BuurtzorgT

Prioritizing patient care over profits

In a nutshell

Founded by Nico Moleman and Jos de Blok in 2014, BuurtzorgT started with the idea to find new ways of helping people battling mental illnesses. Their approach, following the success of the revolutionary Dutch care provider Buurtzorg, was to set up a fully self-steering organization in which small self-managed teams provide care and therapy to patients in their homes.

Growing 40% per year across the first ten years, BuurtzorgT’s innovative model has turned into a true success story, with over 72 teams spread all over the Netherlands.

However, as the organization soared, a new challenge emerged: how to secure the necessary external growth capital without losing the very essence of what makes BuurtzorgT so unique. The founders wanted to find a way to mirror the values and the self-steering nature of the organization in the ownership and financing structure – and found a solution in steward ownership.

Collaborating with Purpose Evergreen Capital, BuurtzorgT secured patient and aligned capital without compromising its mission. The transition involved creating an ownership structure with steward shares, economic shares, and a Golden Share to protect the principles of steward ownership. The investment process was built on trust and mutual respect, resulting in a model that preserves the soul of BuurtzorgT while ensuring its independence and longterm stability.

The story of BuurtzorgT demonstrates the potential of steward ownership in healthcare, providing a fitting model to prioritize patient care over profit.