As workplace romance scandals involving senior executives shook the moral pillars of corporate culture earlier this year, Pre-Seed to Succeed, an early-stage investment programme backed by AltaIR Capital, Yellow Rocks, I2BF Global Ventures and Smart Partnership Capital, surveyed members of Europe’s startup community, founders (85 per cent) and investors (15 per cent), to determine whether romantic relationships at work remain a taboo.
According to the results, more than 75 per cent of respondents described their attitude toward office romance as acceptable, either neutral or positive, with 44 per cent of founders and 65 per cent of investors admitting to having had such an experience, either within their startup or at a previous workplace.
As people now spend roughly a third of their day at work, the office has become a common place to meet a future partner. According to The Knot, 10 per cent of couples met at work. In startups, which are typically fast-paced, high-pressure environments, relationships can act as a catalyst for either exceptional synergy or catastrophic fallout.
Four in five respondents in both groups agreed with the latter point, as romantic involvement between colleagues can negatively affect team performance. In more than one in six cases, startup founders said they had to dismiss an employee as a result of such a relationship. Consequently, investors tend to take a cautious stance toward workplace romance, with two-thirds admitting it could significantly reduce a company’s investment appeal.
Despite this, romance is not entirely off the table. Eighty one per cent of European investors said they would still consider backing startups co-founded by couples, yet it would be an important subject for consideration. Similarly, 69 per cent of founders agree that it is possible to successfully run a business with a romantic partner.
“Startups are deeply personal ventures - passion drives both the business and the people behind it,” said Alexander Korchevskiy, co-founder of Pre-Seed to Succeed. “Yet, as investors, we must be pragmatic about potential risks. It’s not about banning relationships; it’s about managing them responsibly.”
The gender balance among respondents was consistent, with a 6:4 male-to-female ratio for both founders and investors. Younger founders aged 18 to 30 were more likely to be women (55 per cent), while the 41 - 50 age group was predominantly male (76 per cent). Both categories of respondents were largely aligned in their answers, with no gender-related differences.
Generally, the findings suggest that romance is not a “no-go” word in startup culture, but rather another factor that can complicate the already demanding reality of building a business. Founders and investors alike seem to accept that relationships may happen in high-pressure environments driven by passion and ambition, as long as professionalism and team dynamics are preserved.