HB Antwerp founders bow out

In a brief statement yesterday, the two founders said the company’s direction had shifted away from its original mission, but did not provide details.

“When we founded HB, our ambition was clear: to build a new blueprint for the diamond industry — one that returned value creation to producing countries, starting with our partnership in Botswana,” said de Toledo and Papismedov. “We believed in a model anchored in local transfer of knowledge and long-term impact. “But as the company’s direction shifted away from that mission, we knew it was time to step back — and step into new ventures that continue to pursue our vision.”