Young people aged 25-44 with a postgraduate degree in applied sciences, a gross income of about 3,000 euros and no work experience in an institution startups. Here’s how you can roughly describe their profile Greek startups, according to a study by the Greek startup Dialectica, the results of which are featured in the Startups in Greece 2022/2023 report. Of the 50 founders surveyed, 44% are between the ages of 25 and 34, 34% are between the ages of 35 and 44, the rest are over 45, and only 4% of those trying to start their own startup are under 24.

Most of those who took part in the study run companies based there. Athena, with very few headquartered in another Greek city and more than 1 in 2 founders had never created a startup before. Most founders of Greek startups, i.e. 64%, were employees of the company before entering the startup ecosystem, and only 18% were already employed in it. Of course, an interesting finding of the study is that 12% had no experience in any company, since they founded their startup right after graduation. This small percentage, according to the study, reflects a significant gap between academia and the startup industry, given that many ideas can be developed in universities. 74% of entrepreneurs have the support of another co-founder, and only 26% have built their own startup without outside help.

Those who took part in the survey are active in the field of IT and technology (software, security, network services), big data, analytics, with more than 1 out of 2, i.e. 54% said they founded their business after 2020, which is during or shortly after the pandemic outbreak. The rest of the entrepreneurs founded their startup between 2012 and 2019. Regarding the origin of their income, 58% of the founders said that 80% of their income comes from their activities in Greece, while 20% said that the corresponding percentage comes from services they provide abroad.

In terms of the amount of funding the founders provided, 56% said they have raised at least €250,000 from investors to support their venture, meaning the companies surveyed are still in fairly early stages of development. It is significant that the majority of startups (68%) state that they have from 1 to 10 employees, and 40% use a hybrid work model. In terms of founders’ incomes, half of them receive about 3,000 euros per month, 12% – less than 1,000 euros, and 26% – from 1,000 to 2,000 euros.