5.

Our Founders Health Programme

We strongly believe that taking care of our founders’ mental and physical health is essential to their success.

This is why, back in 2018, we started our Founders’ Health Initiative. One key element of this initiative is the inclusion of a Founders’ Health Clause in all our termsheets when investing in new companies.

In 2023, we expanded this effort with the launch of our Founders’ Health Programme, designed to offer more holistic and structured support to our portfolio founders. The Programme consists of several key components:

1

Coaching

Over the years, we have created a database of coaches who can support our founders with their mental and physical health, as well as their personal and professional growth. With the help of our Head Coach, Rebecca Hill, we guide founders in finding a coach who can address their specific needs.

Coaching has been invaluable in providing clarity and direction, especially during moments of uncertainty and rapid change.

Through coaching, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of my leadership style and how it impacts our team and business. It has been a powerful tool for self-awareness, helping me identify areas for improvement and work on my strengths.

CEO & Co-Founder at Ananda’s Portfolio Company

2

Workshops

We are running a series of curated workshops for our founders on various topics such as burnout, co-founder dynamics, as well as parenthood for founders. The workshops are facilitated by experts.

By prioritising founder well-being, we not only empower founders to thrive personally but also foster the success and resilience of their companies, creating a ripple effect of positive impact in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Rebecca Hill

Head Coach
Ananda Founders’ Health Programme

3

Peer support

Peer support is one of the key aspects of our programme. We facilitate this by creating dedicated opportunities for exchanges with other founders—whether internally within the Ananda Portfolio or by making use of existing formats like EO (Entrepreneur’s Organization). To enhance the sense of psychological safety, some events are founders-only and don’t include anyone from Ananda.

The focus on founder health of the Founders’ Health Programme has been transformational for me.

I haven’ t had this from any other investor. It gave me the push I needed in the right direction.

CEO at Ananda’s Portfolio Company

4

Resource library

We have assembled a resource database where our founders can find podcasts, videos, articles and studies to support their growth journey.

It’s inspiring to see investors actively addressing founder mental health, recognizing their influence and responsibility in this area. I’m truly excited to be part of this important evolution.

Franziska Joseph

Programme Manager
Ananda Founders’ Health Programme

Programme snapshot

80%

of Ananda active portfolio companies have been onboarded to the programme

85%

of our portfolio founders have had coaching experience as of today

5

peer support workshops have been organised to support our founders’ personal and professional growth and wellbeing
Why it matters

65%

of failed startups fail for avoidable reasons like conflict & leadership issues (Noam Wasserman)

72%

of all founders struggle with at least one mental health problem (Michael Freeman)

5.3x

return on investment of leadership coaching (Merrill C. Anderson)

Hannah Looks

Investment Manager

Ananda Impact Ventures

At Ananda, we invest in people, not just ideas. Humbled by our founders’ resilience, we recognize their well-being is key to success. The Founders’ Health Programme is our way of taking responsibility for supporting them on their journey.