Hey there —

We’re Thomas, Adi, Jo, Florian, Sebastian, Malte, Lars, and Sander—the founding members of Heliogenesis. We’ve been working on this for 10 years, but honestly, this journey didn’t start with us. It started with a question:

How do we stop embarrassing ourselves in front of the planet?

Let us explain.

We didn’t set out to build a movement or redefine civilization. Like so many others, we were just trying to do good work. But as we grew, we kept running into the same problem: the tools, systems, and frameworks we were using to tackle big challenges—climate change, inequality, resource scarcity—just weren’t cutting it. They were outdated, exploitative, and, frankly, embarrassing.

We were trying to build a better future, but we were stuck in the same old patterns: extract, exploit, exhaust. It wasn’t that we didn’t have the skills or the vision—we just didn’t have the right tools, nor the method, to break free from the systems that were holding us back. Sound familiar?

The more we worked, the more we realized the problem wasn’t just us. It was everywhere. Businesses, governments, communities—they were all trapped in the same cycle, chasing short-term gains at the expense of long-term survival. And, as is often the case in situations like this, the planet noticed before we did. That was the especially painful and uncomfortable part.

We needed a better way. A way to align our work with the natural cycles of the Earth, to prioritize life over profit, and to build systems that regenerated rather than depleted. But when we looked around, the solutions we found were either too small, too fragmented, or too stuck in the old ways of thinking. So we decided to build our own.

We started with a simple idea: What if we could create a civilization that runs on the sun? A civilization that doesn’t just take from the Earth, but gives back? A civilization rooted in care, abundance, and life?

We called it heliogenesis.

At first, it was just a framework—a collection of principles and practices that helped us rethink how we work, live, and grow. But as we started using it, something amazing happened. People kept asking, “What is this? We could totally use this for our own communities, businesses, and projects!” And that’s when the lightbulb went on—maybe this isn’t just for us. If we need it, surely others need it too.

So we tweaked it, tightened it up, polished the rough edges, and started sharing it with the world.

Billions of people on this planet have similar struggles. They’re tired of the old ways, tired of the extractive systems, and desperate for a better way forward. They needed what we needed. They know they need it, but don’t know how to get out of the system.

And about a year or so after we first shared it, heliogenesis started to take on a life of its own. Communities began adopting its principles, businesses started aligning with its values, and governments began exploring its potential. It isn’t just a framework anymore—it’s becoming a movement.

It’s been an incredible ride so far, and we have so many people to thank. But most of all, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to continue to make this vision a reality for everyone who seeks a better way to live, work, and thrive. We’re here for them, 100 years and running.

Thanks for reading, and for joining us on this journey. If you have any questions or just want to say hi, you can always reach out. We’d love to hear from you.

— Thomas, Adi, Jo, Florian, Malte, Lars, and Sander