Something significant is happening in the world of entrepreneurship, and the numbers back it up. According to a new survey commissioned by Intuit QuickBooks, one in three American adults plans to launch a business or side hustle within the next twelve months. That represents a 94% jump in entrepreneurial intent compared to just a year ago — the highest level ever recorded in the survey’s history.

The motivation is clear. Across every age group, the number one reason people want to start a business is the same: building wealth and gaining more control over their financial future. Entrepreneurship has effectively replaced saving, investing, and climbing the corporate ladder as the preferred wealth-building strategy for millions of Americans heading into 2026.

Younger generations are driving the surge. Gen Z leads in overall intent, with 43% considering launching a venture this year. Millennials, meanwhile, feel the strongest sense of urgency — nearly three in four say they feel pressure to get moving within the next twelve months, and most say they’ll push forward even if economic conditions aren’t ideal.

But here’s the tension: desire and readiness aren’t the same thing. Money remains the single biggest barrier. Nearly half of aspiring entrepreneurs say the cost of starting is what holds them back, and on average they believe launching a business requires around $28,000 — more than double the actual median startup cost of $12,000 reported by existing business owners. That perception gap alone is keeping a significant number of would-be founders on the sidelines.

To work around these barriers, many are starting small and informal. Nearly half of Americans earned income from a side hustle in the past year, though only one in five registered it as an actual business — giving rise to what researchers are calling the “invisible entrepreneur.” And increasingly, this group is turning to AI tools to lower the cost and complexity of getting started, with 65% of aspiring founders saying they plan to use AI in their launch process this year.

The entrepreneurial energy in 2026 is real. The question is whether aspiring founders can bridge the gap between intention and action.