Purpose
Purpose is a Hamburg-based non-profit foundation and consulting group, founded in 2015, that coined and pioneered the legal framework of "steward ownership" and has supported 300+ companies, impact investors, and founders globally in transitioning to mission-protective governance structures.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Purpose does
Purpose is a Hamburg-based non-profit foundation and consulting group founded in 2015 that coined the term "steward ownership" — an alternative corporate ownership model that legally enshrines self-determination and purpose-orientation to keep companies independent and mission-driven. The Purpose Group operates through multiple entities: Purpose Foundation (advocacy, research, and open-content education), Purpose Consulting (direct advisory services to entrepreneurs and companies on governance transitions), Purpose Ventures and Purpose Evergreen Capital (investment vehicles providing patient, value-aligned capital), and Purpose Veto-Share (a legal solution enabling companies to permanently safeguard steward ownership principles via a 1% golden share, currently available in Germany and Switzerland). Underlying technical components are legal and governance frameworks rather than software: the Veto-Share/Golden Share model, Dual Foundation Structure, and Purpose Trust Structure. Purpose also coordinates regional affiliated partners including Purpose Latin America and Purpose US.
Purpose generates revenue through a hybrid model spanning professional consulting fees for tailored ownership transitions, equity-based investment returns from portfolio companies, and donations/grants supporting foundation-driven advocacy. Its go-to-market is sales-led and direct, targeting founders, entrepreneurs, established companies facing succession challenges, and impact investors. Distribution is multi-channel: open-content resources on steward-ownership.com, podcast and YouTube content, annual SO conferences (SO:25 in Berlin, October 2024), open info calls, and earned media in outlets such as Forbes, The New Yorker, Spiegel, and ARD. To date, Purpose has directly supported 300+ companies — including Ecosia, Sharetribe, Einhorn, Patagonia, elobau, and Goldeimer — activated an estimated €250M+ in investment capital for steward-owned businesses, and collaborated with 200+ universities globally.
Purpose firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Purpose
- Legal name
- Purpose Stiftung gemeinnützige GmbH
- Website
- https://purpose-economy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Purpose is a Hamburg-based non-profit foundation and consulting group, founded in 2015, that coined and pioneered the legal framework of "steward ownership" and has supported 300+ companies, impact investors, and founders globally in transitioning to mission-protective governance structures.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Purpose industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Corporate Governance & Ownership Advisory
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)
Keywords
Where Purpose is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Purpose business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Purpose Consulting provides advisory services to entrepreneurs and founders on custom-tailored ownership and governance structures, from company founding through succession and aligned financing.
- Investment Returns: Purpose Ventures and Purpose Evergreen Capital provide patient, value-aligned capital to steward-owned companies, generating returns through equity investments in portfolio companies.
- Donations and Foundation Support: As a non-profit foundation, Purpose Foundation operates through donations and grants to drive advocacy, research, and education around steward ownership.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Consulting and advisory services for steward ownership transitions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Purpose product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Purpose provides consulting, advocacy, research, education, and patient capital to help companies transition into and operate under "steward ownership," an alternative ownership model that legally enshrines self-determination and purpose-orientation. The group offers bespoke ownership/governance advisory through Purpose Consulting, aligned startup capital via Purpose Ventures, SME patient capital via Purpose Evergreen Capital, and a legal veto-share solution (Purpose Veto-Share), while Purpose Foundation drives open-content advocacy, education, and research globally.
Product overview
Purpose is a non-profit organization and consulting/advisory group focused on steward ownership - an alternative corporate ownership model that ensures companies remain independent and mission-driven. The organization consists of multiple entities: the non-profit Purpose Foundation (advocacy, research, education), Purpose Consulting (advisory services), Purpose Ventures and Purpose Evergreen Capital (investment vehicles), and Purpose Veto-Share (legal structure solution). Purpose does not offer a technology product or software platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Purpose Consulting: Global consulting services accompanying entrepreneurs and founders toward custom-tailored ownership and governance structures
- Purpose Ventures
- Purpose Evergreen Capital
- Purpose Veto-Share
- Purpose Latin America
- Purpose US
Products and services
- Purpose Consulting Globally accompanies entrepreneurs and founders toward custom-tailored steward-ownership and governance structures, from company founding through succession and aligned financing. For companies of all sizes seeking to protect their mission through legal structures.
- Purpose Ventures Helps the next generation of founders build profitable, steward-owned businesses with purpose-aligned capital. For entrepreneurs founding or transitioning companies into steward ownership.
- Purpose Evergreen Capital Offers patient, value-aligned capital to small and medium-sized enterprises to help them stay independent and true to their values via steward ownership. For SMEs seeking succession or recapitalization without mission extraction.
- Purpose Veto-Share Enables companies to legally safeguard the principles of steward ownership through a veto-share structure (typically 1% voting rights held by Purpose Foundation). For companies in Germany and Switzerland seeking permanent legal mission protection.
- Purpose Foundation Non-profit entity that drives advocacy, research, and education around steward ownership, producing open-content materials, frameworks, and resources freely available globally. For the general public, academia, founders, and policymakers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300+ companies directly supported in steward ownership transitions
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Purpose
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Purpose technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Purpose partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Purpose LatamcoreRegional affiliated partner operating under the Purpose brand in Latin America, led by Anna Bonan as Founder and Nelson Rodríguez Harvey as Co-Founder. Works to integrate steward ownership into the Latin American region with localized narrative and approach.
- Purpose UScoreRegional affiliated partner operating under the Purpose brand in the United States. Supports US-based companies in steward ownership transitions, including case studies like Firebrand Artisan Breads.
- Foundation for Steward-Ownership (Germany)coreRegional changemaker organization in Germany collaborating with Purpose to advance steward ownership in the German market.
- We Are Stewards (Netherlands)coreRegional changemaker organization in the Netherlands working with Purpose to advance steward ownership in the Dutch market.
- Viva con AguaminorNon-profit network that Goldeimer (a steward-owned company Purpose worked with) is part of, supporting water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects worldwide.
- Purpose FoundationcoreNon-profit entity within the Purpose Group that drives advocacy, research, and education for steward ownership globally.
- Purpose ConsultingcoreEntity within the Purpose Group that provides consulting services to companies transitioning to steward ownership.
- Purpose VenturescoreInvestment entity within the Purpose Group that helps founders build profitable, steward-owned businesses with purpose-aligned capital.
- Purpose Evergreen CapitalcoreInvestment entity within the Purpose Group offering patient, value-aligned capital to small and medium-sized enterprises for steward ownership transitions.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Purpose competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Sonen Capital: US impact investment advisory firm that builds and manages impact-aligned portfolios for institutions and families. Comparable to Purpose's investment-advisory role in stewarding capital toward mission-aligned companies.
- RSF Social Finance: US non-profit financial services organization providing loans, investments, and donor advised funds to social enterprises. Comparable as a values-based capital intermediary operating across philanthropy and investing, similar to Purpose's foundation-plus-investment model.
- Schumacher Center for a New Economics: US non-profit advocating alternative economic models including community land trusts, local currencies, and mission-locked ownership. Comparable as an ideological ally promoting steward-ownership-adjacent frameworks and educating founders on non-extractive business models.
- Toniic: Global impact-investing membership community that channels capital to mission-aligned companies. Comparable to Purpose Ventures / Evergreen Capital as an impact capital community targeting the same investor and founder base.
- Pymwymic: European community of wealthy families and foundations deploying capital for positive impact. Comparable as a European peer mobilizing HNW and foundation capital toward purpose-aligned investing, similar to Purpose's stewardship investor base.
Broad incumbents
- B Lab: Global non-profit that certifies B Corporations and promotes mission-driven business, directly overlapping Purpose's steward-ownership advocacy for mission-driven companies. B Lab is the broader, more established incumbent; Purpose is a more specialized alternative-ownership framework.
- Omidyar Network: Large US philanthropic impact investment firm founded by Pierre Omidyar. Comparable as a broad incumbent funder and advocate of alternative ownership, mission-driven business, and impact investing at global scale.
- Triodos Bank: European values-based bank financing sustainable enterprises. Comparable as a broader incumbent in mission-driven finance that intersects with Purpose's ecosystem of steward-owned companies and impact investors.
- Calvert Impact Capital: US non-profit impact investing intermediary with multi-billion-dollar AUM financing mission-driven organizations. Comparable as a larger, established incumbent providing capital to companies aligned with social and environmental goals.
Regional players
- BonVenture: Germany-based impact venture capital firm investing in mission-driven SMEs. Strongly comparable to Purpose Evergreen Capital as a domestic peer providing patient, values-aligned growth capital to German impact companies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Purpose social profiles
Digital presencePurpose financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Purpose leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Purpose subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Purpose funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Purpose M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Purpose
What does Purpose do?
Purpose provides consulting, advocacy, research, education, and patient capital to help companies transition into and operate under "steward ownership," an alternative ownership model that legally enshrines self-determination and purpose-orientation. The group offers bespoke ownership/governance advisory through Purpose Consulting, aligned startup capital via Purpose Ventures, SME patient capital via Purpose Evergreen Capital, and a legal veto-share solution (Purpose Veto-Share), while Purpose Foundation drives open-content advocacy, education, and research globally.
Is Purpose a public or private company?
Purpose is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Purpose founded?
Purpose was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Purpose based?
Purpose is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Purpose make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are investment Returns and donations and Foundation Support.
Who are Purpose's main competitors?
Others on record are Sonen Capital, RSF Social Finance, Schumacher Center for a New Economics, Toniic and Pymwymic. Broad incumbents are B Lab, Omidyar Network, Triodos Bank and Calvert Impact Capital. BonVenture is listed as a regional player.
Does Purpose have an API?
No public API is recorded for Purpose.
What industry is Purpose in?
Purpose's product category is Corporate Governance & Ownership Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAC, Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking, with a secondary code of FSAAABAH, Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments). Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8742.