Sustaining America’s Entrepreneurship Surge into 2026

America’s startup scene is on fire. Between 2021 and 2023, new business filings hit a record 16 million, and that pace hasn’t slowed—over 473,000 applications came in August 2025 alone, topping pre-pandemic levels of under 300,000 a month, according to a Forbes article by Natalie Madeira Cofield and John Arensmeyer.

Policies to Fix Capital and Healthcare Hurdles

But turning ideas into lasting businesses takes more than filings. Access to capital remains the top roadblock: Small Business Majority’s research shows just 36% of entrepreneurs who sought funding last year got it, with 51% landing $50,000 or less and 24% saying it wasn’t enough. Healthcare costs are killing dreams too—in 2024, 51% of ex-entrepreneurs shut down because they couldn’t cover it, per the same Forbes piece.

To keep this going into 2026, the authors call for:

Incentives for lenders to offer small-dollar loans, especially to under-resourced communities.
Clear disclosures like APR on loans.
Simpler federal tools and procurement for tiny businesses.
Permanent ACA premium tax credits, Medicaid expansion in 10 holdout states, and curbs on short-term plans.
More funding for CDFIs and local support groups facing cuts.

They stress lawmakers need to hear small businesses louder, since owners aren’t a unified voting bloc.

Young Builders Driving Sustainable Innovation

The talent pipeline looks strong. Forbes’s 2026 30 Under 30 Manufacturing & Industry list spotlights founders under 30 tackling waste, climate, and efficiency. Katherine Sizov’s Strella uses AI sensors to cut fruit waste, saving 40 million pounds already. Mason Mincey and team at Soarce turn waste and seaweed into nanocellulose eight times stronger than steel for mining and aerospace. Others like Stwart Peña Feliz’s Macrocycle recycle plastics to fight waterway pollution, and Reef Arches’ Nicholas Bourdon builds sand-based coastal barriers.

Robotics stars include Pave Robotics fixing roads and Cardinal Robots handling factory cleaning. The list: 27% women, 37% people of color, all founders or co-founders. Judges like Hadrian’s Chris Power picked them from hundreds.

Colleges Building the Next Wave

Education steps up too. Florida State University’s Jim Moran College hit top 10 public undergrad entrepreneurship programs in Princeton Review’s 2026 rankings—second in the South and Florida, 18th overall, as reported by FSU News. Its grads launched 531 companies in five years, backed by 125 courses and labs for product development.

Dean Susan Fiorito credits students’ real-world risks. With policy fixes, young talent, and programs like this, 2026 could lock in the boom.