Startup founders confront stress of struggle

Success can be highly rewarding, but many entrepreneurs say their lives are being eaten away by anxiety

In 2015, just a month after starting his own business designing internet-connected devices for cars, Yu Deqing's hair began falling out in clumps, his weight plummeted - he lost 5 kilograms in two weeks, beating his weight loss record at the gym - and the money he had saved during a decade as an architectural designer evaporated.

Yu has been without a salary since the start of last year, so he has been living off his wife's income while inspiring his 20-strong team to build a company he dreams will become China's answer to Tesla.