Is software solved?
33% solved

New tech businesses

Are more tech businesses starting?

Contributes to: Is it being used to build?. Signal score: 24 / 100. Relative weight within this question: 1.

All signalsJSON

StatusMore applications
Latest value13,806
Year over year+49%
Distance from highAt its high
Caution

An application is not a working business, and this sector also includes publishing and media. Applications jumped during the pandemic for reasons unrelated to AI.

Observed trend

New US business applications in the information sector per month.

New US business applications in the information sector per month. · 2016-01 – 2026-09

2026-09 — New US business applications in the information sector per month.: 13,806
View data table
Period / observationNew US business applications in the information sector per month.
2016-015,686
2016-025,267
2016-035,090
2016-045,293
2016-055,419
2016-064,751
2016-075,441
2016-085,208
2016-095,413
2016-105,228
2016-115,367
2016-125,427
2017-015,888
2017-025,858
2017-035,979
2017-046,042
2017-055,931
2017-066,156
2017-076,280
2017-086,251
2017-095,953
2017-105,930
2017-116,344
2017-126,007
2018-016,559
2018-026,109
2018-036,249
2018-046,183
2018-056,177
2018-066,334
2018-075,962
2018-085,893
2018-096,140
2018-106,117
2018-115,910
2018-126,212
2019-015,515
2019-026,165
2019-036,175
2019-046,210
2019-056,139
2019-066,175
2019-075,969
2019-086,168
2019-095,943
2019-106,319
2019-116,197
2019-126,765
2020-015,848
2020-026,641
2020-035,598
2020-045,603
2020-056,798
2020-068,135
2020-0711,276
2020-0810,396
2020-099,496
2020-108,870
2020-118,302
2020-127,277
2021-0110,016
2021-029,109
2021-039,271
2021-049,882
2021-0510,156
2021-068,848
2021-078,987
2021-088,642
2021-098,417
2021-108,543
2021-118,703
2021-128,636
2022-018,643
2022-028,581
2022-037,645
2022-048,360
2022-058,377
2022-068,106
2022-078,228
2022-087,969
2022-098,023
2022-108,229
2022-117,920
2022-128,167
2023-018,100
2023-028,560
2023-038,498
2023-048,698
2023-058,252
2023-068,687
2023-079,198
2023-088,657
2023-098,226
2023-108,241
2023-118,271
2023-128,191
2024-018,384
2024-028,166
2024-038,036
2024-047,749
2024-057,939
2024-068,165
2024-078,269
2024-088,825
2024-098,600
2024-108,364
2024-118,558
2024-129,253
2025-017,594
2025-028,650
2025-038,597
2025-048,644
2025-058,930
2025-069,071
2025-079,299
2025-089,619
2025-099,252
2025-109,361
2025-1110,185
2025-1210,250
2026-0110,680
2026-0211,126
2026-0311,528
2026-0412,117
2026-0512,523
2026-0613,075
2026-0713,176
2026-0813,231
2026-0913,806

What it measures

Metric
New US business applications in the information sector, latest full month
Solved if
Starting a software business takes almost no effort
Signal score
24 / 100. Up 74% since ChatGPT launched. How it is scored
Status rule
More applications when more are filed than in the same month a year before.

Update history

The reading on each date we checked, separate from the historical observations above.

DateValueYear over yearStatus
2026-11-0213,806+49%More applications
2026-11-0113,806+49%More applications

Source

SourceRoleMeasuresLatest data
Census Business Formation StatisticsScored measurementNew US business applications in the information sector2026-09