Solo AI-driven firms expand as employer startups slow

Small businesses run by a single founder and no staff are growing fast in AI-heavy industries, according to CNBC reporting. Alex Willen expects his twelve staff-free e-commerce brands to earn between $2.5 million and $3 million this year. Liya Palagashvili, an economist, reports that applications for non-employer businesses in AI-intensive sectors rose 26.8 % from Q1 2024 to Q1 2026, from about 222 000 to 281 000 per quarter. Over the same period, applications in those sectors that could become employer firms fell 6.4 %. Non-employer applications in construction and wholesale trade fell 0.4 %.