Leo Sigmund Gestetner

Leo Gestetner is a serial entrepreneur turned investor who has been building companies since his teens. Born and raised in the UK (North London), he started his first business as a young teenager selling secondhand computers and developing custom software for the emerging personal-computer market — a venture that grew into a significant dealership. He attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, and on returning to the UK in the mid-1990s launched an IT-services consultancy serving small and medium enterprises.

During the "Internet 1.0" era, Leo co-founded (with his brother) a market-leading online shopping portal spanning the UK, Germany, Sweden, and France, which was ultimately sold to Barclaycard. The brothers then moved from founding startups into private equity, launching Brands etc as a vehicle to buy, build, and actively manage a portfolio of brand-driven consumer companies. Over roughly 2003–2010 they acquired and sold several businesses and launched more than a dozen ventures.

In 2010 Leo relocated with his family to Los Angeles, where he initially developed large-scale spec homes before consolidating his activities under Heath Capital — a US-focused vehicle to create, acquire, actively manage, and invest in brand-driven and technology companies, with a focus that has expanded to include technology and real estate. He leverages a background in private equity and corporate development, plus sourcing expertise tied to Hong Kong and China. More recently he founded Thankz (2023), a global remote-staffing platform, and co-founded Livio (2024), a healthy-living app built with his daughter. He also hosts the *A Founder's Life* podcast. Leo is hard of hearing (from sudden sensorineural hearing loss around 2001) and is an active advocate for diversity and inclusion — both Thankz and Zenvoy are Certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBE).

• Invests through Heath Capital, his own US-focused vehicle, to "create, acquire, actively manage and invest in brand-driven companies," with an expanded focus on technology and real estate.
• Emphasis on active, hands-on management rather than passive capital — the firm describes its approach as "creating long-term value by empowering company management" and improving operational performance.
• Draws on deep private equity and corporate-development experience, plus international sourcing (Hong Kong / China) and remote-team building.
• Backs founders across consumer brands, technology/enterprise software, and real estate; comfortable at seed/early stage as well as growth-stage acquisitions.
• Personally motivated by founder wellbeing and balanced entrepreneurship — his *A Founder's Life* podcast explores the intersection of entrepreneurship, health, and parenthood, signaling he values sustainable, mission-aligned founders.