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, and in 2020, we incorporated a Founders’ Health Clause into all of our termsheets when investing in a company.

In 2023, we launched an updated version and started the Founders’ Health Programme to provide an even more holistic and structured support to our portfolio founders.

Our Programme is made of few different parts:

We have always been encouraging our founders to look after themselves and their team aand since 2020 w ehave included the Founders Health Clause into our Termsheet.

We believe every VC should look after the health of the founders they invest in and make it an explicit commitment. if you believe in this, feel free to use our clause in your own contract. We are very happy to share this with the world!

Coaching

With the help of our Head Coach, Rebecca Hill, we have created a database of coaches that can support our founders with their mental and physical health, as well as their personal and professional growth.

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.

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).

24/7 support

We have implemented a 24/7 coaching hotline for our portfolio founders. This will provide them with ongoing and on-demand confidential support from our Head Coach and Programme Manager on any topic they would like to discuss—anytime.

Resource library

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

Dr. Andy Blackwell | Ananda Impact Ventures

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

Rebecca Hill

Head Coach
Ananda Founders’ Health Programme

Programme snapshot

Why it matters

80%

of Ananda active portfolio companies have been onboarded to the programme

65%

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

85%

of our portfolio founders have had coaching experience as of today

72%

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

37%

of our portfolio founders are currently in active coaching

5.3x

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

What our founders say

Dr. Andy Blackwell | Ananda Impact Ventures

 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.

 

Daria Stepanova

Daria Stepanova

CEO & Co-Founder at AIRMO

Our Founders Health Programme

We have always been encouraging our founders to look after themselves and their team aand since 2020 w ehave included the Founders Health Clause into our Termsheet.

We believe every VC should look after the health of the founders they invest in and make it an explicit commitment. if you believe in this, feel free to use our clause in your own contract. We are very happy to share this with the world!

Ananda's Founder Health Clause

The Founders’ physical and mental health is vital for the success of the Company.
Founders work in a highly dynamic environment, and it is part of building a company that things can go wrong, and founders can struggle. The Investors are aware of this and want to support founders as well as they can. The topic of Founder Health shall be discussed on a regular basis on Board level.
Founders are encouraged to use offers like peer-group support, leadership/team coaching, development programs, etc. They are strongly encouraged to work with an external independent coach, both individually as well as with the Founder / C-level team; this coach should be a go-to person not only to discuss business matters, but more importantly in case of personal issues.
Founders are requested to make use of this support at the cost of the company and at any time, especially also in tough times.

Source: Ananda Impact Ventures Termsheet

Want to find out more about the programme?

Our Founders’ Health Programme proactively supports founders’ health, resilience and personal mental skill set.

Read more on Medium

Let’s create a better future, together.

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