What can Steward-ownership bring to the start-up zoo?
The short answer: This alternative form of hashtag#ownership likely provides the strongest safeguard 🔒 against potential mission-drift.
But it offers so much more…
“Whatever animal your business claims to be, Steward-ownership is one of the the most convincing ways to back it up.” - Hannes Van den Eeckhout
Across the globe, more businesses are emerging with a strong mission focus, aiming to address societal challenges through their products and services. However, staying true to this mission isn’t always straightforward—especially in critical moments when difficult decisions arise, and unexpected (financial) incentives come into play.
Steward-ownership ensures that companies prioritize their mission over short-term profits, particularly in these defining moments. It disrupts the traditional link between money and power by separating two key rights: voting rights and economic rights—marking a true paradigm shift. While the legal frameworks may vary, all steward-owned companies commit to two fundamental principles:
Self-governance – The company remains independent and cannot be sold for private gain.
Profit serves purpose – Profits are reinvested in the company’s mission rather than being extracted by shareholders.
Let’s take a look at the colorful ecosystem of start-ups:
Welcome to the StartUp Zoo!
Zebras 🦓 – Sustainable businesses that balance social hashtag#impact with profitability.
Unicorns 🦄 – Start-ups with HIGH 'value', often disruptive and fast-growing.
Green Swans 🦢 – drive exponential positive breakthroughs through sustainable (systemic) solutions.
Cockroaches 🪳 – Resilient, slow-growing companies that adapt well to tough conditions and survive without massive capital injections.
Horses 🐎 – combine strong growth with a high openness to collaboration.
Cows 🐄 – aim for growth but not driven by rapid exits. Remain more deeply anchored to their founders’ vision.
And also Centaurs 🏇, Dragons 🐉, Camels 🐫, Pegasus 🦄+🕊️, and Rhinoceroses 🦏 can be in our zoo…
What outcomes can steward-ownership bring for these animal start-ups?
Mission always comes first – Profits serve the company’s purpose and cannot be endlessly distributed to shareholders.
Protection against takeovers and speculative investors – Ensuring long-term stability and independence.
Long-term decision-making – Supporting sustainable growth and responsible business choices.
Stronger trust and resilience – Steward-owned companies have been shown to increase customer trust, improve survival rates, and boost employee satisfaction and retention.
Protection: It can ensure - especially for tech companies - that knowledge, technology or sensitive data never ends up in the wrong hands.
Steward-owned companies are pioneering an alternative form of ownership that is rapidly spreading across the world and is particularly valuable for Impact Enterprises.