Philosophy

The name

In Norse mythology Vanaheim is the world of the Vanir. They are the gods of fertility, growth and nature. The name stands for what this holding wants: for something to grow that lasts.

The guiding idea

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Chinese proverb

I cannot turn back time. But I can plant today. Every investment is a tree whose shade only the next generation will sit in.

My mission

Every investment should counter climate change, save resources or help people to help themselves. In practice I pursue four goals:

• A stable climate: Less CO2 through power from wind and sun. What cannot be avoided yet is offset.
• Enough resources: Fewer new goods, more reuse. What already exists should be used for longer.
• Healthy people: Education, health and wellbeing are the basis for everything else.
• Paths of their own: Helping people help themselves, locally and directly. A small loan is often enough to start a business.

How I review

I invest my own private wealth. That is why I review every project thoroughly before I invest.

1. Impact first: The venture moves at least one of the four goals forward.
2. People: I invest in teams I have met in person.
3. Viability: The business model and its financing have to stand on their own feet.
4. Patience: My own capital lets me take the long view. I do not expect a quick exit.

My own footprint

I regularly calculate the holding's CO2 emissions and offset them through climate projects: reforestation in Panama and Tanzania, solar systems in Mauritania, South Africa and Vietnam and climate-neutral cooking stoves in Ghana.