New survey: Startup founders are postponing parenthood — even in the Nordics

An international survey conducted by Maria 01 reveals that startup culture significantly affects founders’ decisions about starting a family. More than half of childless founders have delayed having children due to entrepreneurial pressures, and nearly one in four feel they must choose between entrepreneurship and family life.

The qualitative survey, conducted in autumn 2025, gathered anonymous responses from 55 startup founders, CEOs, and aspiring founders across 9 countries. It is the first dedicated effort in the European startup ecosystem to map how founders experience the intersection of entrepreneurship and family life.

Among founders who are already parents, almost one in five delayed having children and over 14% limited the number of children they planned to have due to the demands of building a company. Half of parent founders report feeling stressed always or almost always trying to balance startup life and family. Among those without children, two thirds said entrepreneurship has influenced their thinking about starting a family.

“Across Europe, birth rates are at historic lows just as we urgently need more founders to drive the next wave of growth. We cannot afford to choose between the two. If we want more founders, more innovation, and healthier demographics, the structures around work, care, and entrepreneurship must change. Founders’ struggles with parenthood are not personal failings, but they do reflect deeper cultural norms and rigid systems that the entire ecosystem needs to rethink,” says Sarita Runeberg, CEO of Maria 01.

For media enquiries, contact: camilla@maria.io