Purpose Ventures
Purpose Ventures e.G. is a Hamburg-based cooperative investment entity within the Purpose Group that provides purpose-aligned venture and growth capital to founders building steward-owned companies, having activated €250M+ across 300+ companies since 2015.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Purpose Ventures does
Purpose Ventures e.G. is a Hamburg, Germany-registered cooperative (eingetragene Genossenschaft, GnR 1100) operating as the venture-stage investment arm of the Purpose Group. Founded in 2015, the entity provides purpose-aligned capital to founders building steward-owned companies — businesses structured so that self-determination and purpose-orientation are legally binding, preventing speculation-driven exits and personal profit extraction by owners. Purpose Ventures sits within an integrated ecosystem alongside Purpose Foundation (non-profit advocacy and research), Purpose Consulting (governance and ownership advisory), Purpose Evergreen Capital (patient capital for SMEs), and Purpose Veto-Share (a proprietary legal mechanism to implement steward-ownership in corporate charters, currently available in Germany and Switzerland). Regional affiliates Purpose Latam (Chile) and Purpose US extend the model internationally.
The company's go-to-market is direct and sales-led: Purpose Ventures works directly with entrepreneurs seeking custom-tailored ownership and governance structures, as well as with existing companies transitioning from conventional to steward-ownership (e.g., shareholder buyouts). Notable disclosed investments include Stapelstein (2022, co-led with Purpose Evergreen Capital to buy out old shareholders), Wildplastic (2019, growth capital), Neue Narrative (2020, seed financing), and Organically Grown Company (2017, co-led with US partner Candide Group). The entity does not disclose specific fund AUM, ticket sizes, management fees, or revenue. Since 2015, the Purpose Group reports having activated €250M+ for steward-owned companies and worked directly with 300+ companies on their steward-ownership journeys, while collaborating with 200+ universities globally on education and advocacy.
Purpose Ventures is represented by Co-Founder and Investment Partner Achim Hensen, Investment Partner Laura Höcherl, Consultant and Investment Partner Jakob Willeke, and Representative Daria Urman; Co-Founder Alexander Kühl leads the broader Purpose Group. The organization distributes thought leadership through LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, a Spotify podcast, email newsletter, and Creative Commons-licensed educational content on steward-ownership.com. As an investment vehicle inside a mission-driven ecosystem, Purpose Ventures does not pursue technology productization or AI capabilities — its value proposition is structural (ownership/governance design), relational (ecosystem access), and financial (patient, mission-aligned capital).
Purpose Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Purpose Ventures
- Legal name
- Purpose Ventures e.G.
- Website
- https://purpose-economy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Purpose Ventures e.G. is a Hamburg-based cooperative investment entity within the Purpose Group that provides purpose-aligned venture and growth capital to founders building steward-owned companies, having activated €250M+ across 300+ companies since 2015.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Purpose Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / Mission-Aligned Investment
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Impact / ESG Venture Capital (FSANAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds (FSANAJAN), Impact Investment & Development Investment Funds (BPADACAO)
Keywords
Where Purpose Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Purpose Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Returns from Steward-Owned Portfolio Companies: Purpose Ventures provides growth capital and venture funding to steward-owned businesses, earning returns through equity ownership and profit participation in portfolio companies. As a financing partner, they provide non-extractive, mission-aligned capital to help businesses grow while maintaining their purpose-driven independence.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Purpose Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Purpose Ventures provides purpose-aligned growth and venture capital to founders building steward-owned companies. It invests through equity ownership and profit participation in portfolio companies, enabling founders to access growth capital while preserving mission-driven independence and implementing steward-ownership legal structures. The entity operates as the venture investment arm of the Purpose Group ecosystem.
Product overview
Purpose Ventures is an investment entity within the Purpose Group that provides purpose-aligned capital to help founders build steward-owned companies. It operates alongside Purpose Consulting (custom-tailored ownership and governance structures), Purpose Evergreen Capital (patient capital for SMEs), and the Purpose Veto-Share solution. Purpose Ventures specifically focuses on early-stage and growth-stage companies seeking to implement steward-ownership structures, providing both capital and strategic support for companies transitioning to or starting with this ownership model.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Purpose Ventures Investment Purpose-aligned growth and venture capital for founders building steward-owned companies; invests via equity ownership and profit participation in portfolio companies and supports implementation of steward-ownership legal structures.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300+ companies directly worked with on their path to steward-ownership
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Purpose Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Purpose Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Purpose Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.
- Purpose FoundationcorePurpose Foundation is the non-profit arm of the Purpose Group that drives advocacy, research, and education around steward-ownership. The foundation creates open content, tools, and education materials based on insights from Purpose Ventures and other operating entities.
- Purpose ConsultingcorePurpose Consulting globally accompanies entrepreneurs and founders toward custom-tailored ownership and governance structures, working in close collaboration with Purpose Ventures to provide comprehensive support.
- Purpose Evergreen CapitalcorePurpose Evergreen Capital offers patient, value-aligned capital to small and medium-sized enterprises. Works together with Purpose Ventures to provide comprehensive financing options for steward-owned companies.
- Purpose Veto-SharecoreThe Purpose Veto-Share solution enables companies to legally safeguard the principles of steward-ownership (currently available in Germany and Switzerland), simplifying legal implementation for companies Purpose Ventures invests in.
- Purpose LatamregionalRegional affiliated partner operating under the Purpose brand in Latin America, co-founded by Nelson Rodríguez Harvey and Anna Bonan, advancing steward-ownership in the region.
- Purpose USregionalRegional affiliated partner operating under the Purpose brand in the United States, extending the steward-ownership movement to North American companies and founders.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Purpose Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ananda Impact Ventures: European impact VC fund backing mission-driven companies with measurable social and environmental impact; comparable in stage, geography, and thesis around patient, values-aligned capital.
- BonVenture: One of Germany's earliest impact VCs, investing in purpose-driven SMEs with a social or environmental mission; closely comparable in geography, ticket size, and impact orientation.
- better ventures: European early-stage impact investor backing founders addressing social and environmental challenges; comparable in stage, mission orientation, and ticket size.
- Bridges Fund Management: UK-based impact-focused investment firm with strategies spanning venture, growth, and outcomes-based contracts; comparable as an established European impact investor serving mission-driven companies.
- Toniic: Global impact investor network and co-investment platform backing early-stage impact ventures; comparable as a community-oriented vehicle for deploying impact capital into mission-driven founders.
- Acumen: Global impact investor providing patient capital to early-stage companies serving low-income communities; comparable in deploying non-extractive, mission-aligned growth capital at early stage.
- Purpose Evergreen Capital: Sister entity within the Purpose Group that provides patient, value-aligned capital to SMEs; offers the closest direct peer comparison for Purpose Ventures since both deploy mission-aligned capital into steward-owned companies.
- AENU: Berlin-based early-stage VC focused on climate and social-impact founders; comparable as a German impact-first investor competing for similar purpose-driven deal flow.
Others
- Ecosia (Steward-Owned Portfolio Example): Notable steward-owned search engine that Purpose has worked with; not a capital peer but a flagship ecosystem example demonstrating the steward-ownership model Purpose Ventures backs.
Broad incumbents
- KfW Capital: German state-backed fund-of-funds investing into German and European venture capital; comparable as a major capital provider operating in the same German VC ecosystem as Purpose Ventures.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Purpose Ventures social profiles
Digital presencePurpose Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Purpose Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Purpose Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Purpose Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Purpose Ventures
What does Purpose Ventures do?
Purpose Ventures provides purpose-aligned growth and venture capital to founders building steward-owned companies. It invests through equity ownership and profit participation in portfolio companies, enabling founders to access growth capital while preserving mission-driven independence and implementing steward-ownership legal structures. The entity operates as the venture investment arm of the Purpose Group ecosystem.
Is Purpose Ventures a public or private company?
Purpose Ventures is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Purpose Ventures founded?
Purpose Ventures was founded in 2015.
Where is Purpose Ventures based?
Purpose Ventures is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Purpose Ventures make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns from Steward-Owned Portfolio Companies.
Who are Purpose Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ananda Impact Ventures, BonVenture, better ventures, Bridges Fund Management, Toniic, Acumen, Purpose Evergreen Capital and AENU. Ecosia (Steward-Owned Portfolio Example) is listed as an others. KfW Capital is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Purpose Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Purpose Ventures.
What industry is Purpose Ventures in?
Purpose Ventures's product category is Venture Capital / Mission-Aligned Investment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAG, Impact / ESG Venture Capital, with a secondary code of FSANAJAN, SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds. Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6799.