Entrepreneurship is becoming more accessible, more visible and increasingly attractive to young people. Speaking at Nexus Luxembourg 2026 on Wednesday, investor, journalist, creator and Gen Z VCs founder Meagan Loyst explored why more members of Gen Z are choosing to build businesses earlier in life.
Loyst, who founded Gen Z VCs at the age of 23, said the entrepreneurial landscape is changing rapidly. Today, the community brings together 30,000 founders and investors worldwide and has generated more than 725,000 messages on Slack. “The definition of founder as we know it is growing and expanding,” she said.
A generation eager to build
According to Loyst, around half of Gen Z wants to start a business. That interest predates the rise of artificial intelligence, although new tools have accelerated the trend. “There’s this genuine interest to really build something for yourself,” she said. She pointed to Y Combinator, where the average founder age has fallen from 30 to 24 in recent years, with more than half of founders now under 25.
AI and social media reshape entrepreneurship
Loyst identified artificial intelligence as one of the main reasons more young people are entering the startup ecosystem. “The first is that, of course, AI is democratising the ability for young people to build,” she said. “You don’t have to be technical anymore.”
At the same time, she argued that Gen Z holds a natural advantage when it comes to reaching customers online. As social platforms become central to business growth, founders who understand content creation and audience building are increasingly in demand.
“When the tools that you build are completely democratised, it’s way more important to think about how you’re reaching people and bringing in customers,” she said.
That is where younger entrepreneurs stand out. “Gen Z is winning that distribution game.”
Building earlier
Loyst also highlighted the growing number of programmes supporting young founders, from university startup initiatives to fellowships, hackathons, and dedicated funding schemes. As more resources become available and barriers to entry continue to fall, she believes entrepreneurship will attract an even larger share of young talent.
“We’re seeing this happen earlier and earlier,” she said. Her message to aspiring founders was straightforward: “It’s time to build.”
