Sundar Pichai-backed CEO urges entrepreneurs to take care of their mental, physical health

Former Google GM and VP Caesar Sengupta, is currently a co-founder and CEO of Singapore-based Arta Finance. (Image credit: LinkedIn)

The co-founder and CEO of a fintech startup, notably backed by prominent investors, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, is championing a vital message for entrepreneurs: the critical importance of mental and physical well-being in the demanding startup world.

Having transitioned from a high-profile role at a major tech company, Caesar Sengupta of Arta Finance understands the stark difference in risk and pressure. Speaking with CNBC Make It, he pointed out that in a startup environment, it's incredibly easy to become completely consumed, often "to the detriment of yourself, your family, your health [and] your mental health."

Sengupta also highlighted that in a big company, risk is more contained, but at a startup, “you’re just much more fragile”.

For him, the solution lies in deliberate self-care. His top strategy is simple: meditation. "I wish three years back, somebody had sat me down and said: 'Dude, like everything else [will] be fine. Just sit yourself down and meditate... know when to tune out,” Sengupta shared. He dedicates five to ten minutes each night to meditation and also leverages physical activity.  “I realised [that] cycling, for me, is not just physical exercise, but it’s one of the only times where no one can reach me… So forcing myself to be on that thing for an hour or two just makes me meditate,” he told CNBC Make It.

Arta Finance, which Sengupta built with co-founders he met at his former big tech company, has successfully raised over $92 million, with backing from significant investors like Sequoia Capital India and Ribbit Capital, alongside Sundar Pichai.