This kanji represents the act of people lifting up something invisible—like life, enthusiasm, or a dream—with their hands. Therefore, it carries the meaning of ‘founding’ or ‘creating’ something intangible through collective human effort.
found(興)
take(取)
In ancient times, when people were defeated in war, their ears were cut off and taken by the victors as proof of victory. Therefore, this character directly captures that brutal history to mean ‘take’.