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SEB – A part of the Wallenberg Ecosystem

SEB’s tradition of supporting people and companies, and contributing to the development of society, goes back to 1856, when André Oscar Wallenberg founded the bank. We are also part of something bigger – the Wallenberg ecosystem. Every year, a part of SEB’s dividend goes to basic research and education via our largest shareholder Investor AB and the Wallenberg Foundations.

Together, the foundations and companies that the Wallenberg family is involved in form an ecosystem. Through the Wallenberg ecosystem, every year, a share of SEB’s dividend funds basic research and education via our largest shareholder Investor AB and the Wallenberg Foundations in areas such as medicine, natural science, and technology (see illustration).

I do believe that a lot of the people working with us feel pride to work in an organisation, or an ecosystem, where so much is given back to society.
Marcus Wallenberg
Chair of the board, SEB

The foundations also support strategic research initiatives within artificial intelligence, sustainable materials, and life science. We are proud that we can contribute to the development of the society also in this way and help pave the way for scientific breakthroughs.

The Wallenberg ecosystem can be seen as a continuous cycle where at least 80 per cent of the dividends from the long-term profitable holdings in world-leading companies are granted to basic research and education at Swedish universities, through the foundations. The remaining 20 per cent are reinvested in the portfolio companies, generating additional capacity for grants.

The foundations’ main purpose is to promote scientific research and education for the betterment of Sweden. The long-term mindset of the Wallenberg family and the ecosystem has made it possible for the foundations to distribute approximately 2.8 billion kronor annually and in total approximately 44 billion kronor since the establishment of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation in 1917.

The better the individual companies perform; the more dividends will ultimately go to the foundations and their support for the universities and their basic research.
Jacob Wallenberg
Chair of the board, Investor AB

The Wallenberg ecosystem

  • The Wallenberg family is engaged in companies and foundations through committed board work on a long-term basis.

  • The Wallenberg ecosystem includes 16 non-profit foundations established by the Wallenberg family or in memory of family members. The Wallenberg Foundations is the collective name for the public and private foundations.

  • The Wallenberg ecosystem also includes the Wallenberg foundations’ wholly-owned holding companies – Wallenberg Investments, FAM and Navigare Ventures – as well as the listed, partly-owned industrial holding company Investor AB and its respective holdings in world-leading and innovative companies. Dividends from the companies then go back to the foundations, which distribute grants for research and education at Swedish universities.

  • The largest shareholder of SEB is Investor AB. It counts the Wallenberg Foundations among its largest shareholders. Hence, every year, a part of SEB’s dividend is distributed to Investor AB, which in turns distribute dividend to the Wallenberg Foundations (see illustration).

SEB’s largest shareholders

  • Investor AB, northern Europe’s largest industrial holding company, was founded by the Wallenberg family in 1916, and the company is partly owned by the three largest Wallenberg Foundations. Investor AB is SEB’s largest shareholder and counts SEB as one of its core holdings.

  • Other large shareholders of SEB include AMF, Alecta and Swedbank Robur.
    See full list of our largest shareholders.

Illustration of SEB as part of the Wallenberg Ecosystem

Wallenberg Foundations1

One of Investor AB's largest shareholders

Annual grants (SEK 2.8bn)

Excellent basic research and education in areas such as natural science, technology and medicine

Dividends

    


Investor AB

One of SEB's largest shareholders

    

Dividends

    


SEB

    

1) For example: Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation and Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation.

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