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ST New Ventures
Stephan Schmidheiny's ST New Ventures deploys family capital into early-stage CleanTech and energy transition firms across Latin America, India, and...
ST New Ventures
ST New Ventures is the Swiss family office vehicle of Stephan Schmidheiny, who inherited a fortune rooted in the Eternit building-materials conglomerate. After divesting core industrial holdings, Schmidheiny became an early architect of what is now called impact investing, using his personal capital to fund businesses where ecological returns and financial returns are structurally aligned. The office operates out of Zürich with no external limited partners. The firm makes direct venture and growth-equity investments across clean energy, sustainable materials, circular economy, and resource productivity. Stage coverage spans seed through Series B, often acting as the lead or sole institutional investor in a round. Portfolio companies have included Latin American solar developer Solartec, Indian electric-motorcycle manufacturer Ather Energy, and Swiss modular-construction startup Kraftwerk Group. Geographic deployment concentrates on Latin America, India, and select European markets where industrial-efficiency gaps create early-mover advantages. ST New Ventures runs a lean team, with the Schmidheiny family's historical industrial network serving as an extended sourcing engine for due diligence and portfolio company support. The office functions alongside the Schmidheiny family's broader philanthropic and advocacy structures, notably the Avina Foundation, which operates separately across Latin America. In 2023, the firm led a Series B round for a European green-steel startup, reinforcing its commitment to hard-to-decarbonize heavy industry. A structural differentiator is the integration of patient, multi-decade family capital with a global network of on-the-ground Avina partners who provide deal origination and post-investment operating guidance — effectively a hybrid of venture studio and pure-play family office that no traditional fund timeline can replicate.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
—
AUM
$1.0B–$2.5B (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Switzerland
City
Zürich
Corporate office
Zürich, Switzerland
Principals
Stephan Schmidheiny
Principal
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at ST New Ventures?
Stephan Schmidheiny is the principal decision-maker. The investment team operates from Zürich and draws on a network of sector experts and the Avina Foundation's local partners for origination and due diligence, though ultimate allocation authority rests with Schmidheiny.
How does ST New Ventures source proprietary deal flow?
The firm leverages Schmidheiny's decades-long relationships across Latin America and India, as well as the Avina Foundation's field partners who identify early-stage sustainability ventures. This on-the-ground presence gives the office access to companies that rarely appear in conventional venture pipelines.
Does ST New Ventures participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm primarily makes direct equity investments and occasionally co-invests alongside mission-aligned funds. There is no evidence of a significant fund-of-funds program; the office prefers concentrated positions where the family can add strategic value.
What is the relationship between ST New Ventures and the Avina Foundation?
They are legally separate entities under the same family umbrella. Avina Foundation focuses on philanthropic and advocacy work in Latin America, while ST New Ventures manages for-profit investments. The foundation's local networks nonetheless serve as deal-flow and diligence resources.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The Schmidheiny fortune was built through Eternit, a Swiss building-materials and industrial group with global operations. Stephan Schmidheiny divested most of the legacy assets by the early 2000s and redeployed the proceeds into sustainability-oriented investments.
Which sectors does ST New Ventures explicitly avoid?
The firm does not invest in fossil-fuel extraction, conventional heavy chemicals, or businesses with extractive business models that degrade natural capital without a circular-economy pathway. This negative screen aligns with Schmidheiny's public commitment to sustainability.
What is ST New Ventures' typical check size?
Check sizes range from $1 million to $10 million for early-stage rounds, with the capacity to follow on through growth stages. Exact figures are not publicly disclosed per round, but the firm's scale suggests the ability to lead or anchor rounds for pre-revenue climate-tech companies.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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