AI founder salaries are not as high as you might think

2026-02-10 · Source: Sifted · Field: Business & Management — Entrepreneurship & Start-ups, Corporate Strategy & Leadership · Depth: Novice, short

Summary

A new compensation report from European VC firm Creandum, released in February 2026, indicates that founder salaries at AI-native startups in Europe are not as high as expected, despite high engineer salaries. Founders of AI-first companies at seed stage earn a median salary of €110k and an average of €142k, slightly below fintech founders (€111k median, €143k average). Healthtech, deeptech, and consumer founders average around €125k. The report also highlights that Chief Revenue Officers (CROs) and Chief Commercial Officers (CCOs) often earn more than CEOs, with median salaries of €130k versus €115k in 2025. Bootstrapped founders have higher median salaries (€92k) than pre-seed peers (€71k), and salaries increase significantly by Series A (€163k average) and Series D+ (€294k average). Geographically, DACH region founders receive the highest median salaries (€130k), while Nordics founders are second-lowest at €95k, above only CEE founders at €83k.

Key takeaway

For entrepreneurs considering founding an AI startup in Europe, understand that initial founder salaries are modest, with seed-stage AI founders averaging €142k. Your compensation will likely increase with funding rounds, reaching an average of €294k by Series D+. Also, note that roles like CRO or CCO can command higher median salaries than CEO positions, and geographical location significantly impacts pay, with DACH founders earning more than those in the Nordics or CEE.

Key insights

European AI startup founder salaries are lower than expected, with significant variations by role, funding stage, and region.

Principles

• Funding stage correlates with founder compensation.
• Operational roles can out-earn CEO roles.
• Regional economic factors influence founder pay.

In practice

• Benchmark founder salaries by stage and role.
• Consider regional pay differences for talent acquisition.

Topics

• AI Startup Compensation
• European Venture Capital
• Startup Funding Stages
• Executive Compensation
• Regional Compensation Trends

Best for: Entrepreneur, Investor, Business Analyst

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Sifted.