In mainland Europe this is entirely true.
Even more, this has implications not only when searching for jobs or gigs, but also on the social/personal level: the stigmata and marginalization that comes with it it's incredible here.
I now lie about my previous failed startups.
PS: you probably mean stigma, not stigmata: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigmata
Maybe I'm viewing the world through rose tinted glasses, but it seems entrepreneurs are very respected in the US.
I had two belly flops, two marginal and one boring startup under my belt before I took on the latest one. I have never met any stigma in the Netherlands, UK or Sweden. The last two are of course not mainland Europe, but anyway.