S2 EP6: The Mindful VC

To coincide with this year's Mental Health Awareness Week, between 13-19 May 2024, the BVCA has produced a new podcast, The Mindful VC. Hosted by Chris Elphick, Head of Venture Capital at the BVCA, with guests including Daniel Waterhouse, Partner at Balderton, Hayley Hand, Investment Director at Better Society Capital and Henrik Wetter Sanchez, General Partner at Playfair Capital, the podcast explores approaches to mental health for founders and investors.

The guests discuss the practical steps that VCs can take in supporting founders, how LPs consider mental health in the funds they invest in, and the impact of tech on mental health more broadly.

Running order:

• 00:00 – Intro
• 02:20 – Balderton’s approach to support mental wellbeing
• 05:07 - How Playfair supports founders and encourages founders to be open and honest about their mental health
• 08:03 – The impact of the tougher fundraising environment
• 11:38 – Coaching founders and optimising performance
• 15:03 – The role of board governance in supporting founders
• 18:55 – Better Society Capital’s approach to founder mental health
• 23:27 – The LP perspective on how VCs can support founders and management teams
• 28:27 – The main qualities of founders and investors and what they need to succeed
• 31:55 – Tech’s role in poorer mental health and how it can be part of the solution
• 36:21 – Wellbeing hacks that can help with mental health

This episode of the BVCA podcast is hosted by Chris Elphick, Head of Venture Capital at the BVCA.

Chris’s guest for episode 6:

• Daniel Waterhouse, Partner at Balderton
• Hayley Hand, Investment Director at Better Society Capital
• Henrik Wetter Sanchez, General Partner at Playfair Capital