Processing...
Thank you!
Your subscription has been confirmed.
You'll hear from us soon.
Wellbeing.
It’s sometimes seen as this vague word that doesn’t really mean anything.
As someone who’s experienced a couple of major burnouts in my career that have left me chronically ill for years it has another very different connotation. For me, a consistent focus on my personal wellbeing is the difference between thriving and being on my knees.
In tech, our businesses are our people. If we are struggling, if our people are struggling then our businesses will be too.
A recent survey by Sifted revealed that 54% of startup founders experienced burnout in the past year, with an equal number suffering from insomnia. 54%! Additionally and not surprisingly, 83% reported high stress levels.
Mentalhealth.org.uk reports that poor mental health costs UK employers an estimated £42 billion annually. Mental health issues account for over half of all work-related illnesses in the UK with 51% of long-term sick leave attributed to stress, depression, or anxiety. Approximately 2.8 million people in the UK are unable to work due to long-term sickness, with mental health and musculoskeletal problems being primary causes.
Baltic Ventures launched in 2023 and as we’ve built the team and the organisation we have intentionally shaped a culture that supports both the wellbeing of the team and the founders in our cohorts.
We have a flexible and hybrid work routine. We deliver our programs and events in-person and have meetings and workshops together as a team at regular intervals. In between that, everyone’s trusted to deliver what they need to in the way that suits them best. We all have different life responsibilities and needs. If you want to do one thing to improve the wellbeing of your people, do this! And if you don’t trust your people enough to do this, why have you hired them?
We have developed a transparent culture where the input and feedback of every team member is valued so that issues and concerns are brought to the surface and addressed.
We provide an annual health & wellbeing allowance to each employee; they can use this for whatever they choose to support their health from health insurance to yoga classes to dietary supplements to gym membership.
We anchor the importance of wellbeing into our masterclass schedule with a whole day dedicated to a focus on wellbeing to support founders to establish strong wellbeing practices that are tailored to themselves and their teams.
Founders have access to 1-1 sessions with executive coach Debbie Edwards: her work supports consciously ambitious CEOs & entrepreneurs to lead powerfully with their lives, minds and hearts intact.
It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a city to raise a startup. Founders on our programs experience not only the support of their cohort (many make lifelong friends who get the journey they’re on) but also benefit from the support and connection with our alumni and the wider tech community that we sit in here at Baltic Ventures.
An accelerator built within Baltic Ventures has our culture embedded within it. You will find a team here to cheer you on and support you on your journey. There are saunas and wild swimming along the way. Plenty of fun. And our office is kept stocked up with healthy snacks and drinks.
And finally, not surprisingly as an accelerator that backs the businesses and founders of tomorrow, wellbeing is an important focus for a number of our alumni companies too:
DearBump – Dearbump is a revolutionary product aimed at addressing the significant gaps in maternal healthcare worldwide
Decently – 50 million people across the world suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year with around 1 in 3 of these people going on to develop ‘complex behavioursʼ. Without the appropriate clinical care and ongoing support, these behavioural issues can impede recovery, rehabilitation and often lead to lifelong challenges for the patient. Decently’s Melo is a clinically validated, AI driven web-based platform helping clinicians make better more evidence-based care decisions through intuitive data collection, visualisation & predictive analytics.
Financielle – Financielle helps women take a step by step approach to changing their money habits and improving their financial wellbeing.
Hexis – Hexis is on a mission to unleash human potential with its predictive nutrition ecosystem.
Mindclass – MindClass serves as a one-stop-shop for employees, offering services such as counseling sessions, mental health courses, articles, and AI-powered productivity tools.
Leaf.ai – enhances the social care experience through conversational AI technology. Their flagship product, Lola, serves as a digital companion for individuals in care, engaging them in personalized conversations about their interests, memories, and hobbies. These interactions aim to alleviate feelings of loneliness and social isolation, providing valuable insights for carers and families to improve care quality.
Metpsy – their mission is to provide scalable solutions for mental health by applying metabolic psychiatry techniques, aiming to help users achieve improved mental clarity and overall well-being.