John Spindler, CEO of Capital Enterprise: “Our simple advice to startups suffering the coronavirus crisis is survive. Do anything you can to preserve your cash, keep your customers and maintain staff morale and effectiveness so that when the UK returns to some form of normality our startups will still be around. Simple advice but very hard practically and emotionally for startup founders to achieve. This is why we have developed, and now launched alongside our partners, a Startup Resilience programme to help tech startups individually and collectively to develop the best solution to survive and maybe find an opportunity to grow stronger.”

Startup Resilience is offering Founders the following:

• Three weekly webinars - covering topics such as demystifying government support, cash flow management, employment law and founder health and well being.
• 30 Mastermind and Accountability Circles - run by Mindful Team with like minded founders, facilitated by experts to support entrepreneurs through the uncertainty
• A Dedicated slack group with support from the community, updates and offers.
• Access to wellness and resilience coaches provided by Mindful Team to support entrepreneurs with their mental health and general well being.
• Resources from across the wider tech and business community for support
• AMA’s with resident experts and founders including Check Warner, Partner at Ada Ventures,  Dom Hallas, Executive Director of COADEC, and John Spindler.

Emma Obanye, Co-founder of Mindful Team, added: “As they say we’re stronger together, which cannot be emphasised enough with the challenge COVID-19 presents. Diverse founders faced huge hurdles before and even greater hurdles now and so an initiative that prioritises underrepresented groups is key. Mastermind and accountability groups (supported by coaches and the wider startup network) provide a unique opportunity to foster sharing, learning new skills and collaboration that all support the health of founders, their startups and build resilience. We’re super proud to support this initiative through the use of our technology.”

Check Warner, Partner of Ada Ventures and Co-Founder of Diversity VC, added: “The Startup Resilience programme is being launched at a critical time for small companies with diverse founding teams and will be a port in a storm for them. Many of these founders are sadly not eligible for the government-backed support programmes that are targeted at more established, better-networked founders who in most cases have already raised money from VCs. It’s more important than ever that programmes like this exist to level the playing field for diverse founders at a moment when many of them are facing the biggest economic shock of a generation that will disproportionately impact their businesses more than those of their peers.”

Startups will need to demonstrate that they cannot access similar support elsewhere. Priority will go to startups with less than five employees, female founders and entrepreneurs, founders and entrepreneurs of colour, founders and entrepreneurs with limited access to social capital (did not attend a Russell Group University or equivalent or are First Generation university students, or from low-income boroughs).​​​

Hang Ho, Head of Global Philanthropy for EMEA and LATAM, J.P. Morgan: “Startups are a vital part of the UK’s economy but not all founders are able to find the resources or support needed in order to keep going through difficult times. The communities targeted by this project are particularly vulnerable to the impact of this economic crisis. We’re delighted to support the Startup Resilience programme which will help young and growing businesses through an uncertain period.”

As part of a $50m global philanthropic commitment to address the immediate public health and long-term economic challenges from the COVID-19 global pandemic, J.P. Morgan has committed $8.5m to assist small businesses vulnerable to significant economic hardships in the US, China and Europe.

Experts already providing support to Founders through the programme include investor and serial entrepreneur Andy Davis, serial entrepreneur Emma Obanye, and entrepreneur coach Lotta Olsson.