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February 10, 2026

AI founder salaries are not as high as you might think

A new compensation report from Creandum reveals what founder salaries are looking like at the start of 2026

Amy Lewin

2 min read

Despite the astronomical salaries that many AI engineers are currently taking home — both in the Valley and closer to European shores — the pay cheques of the founders of Europe’s AI-native startups are not (yet) as high as you might expect.

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Amy Lewin

Amy Lewin is Sifted’s editor and host of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast . Follow her on X, LinkedIn and Bluesky

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