of the main conclusions of the conclusions of the ‘2022 Entrepreneurship Map’, conducted by South Summit, in collaboration with IE University.
Yet entrepreneurship in Spain is no longer a phenomenon without roots or of teenagers. And it’s that the average lifespan of a startup is three years and 60% of them are already generating revenue (11% more than in 2021) and half are self-funded, a good sign of the ecosystem since For the authors of the report, “fortunately, dependence on private funds has been reduced.”
As the map shows, the average age of entrepreneurs is 33 years and 97% have a university education. In other words, the talent must be “extremely qualified” and have sufficient drive and experience to increase the chances of success for startups.
The data from the Entrepreneurship Map is for María Benjumea, founder and president of South Summit, the verification of the professionalization and growth of the Innovation Ecosystem in our country. “The maturity of the ecosystem is proof, an unstoppable phenomenon and very good news because it is key to the growth of our economy.”
What has broken through forcibly in the innovation ecosystem is the figure of the ‘solopreneur’. An entrepreneur who creates, leads and develops his startup on his own, without a founding team and who already represents 6% of startups in Spain. Still, it is common to run as a team, usually small and male: 60% of startups have between 2 and 3 founders, while 35% have more than 4.
But the high levels of qualification, especially emphasized in the social sciences, demonstrate two fundamental characteristics of entrepreneurship. And it is that it not only generates opportunities to know the latest technology, but according to xxx it is essential to know the social reality of the ecosystem in which the startup is created. In other words, “the trigger is technological and social”.
In the entrepreneur x-ray, it is also important to note that in a timid but growing way, there are more entrepreneurs coming from other startups other than the corporate world. This means that the startup ecosystem itself becomes a school for entrepreneurs, it generates interest. This is where serial entrepreneurs come from, which is six in ten entrepreneurs, and 45% of them stated the “vital” need to undertake as the primary motivation for starting their startup.
According to the ‘Map of Entrepreneurship’, the sectors that predominate in the Spanish ecosystem are ‘fintech’, education and ‘healthcare’, although productivity services and the media are included in the ‘top 10’ of sectors with the highest presence.
Thus, one of the points that Aragon has warned about is Spain’s lagging position relative to the rest of Europe and other regions in terms of artificial intelligence, as it is a technology used by 16.8%.
On the other hand, taxes and financing remain the two main areas for improvement for the sector, cited by 27% and 26% of the startups participating in the map. Likewise, these companies are most looking for financing and visibility (19%) and strategic agreements (18%).
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
