Founded in 2020, Ethereal Ventures AB builds on two decades of experience in AI and data innovation — helping leaders transform potential into purpose. Our mission is simple: to add value to leaders who multiply value to others—through coaching, speaking, writing, and investing in dreams. We believe that achieving a dream is not just about what you accomplish, but “about who you become along the way”.
We operate on the conviction that every individual has “gold to uncover”. This isn’t just motivational fluff; it is a profound leadership mandate to serve our people first, so they may better serve the customer. In a complex, digitally driven world, Ethereal Ventures works to provide the tools and coaching necessary to transform aspirations into reality, ensuring leaders “Know the way, Go the way, and Show the way”. In addition to our technology background, we saw a need for better leadership skills. That is why we are proud to connect to one of the world’s finest leadership networks, John C. Maxwell global network, committed to equipping and empowering others to lead with integrity, purpose, and passion. “You have gold to uncover. Achieving a dream isn’t just about what you accomplish, it’s about who you become along the way.” — The Pickaxe Principles Framework.
The core of our methodology is presented in the book Pickaxe Principles, a leadership manifesto that shifts the focus from technology hype to human potential. This framework provides a guide for navigating chaos, change, and the convergence of digital systems, structured around four major arcs that turn complexity into clarity:
- The Gold: Start with Your Why. This foundational step requires identifying the deeper purpose behind your team, project, or leadership role. The “gold” is the value, purpose, or insight we seek—it is not the technology itself. It requires setting a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) to guide the trajectory.
- The Rock: Consistent Habits. Big goals are achieved only through small, consistent actions. We break down the metaphorical “rock” of massive challenges into manageable pieces and focus on achieving Daily Ticks, recognizing that “Consistency Compounds”.
- The Refinement: Collaborate Refinement is the process of transforming raw potential into brilliance. We believe leadership involves building teams aligned around a shared vision—the metaphorical “common puzzle box top”. We prioritize People-to-People (P2P) connection, recognizing that true progress is found when we bridge silos (the barriers or resistance) and cultivate trust, becoming a river, not a reservoir.
- The Celebration: Tune in & Reflect. It is vital to pause, reflect on the journey, and practice gratitude. We commit to thinking about the long-term impact (Infinite Game mindset) and avoiding local optima in favor of lasting legacy.
Digging Deep: Why We Invested in Meitner and the Power of Shared Purpose
Ethereal Ventures is more than a consultancy; we “enjoy investing in potential”. Our investment philosophy is guided by the principle of enabling others to succeed, understanding that “selling is serving”. An example of this philosophy was put to the ultimate test when we chose to invest in Meitner, an EdTech startup dedicated to fixing systemic flaws in education.
The impulse to act was triggered by a profound realization in 2020: during a routine visit to our daughter’s school, it became clear that the system suffered from massive inefficiency—it would take the school 72 hours to compile an attendance list in an emergency, exposing a dangerous, outdated, and reactive system. This problem—outdated systems operating in silos—is not unique to education; it mirrors challenges faced by Seveso-class companies, industrial sites, and smart cities.
The Investment: Building Someone Else’s Dream
Our investment in Meitner was a deeply personal commitment that materialized shortly after the founder of Ethereal Ventures, Simon Moritz, had articulated a 10-year goal to become an angel investor. When the opportunity arose, Ethereal Ventures’ owners, Simon and his wife Tina, made a bold move: we sold our family car to invest in Adrian’s dream. This commitment underscored our principle of People Before Profit and our willingness to sacrifice short-term comfort for a long-term, meaningful impact.
By investing, we weren’t just funding a product; we were contributing to a solution designed to protect and empower people, a vision that resonated with the words of Meitner’s namesake:
“Life need not be easy, provided only that it is not empty.”
– Lise Meitner –
This exemplifies how Ethereal Ventures practices High Road Leadership: choosing integrity over convenience and service over ego. Our role is to bring bold thinkers together using a puzzle box top, where each puzzle piece finds it’s own value placed where it is suited best. An example could be an Edge Intelligence hardware performing a proactive service for Seveso classed companies using a system-of-systems approach to integrate technologies seamlessly, transforming fragmented risk into proactive resilience.
We strive to nurture an ECO-system where collaboration thrives, aligning with the conviction that:
“If you find 3 grams of gold in 1 ton of rock, it is worth digging”
Those words from Simon’s father, Staffan Moritz, capture the spirit of Ethereal Ventures: uncovering hidden potential in leaders, teams, and data.
Through Pickaxe Principles and purpose-driven investing, we are helping others uncover their own gold—one dream, one decision, one act of courage at a time.
Ethereal Ventures AB Coaching for Growth, Investing in Potential. Learn more about Ethereal Ventures, Pickaxe Principles, and how we are building a better future through shared vision and ethical innovation at: PickaxePrinciples.com
