CSR Policy

As a socially responsible venture investor, Sunstone Life Science Ventures A/S (“Sunstone”) supports the work of Invest Europe, Active Owners and similar institutions to develop and ensure compliance with standard codes of conduct and best practices. Sunstone will as a minimum comply with Code of Conduct and Corporate Governance Guidelines of Invest Europe.

In the assessment of any investment, Sunstone takes a number of aspects into consideration, including but not limited to:

  • Facts on the entity
  • Description of the idea
  • The market
  • Strategy
  • Technology
  • The team behind the idea and their competences
  • The plan for growth
  • Evaluation of risks, including ethical and environmental risks
  • Financial data
  • Exit concerns

To ensure that any recommendation to invest in an entity takes all relevant aspects into consideration, Sunstone complies with a predefined investment process and uses a standard format for its investment proposals. When making investments and in the ongoing work with its portfolio companies, Sunstone considers the ethical, environmental and societal consequences of such investments. All members of the Sunstone team will endeavor to and take the necessary steps to ensure that potential and existing portfolio companies endeavor to:

  • consider the ethical ramifications of its activities;
  • comply with applicable laws and regulations in the markets in which they operate;
  • uphold the necessary respect for international human rights principles and comply with relevant labor conventions;
  • are not domiciled in countries subject to trade embargoes imposed by the United Nations or the European Union that have been endorsed or otherwise officially ratified or approved by the Kingdom of Denmark from time to time;
  • not engage in transactions or financing of activities which may be legal but promotes violent conflicts including through production or trade with firearms, ammunitions and explosives – or which has as its main purpose tax evasion or the production or promotion of pornographic material; and
  • to the greatest extent possible apply similar principles to significant sub-suppliers.

Sunstone will in its activities and in its portfolio companies not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, political or other opinion, cultural background, ethnicity or other distinguishing characteristics.

Environmental concerns

With respect to the environmental area, Sunstone will whenever relevant consider the environmental impact and risks associated with potential investments. In addition to ensuring compliance with applicable environmental legislation, Sunstone will work for minimizing the negative environmental impact of the business of its portfolio companies.

Governing principles

Sunstone is a member of Invest Europe and complies with their Reporting Guidelines and International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation Guidelines in all material respects.