Stephan Schmidheiny did not only build up his own companies; he was also a catalyst for the ideas of others. Time and again he recognised the potential of people and ventures early on – and, at the decisive moment, gave them the push they needed: with conviction, his network, entrepreneurial advice and often the first capital, when others were still hesitating. In this way he helped initiatives achieve a breakthrough that would scarcely have come about without him.
Solarcentury – successful solar pioneers
The British solar company Solarcentury exemplifies Stephan Schmidheiny's role as a catalyst. When environmental scientist Jeremy Leggett set out in 1997 to build a non-profit organisation to promote solar energy, Stephan Schmidheiny advised him to establish a for-profit company instead – while supporting the initial phase with a philanthropic grant. Leggett followed the advice and founded Solarcentury in 1998. Two years later, Stephan Schmidheiny made the first equity investment of eight million pounds through his investment company – in the midst of the uncertainty following the burst of the tech bubble. Together, the two agreed that Solarcentury would dedicate five per cent of its annual profits to solar projects in Africa. This later gave rise to the charity SolarAid. Solarcentury grew into one of Europe's leading solar companies. Stephan Schmidheiny remained a shareholder for more than two decades – until the company was acquired by the Norwegian energy group Statkraft in 2020. His early commitment to solar energy had thus also paid off entrepreneurially.
Endeavor: From local founders to global impact
Stephan Schmidheiny was also a patron of Endeavor. In 1997, the young American Linda Rottenberg and her partner Peter Kellner set out to build an organisation that would help talented entrepreneurs in emerging markets achieve their breakthrough – through mentoring, networks and access to capital. But the venture hung in the balance: in the midst of the Asian financial crisis, every foundation turned them down, and Kellner made his seed capital conditional on matching funding. Stephan Schmidheiny, long connected to Latin America, believed in the idea and doubled Kellner's investment. This gave Endeavor enough capital to launch at the end of 1997. That early idea grew into a worldwide movement for high-impact entrepreneurship: today Endeavor is active in dozens of countries and has supported thousands of founders on their journey – a network that creates role models and shapes entire economies.