Xaver Lehmann

Over the past decade, I’ve built two AI startups; and lived through the full founder journey, from rapid scaling to acquisition, and from burnout to rebuilding purpose. My first company, e-bot7, grew to 130 employees across five European offices and was acquired by LivePerson Inc. (NASDAQ) for $60M. It was an incredible ride that taught me everything about growth, leadership, and the limits of endurance. After taking time to recover, I founded Vidlab7, an AI avatar company backed by EQT Ventures. It took off quickly, but by the end of 2024, I stepped away again; this time to protect my health. I spent four months in South Africa working on social projects and reconnecting with what truly matters. That experience inspired The Honest Founder — a platform and community dedicated to helping ambitious people build the lives they want without losing themselves along the way. Areas of Expertise ✅ Building and scaling AI startups from seed to acquisition ✅ Founder wellbeing, burnout prevention, and sustainable leadership ✅ Fundraising and venture capital relationships (Pre-Seed to Series B) ✅ Building high-performing, cross-cultural startup teams ✅ Mentoring founders on purpose-driven growth and mental resilience