Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Startups Optimistic About Business Conditions, Despite Uncertainty, Says Report

A new report issued today by Silicon Valley Bank, says that startups are generally optimistic about their business opportunities, and they plan to raise capital and expand their workforces this year, despite "economic and political" uncertainty across the globe. The Startup Outlook Report--which was issued on Wednesday--polled 1,400 startup founders and executives for its conclusions. Among other findings, 60 percent of US entrepreneurs think business conditions in 2019 will improve compared with last year, with nine percent believing business conditions will worsen. The executives also said that raising capitl "has grown easier" over the past two years. The report also found the biggest areas of promise in the industry today are artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. SVB posted its full report online. (Editor's note: SVB is a sponsor of this website, although our news coverage is not influenced by our sponsors.)