Nicola Telford runs Tabu Ventures, an angel community backing health businesses most investors find too awkward to look at. A conversation about why culture accepts these markets before capital does, what breakthrough founders have in common, and what to know before taking anyone's money.
What you’ll learn
- Why Nicola sees stigma-hit health categories as mispriced rather than weak.
- How the mental health market shows where sexual wellness, addiction and death could go next.
- What the founders who break through have in common: deep IP, real traction and a personal reason to build.
- Why there is never free money, and why customer rejection is more useful than investor rejection.
- How to fit-check an investor before you take their cheque.
- The problems Tabu wants founders to work on in addiction and recovery, and death and end of life.
About Nicola Telford
Nicola Telford is the founder of Tabu Ventures, a community and angel syndicate backing transformational businesses hidden by shame and stigma. Its focus areas are sexual wellness, women's health, addiction and recovery, and death and end of life.
Resources
Chapters
- 00:00 Cold open
- 01:11 Welcome to Healthier
- 01:47 What Tabu Ventures is
- 02:57 The four taboo categories
- 05:05 Why these categories suit angel investors
- 06:18 Culture accepts it before capital does
- 08:45 Early signs capital is catching up
- 12:19 Healthier Note
- 13:08 What breakthrough founders have in common
- 15:30 Why a personal connection keeps founders going
- 18:54 Rebuilding your motivation after a company closes
- 22:35 There is never free money
- 24:50 Bad money and how to fit-check investors
- 26:32 How syndicates work with founders
- 29:10 Who invests with Tabu
- 30:40 How to be a useful angel investor
- 32:38 Tabu's request for startups
- 34:40 Addiction businesses with many front doors
- 35:56 Screen time, NoFap apps and the hype curve
- 39:13 Who Tabu wants to hear from