Entrepreneur wellbeing: “Without a healthy founder, no metric matters”

K2Match, a startup acceleration platform that organises pitch events in Monaco several times a year, is now integrating a holistic wellbeing program for its founders, recognising that mental resilience is just as crucial as financial strategy.

A quiet revolution in the startup ecosystem

In the ruthless world of startups where fundraising rounds and exits dominate conversations, K2Match is engineering a conceptual shift. The organisation, based in Cyprus with regular events in Monaco, Düsseldorf, and Dubai, has just appointed Geraldine Hardy as Wellbeing Program Lead. It’s a powerful signal acknowledging a long-ignored reality: 54% of founders experienced burnout last year, and 72% say entrepreneurship has harmed their mental health.

“We have personally seen many founders face immense pressure – sometimes leading to poor decisions or even burnout,” confides Alexandros Dohn, co-founder of K2Match. “That is why we are committed to supporting founders in maintaining their health, while helping them achieve stronger performance and reach fundraising goals more efficiently.“

Beyond traditional metrics

For Geraldine Hardy, a global entrepreneur and wellbeing expert with 27 years of experience in investor relations and private equity, the equation is simple: “Without the founder and the founding team, no matter how great the idea is, no matter how great the P and L sheet is, the EBITDA, the OPEX, the CAPEX, if the founder does not have a stable, balanced nervous system, immune system, understands how to communicate to his team and how to run a team and lead by example, all of the metrics simply don’t matter.”

This approach resonates particularly with investors themselves. “Investors understand that they need to have an emotionally, mentally and physically stable startup founder to be able to make sure that their investment is secure,” observes Geraldine.

A collaboration born in Monaco

The meeting between Geraldine Hardy and the K2Match team took place at the first event organised in Monaco. “I said to Alexandros, this is synchronicity. We’re meeting for a reason,” she recalls. What began as an intuitive connection transformed into a strategic partnership, with Geraldine even staying in Cyprus to personally coach Alexandros.

“I have known Geraldine for quite some time and have always been deeply impressed by her personal journey – how she overcame her challenges, healed herself, and turned that experience into a true passion for helping others,” explains Alexandros. “I have also had the chance to train with her personally and witnessed the impact of her work firsthand.“

Concrete results

At the most recent K2Match Investor Lounge in Monaco, a morning Tai Chi session was offered to startups and investors. “That was a tester,” confides Geraldine. “They did not understand Tai Chi first and it was something new for them, but everyone can do it. You don’t need to be on a yoga mat. You know, sometimes it’s a hurdle especially for men to get them on a yoga mat. So that was very easy for them.“

The program, which includes one-on-one consultations and group workshops, adapts to each founder. “If the person is very open to spirituality, we are looking at the past lives and the answers to trauma to understand their soul corrections and how we can heal that. If a person is not yet open for this, then we look at the physical layer. We look at what they do every single day and how can we add a different kind of movement into it, add some breathing exercises and some meditation.“

A long-term investment

For K2Match, this initiative fits within a comprehensive vision. After launching the K2Match Entrepreneurship Accelerator Academy and the Catalyst Program focused on fundraising, the integration of wellbeing completes the support ecosystem.

“We see this approach as a long-term investment,” concludes Alexandros, “saving valuable time and enabling founders to remain steady, in peak condition, and performing at their best.” In a world where technological innovation reigns supreme, K2Match is betting on the human element – the only truly irreplaceable capital.

Learn more: The Hidden Metric Investors Should Track: The Founder’s Self-Care