PRF Foundation has established Upstream Partners, launching with offices in Copenhagen and New York. This consultancy venture will assist companies in integrating climate and environmental considerations into their business models and value chains, while also providing government agencies and policymakers with critical insights, strategies, and action plans.

The vision is to create an impact-driven consultancy with international reach. To achieve this, PRF has partnered with Erik Lind Olsen, former partner at Valcon, who will lead U.S. operations, while Jens Böhme will oversee the Danish branch.

Biodiversity as a Business Risk

Upstream Partners was founded on the principle that environmental needs should be deeply integrated into the decisions and actions of governments, corporations, and organizations. Through this new consultancy, PRF aims to heighten awareness of the pressures on the planet’s resources and biodiversity, helping clients to address these critical challenges.

“Natural resources and biodiversity must be prioritized. Nature is the foundation of all life on Earth, and when it is in imbalance—as it is now—it also becomes a business risk. The financial sector, led by banks and insurance companies, is among the first to recognize this risk, which has financial implications for businesses. This recognition is driving demand for comprehensive solutions that integrate business with climate and biodiversity concerns. This is the foundation of Upstream Partners,” says Jens Böhme, CEO of PRF Foundation.

“PRF’s investment in Upstream Partners reflects our belief that current efforts across society are too few, too dispersed, and too weak to effectively address the intertwined climate and biodiversity crisis. Our purpose and strategy are to deliver the essential knowledge and solutions needed by business leaders and the political environment, and an impact-driven consulting firm is one of several key tools we have chosen to deploy.”

Strong Market Potential

According to the World Economic Forum, over 50% of global GDP is directly dependent on natural resources, especially in sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, food production, energy, and construction. At the same time, six out of nine planetary boundaries have been breached, as reported by the Stockholm Resilience Center, while plant and animal species are disappearing faster than at any other time in human history.

“Today, value chains are global, and addressing climate and environmental issues is a worldwide challenge. By combining strategic insight into business processes and value chains with deep expertise in sustainability and biodiversity, our internationally oriented consulting team is positioned to offer relevant and essential solutions,” says CEO Erik Lind Olsen.

“All societal actors—including businesses, industry organizations, and government agencies—have a role in the green transition, and this is the foundation of Upstream Partners. Most companies are aware of new regulations and are eager to do their part, yet often lack concrete solutions. We aim to bridge that gap, providing knowledge and connecting experts to tackle the challenges that businesses and other stakeholders cannot solve alone,” continues CEO Erik Lind Olsen.

The strategy for Upstream Partners is to build a multidisciplinary team and recruit senior partners who can bring both scientific and strategic business competencies to the venture. “Initially, we will focus on the built environment, but our ambition is to gradually expand into more sectors. We recognize that we cannot solve everything on our own, so we will develop networks and alliances with key players to meet these challenges,” concludes Erik Lind Olsen.

About PRF

PRF is a commercial foundation focused on two primary objectives: 1) implementing concrete projects to protect and restore nature and biodiversity, and 2) sharing knowledge on solutions that contribute to sustainable development. PRF was founded in 2022 by Andreea Kaiser and Ludvig Find, who have owned and operated the urban and real estate development company ALFA Development since 2006.

Learn more about Upstream Partners at www.upstream.partners.