Almost ten years after the creation of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, ESG – Environmental, Social, and Governance – has become a key focus area in the business world.
As regulatory requirements and investor expectations increase, finding smarter technology solutions to measuring a firm’s impact has become the must have SaaS product of the 2020s.
Growing expectations, growing sector
As the 2030 deadline looms closer, governments are tightening their efforts with a focus on businesses.
There’s been a staggering 74% increase in ESG reporting provisions by governmental bodies in the last four years, and more rules around climate disclosure from the SEC, the UK, and the EU on reporting emissions mean it’s only going to get tougher to remain compliant.
The result was a 42% increase in investment in ESG strategies from 2018 to 2020.
A big opportunity
As well as environmental and societal benefits, smarter ESG decisions have huge potential business benefits.
A focus on the SDGs throughout global economic strategy could generate 380 million jobs and $12 trillion a year in new opportunities.
Companies that offer smarter tech solutions that help businesses not only meet government and investor expectations but that unlock business benefits will be the ones to watch.
Movers and shakers: Clarity AI
Machine learning is at the heart of Clarity AI’s market-leading sustainability tech, allowing it to regularly analyse more than 2 million data points.
The ability to customise the platform to report on as much or as little as you need as well as being able to breakdown performance against SDGs at a product or service level has seen Clarity AI raise $80 million since 2017.
We’re excited to have worked with them to build their sales team, most recently with the appointment of a VP of Sales to oversee their next growth chapter.
Ones to watch: Evora Global
Evora Global’s technology allows real estate investment firms to think long term.
With some of the world’s biggest fund managers as clients, Evora Global combines consultancy and proprietary software to help firms manage climate risks, secure sustainable finance and remain compliant.
Acquired by Bridges Fund Management in 2022, the private equity backed firm has grown to employ more than 200 people.
Ready to grow
With only one third of companies saying they currently have an ESG strategy, tech firms that help simplify and automate ESG are set for explosive growth.
From deciding which opportunities to pursue to managing new markets, senior sales leaders are a critical hire for any tech-centred ESG platforms looking to capitalise on a growing market.
Finding the face of your business
In high-growth sectors like ESG, new sales hires will often be the face of the business, managing multiple new market entries or setting up a new regional office.
Getting the right person can make all the difference between a slow start and a thriving team and business.
We’ve helped some of the biggest ESG tech firms design their sales team framework and find the people to bring it to life.
If you’re an ESG Fintech firm looking for a growth leader or senior sales hire, get in touch with the team today to tell us more about your brief and find out why so many top Fintech firms choose us to find top sales talent globally.
