Recognising that many founders struggle with the mental challenges that come with building a business from scratch, innovation agency Callaghan Innovation, is providing valuable support to entrepreneurs during these challenging times.

Callaghan Innovation has announced plans for new initiatives for founder wellbeing which included covering the cost of guidance counselling.

This comes as studies show that founders are at risk of mental health issues due to pressures and stresses that arise during the early stages of establishing a venture.

Research done by founder advisory Startup Snapshot revealed that 72 percent of founders felt running a start-up takes a major toll on their mental health, 36 percent experience burnout and 13 percent suffer depression.

“We want Kiwi founders to know we have their backs in light of the unique challenges they face, particularly when it comes to finances and getting access to the resources they need,” says Callaghan Innovation Chief Executive Stefan Korn.

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“Callaghan Innovation will cover the cost of one-to-one guidance for any start-up founder who has experienced inappropriate behaviour within the start-up ecosystem, whether or not they are a customer.”

The service will be an opportunity for founders who have experienced inappropriate behaviour to talk and share their experiences, receive advice and more.

Callaghan Innovation will collate anonymised data overtime and look at trends in the types of behaviours experience within the start-up ecosystem.

Alongside this, an open source Code of Conduct, co-created by Callaghan Innovation and ecosystem partners, has been created to help founders on a path to success by outlining acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.

“We are aware that uneven power dynamics in the start-up ecosystem can leave founders feeling vulnerable to behaviour that is not acceptable,” adds Korn.

“We are committed to supporting the development of a dynamic, inclusive and diverse start-up ecosystem. We look forward to continuing to support founders in their start-up journey, and exploring new opportunities to support Kiwi founder success.”