Founder Wellbeing & Performance

Programme Overview

Resources & Events

Founder Survey

More than half report regularly prioritising work over looking after themselves.

I find that when I’m under a lot of pressure, I am terrible at longer term thinking. Setting strategy and direction requires deep thinking, research and creativity. This is vastly reduced under high pressure – your mind is not free to explore when it’s crowded.

feel there is an expectation that entrepreneurs must always work long hours in order to be successful

There was a very noticeable impact on how well we tracked as a company. Spent too long working on the wrong things, we were not agile enough, etc. I was distracted and unable to focus and work effectively on the right things.

Balderton offers a variety of programmes to support founders as they work under intense conditions, building companies that may one day change the world. Each founder is different, so we believe in offering access to different kinds of support – from executive coaching, to health and fitness, to peer support networks and a parental support platform.

01. Health & fitness programme

Our science-based physical health and performance programme is designed to cater to the specific needs of founders and CEOs.

The six month programme is run by a team of expert clinicians, through our partner WellFounded, and is based on cutting edge medical expertise, positive psychology, and behavioural science – with the objective of helping participants better understand their body and mind and ultimately unlock the best version of themselves. It includes

In-depth analysis of health and performance data including bloodwork, physiology, fitness, nutrition, sleep and mindset.

A personalised plan from a multidisciplinary team of physicians, pharmacists, sleep experts, psychologists, nutritionists, health and performance coaches.

Health consultations and performance coaching sessions throughout the programme to help you achieve your goals.

02. CEO Forums

Balderton CEO Forums are peer groups of 8-10 CEOs from within the portfolio who meet regularly, in person to discuss the business issues and overall life challenges they face as leaders of fast-growing tech businesses.

Sessions are run by a peer moderator, and designed to allow each member to share their most significant professional or personal updates in a confidential format and setting.

We have active CEO Forum groups in London, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm.

03. Executive Coaching

Whether you’re working through a challenging growth period or at the beginning of your leadership journey, our on-staff executive coach is available to support founders and CEOs within the portfolio.

For a longer-term or more personalised service, we offer referrals to some of the world’s leading executive coaches.

04. Parental support

Our partnership with digital platform Cooper Parenting helps founders navigate the challenges of parenthood and entrepreneurship.

Founders and their families have access to Cooper’s team of licensed clinicians and researchers for expert-led parenting classes, drop-in virtual coaching, private sessions as well as events, workshops, resources and community-led peer support, designed to help them navigate the challenges of parenthood and entrepreneurship.

05. Leadership development

Access dedicated leadership development support as you scale through our six-month, bespoke leadership development programme Better Faster Further.

This personalised six-month programme has been designed exclusively for CEOs in the Balderton portfolio in order to support with the leadership challenges that arise as companies grow from start-up to scale-up.

I’m a late adopter but I now think the benefits of looking after mental and physical health are immeasurable. Founding and running a business is a long-running series of major highs and lows, all of which can put continual pressure on diet, sleep and the ability to switch off.