At eXo, we believe companies should be prototypes of the world we want to live in. In this world, we envision companies as servants of life, as organizations that work for the planet.

We know that the current trajectory of our economy and society at large is not sustainable, in any form of the word. Infinite growth is an archaic fantasy, from a time when our willful ignorance conveniently hid the truth of planetary boundaries. Six out of the nine planetary boundaries have now been crossed, and we can no longer feign innocence of the consequences.

We have to evolve as systems, as organizations, as humans, away from this degenerative model and towards a regenerative model. Towards a world in which businesses serve life rather than shareholder primacy. Towards a world in which our companies contribute to and are stewards of a healthy and vital planet.

eXo wants to build this world. We serve Life on this planet by:

1

Providing a new membrane technology that purifies water. We design, produce and sell epoxy membranes for the most challenging aqueous separations.

2

Co-creating a world in which businesses prioritize people and planet over profit. We support and actively contribute to the development of the steward owned principles.

To safeguard our vision and mission, we decided to opt for a governance form called Steward Ownership. The steward-owned principles are based on two foundational elements:

Hands holding steering bar
Original source: Purpose Economy

Self-governance

Voting rights are in the hands of stewards who are close to the company. Voting rights cannot be sold.

Cyclical Euro
Original source: Purpose Economy

Profit serves purpose

Profits cannot be privatized and are reinvested in the company or donated to serve the mission of the company. Investors, employees and founders are fairly compensated.

This means our company will always be self-governed by stewards, not by absentee shareholders.

Our stewards are the only stakeholders to have voting rights, the sole nexus of company governance. They are legally bound to ensure our profits serve our purpose. This means that our shareholders can benefit up to a certain cap from our profit, but they can never influence our mission.

We strongly believe that the principles behind Steward Ownership represent the paradigm shift we know is necessary. A shift heralding a new generation of companies that aim for a long-term positive contribution to our planet and people, embedded into their legal DNA.

Interested in learning more about Steward Ownership? Check out Purpose Economy! If you’d prefer concrete, detailed and hands-on steward-owned cases or implementation, check out their case studies here.