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FMHS · 2026 Results Aggregate · Anonymous

The Founder Mental Health Survey

Who responded in 2026.

The survey is closed. Below is the first look at the 266 founders who took part — who they are and what they're building. We'll publish the clinical and founder-specific findings here as additional sections over the coming weeks.

266
Total respondents
131
Completed every section
81%
YC founders

01 · Demographics

Who the founders behind these responses are — role, age, gender, and background.

What is your role?

n = 244
Solo Founder19.7%48
Co-Founder / CEO43.4%106
Co-Founder / CTO30.7%75
Co-Founder / Other5.7%14
Other0.4%1

What is your age?

n = 230

Median 31 · Mean 32.4 · Range 1966

Under 2520.9%48
25–2923%53
30–3420.4%47
35–3916.5%38
40–4913.9%32
50+5.2%12

What is your gender?

n = 238
Male87.4%208
Female11.8%28
Non-binary0.4%1
Prefer not to say0.4%1

What is your race/ethnicity?

n = 228
Asian37.7%86
Black / African American2.2%5
Hispanic / Latino3.9%9
Middle Eastern / North African2.6%6
White / Caucasian44.3%101
Multiracial / Mixed3.9%9
Prefer not to say4.4%10
Other0.9%2

02 · Their companies

The companies they're running — community, industry, stage, and size.

Which founder community are you part of?

n = 260
Y Combinator81.2%211
General / non-YC18.8%49

What industry is your company in?

n = 224
SaaS / Software40.6%91
AI / Machine Learning26.8%60
Fintech6.7%15
Healthcare / Biotech8%18
Consumer / E-commerce5.4%12
Climate / Energy1.3%3
Education2.7%6
Hardware / Robotics2.7%6
Other5.8%13

How many people are on your team? (employees + full-time contractors, including yourself)

n = 223
Just me11.2%25
2-552.9%118
6-1519.7%44
16-508.5%19
51-1004%9
100+3.6%8

How much total funding has your company raised?

n = 222
Less than $1M37.8%84
$1M - $2M21.2%47
$2M - $5M18.9%42
$5M - $10M9%20
$10M - $25M5%11
$25M - $50M5%11
$50M+3.2%7

What is your approximate annual run rate?

n = 217
Pre-revenue19.4%42
Less than $100K18.4%40
$100K - $500K24.9%54
$500K - $1M10.6%23
$1M - $5M14.3%31
$5M - $10M4.6%10
$10M+7.8%17

What year was your company founded?

n = 240
202611.7%28
202528.3%68
202415.8%38
20239.6%23
20225%12
20215.8%14
20204.2%10
20193.8%9
2018 or earlier15.8%38

More to come

Future sections will cover the validated clinical screeners (depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism traits, burnout) and the founder-specific dimensions — cofounder relationships, ambition, help-seeking, and more. Check back soon.

Figures are percentages of respondents who answered each question (n varies by question as not everyone finished). Aggregate counts only — no individual responses are shared.