This month, early-stage venture investor Cherry Ventures introduced coaching as a core component of its investment model.
A new program called Copilot mandates that newly-backed founders (including core employees) in all forthcoming term sheets work with an executive coach from its curated network. It aims to equip founders with leadership support and skills from their earliest moments.
Founders can choose from a curated network of more than a dozen coaches who have worked with the Cherry team and portfolio as their dedicated coach.
Cherry Ventures foots the bill, and founders must partake in these sessions for at least 12 months, ensuring a foundational underpinning for their long-term leadership development.
Cherry Ventures was the first investor behind brands such as FlixBus, Auto1, Amboss, Moss, Forto, and more.
Like any other pursuit or profession involving inherent skill, one can only get so far on that alone. Like musicians, actors, and others, founders require training, guidance, and situation rehearsals to constructively direct and ultimately unlock their full potential in any scenario thrown their way.
Since 2015, Cherry Ventures has leveraged its own founder stories, building Zalando and Spotify and operator experiences across its investment and specialist teams to provide founders with value beyond capital.
According to Filip Dames, Cherry Ventures founding partner:
“We view our relationship with founders as a true partnership, where we invest not only in their businesses but also in their personal and professional growth.
By providing a coaching budget as a part of our agreement, we strengthen the bond between Cherry Ventures and our portfolio companies.”
Ariane de Bonvoisin, an elite coach who has worked with top global executives and is part of the Cherry coach network, detailed:
“We all have unconscious patterns, behaviours, and blindspots that influence how we operate daily, personally and professionally.
Coaching is about raising self-awareness, self-mastery, and self-responsibility. These are three requirements of leadership at work and in your life.”
Staffed by a 30+ person team. Cherry has three European offices: Berlin, London, and Stockholm.
Lead image: Cherry Ventures: Photo: uncredited.
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