Indian-Origin Entrepreneur Sold Startup To LinkedIn, Then Collapsed From Stress. He Later Built $825 Million Brand

Doctors linked his problems to prolonged stress and poor lifestyle habits, with Vohra later describing the experience as a wake-up call.

05 Oct 2026, 09:30 · NDTV

Show
Quick Read
Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed

Rahul Vohra’s startup Rapportive was acquired by LinkedIn for $15 million in 2012
Stress from running Rapportive caused Vohra to collapse and require hospitalization
He adopted meditation and healthier habits after his hospital stay as a wake-up call

What project is Rahul Vohra working on next?

Rahul Vohra, an Indian-origin entrepreneur, was 27 when his startup was acquired by LinkedIn for $15 million. But just months before the deal closed, the pressure of running the company sent the young entrepreneur to hospital and forced him to rethink his approach to work and life. Vohra, who was raised in Birmingham, England, had co-founded Rapportive in 2009. The company developed a browser plug-in that added information about email contacts and was acquired by LinkedIn in February 2012. While the acquisition was a major success, Vohra's health had suffered badly during the process. He had spent years dealing with the pressure of running a startup while surviving largely on unhealthy food and barely exercising.

"I didn't think I was stressed, but I think that's just because when you're stressed all the time, you don't even notice it anymore," Vohra told Fortune.

One morning, he woke up with severe nausea and discomfort but continued working. By lunchtime, the pain had become so intense that he collapsed while walking to a pharmacy near his San Francisco office. A co-founder helped him with painkillers, after which Vohra returned to work.

He eventually went to hospital the following day and underwent several tests. Doctors linked his problems to prolonged stress and poor lifestyle habits, with Vohra later describing the experience as a wake-up call.

"I personally find it sad and dismaying when founders in their 20s…[are] running themselves into the ground, often much worse than what I did. They're doing what I did plus stupid hours, and they're wearing that as a badge of honour. I hope that when people read this, they see that there is another path," he said.

Vohra spent about a week in hospital and then took several more weeks away from work to recover with his family. During that period, he began reconsidering how he wanted to build companies without sacrificing his health. One major change was meditation. Vohra began practising transcendental meditation through the Raj tradition of India and eventually made it part of his daily routine. He now starts his mornings with a 30-minute meditation session and takes another break during the workday.

"When I did finally get back into work, all of the games that the VCs were playing…that were really getting to me, just suddenly didn't faze me at all. I had this new source of grit and resilience. I just straight-up called VCs who were BS-ing me out on their BS and refused to engage with them because I had this new found source of strength, which was simply this gratitude for being alive," he added.

The experience did not stop Vohra from becoming an entrepreneur again. In 2014, he co-founded Superhuman with Conrad Irwin and Vivek Sodera, returning to the email software space. Superhuman went on to become a major success, reaching a valuation of $825 million in 2021. Grammarly acquired the company in 2025, although the financial terms were not disclosed.

This time, Vohra approached entrepreneurship differently. He improved his diet, exercised regularly, made time for meditation and sought advice from nutritionists, coaches and other experts.

Superhuman also had considerably more financial stability than Rapportive. The company raised more than $100 million from investors, reducing the pressure Vohra had experienced during his first startup.

His journey from the $15 million LinkedIn acquisition to building an $825 million company became an example of how success can come with a cost and how a serious health scare can change the way an entrepreneur approaches work.

Got a follow‑up question on this article? Go on

How may i help you today

Show full article

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world