Accenture Invests in PulseSG to Improve ESG Measurement
Accenture has invested in pulsESG, Inc., a public benefit company that helps purpose-driven companies improve their ESG footprint.
pulsESG is the latest company to join Accenture Ventures' Project Spotlight, an engagement and early investment programme that connects emerging technology software startups with the Global 2000 to fill strategic innovation gaps. pulsESG has previously received $10 million in seed funding from other leading impact-driven investors.
This action builds upon Accenture's broader sustainability initiatives with a variety of clients, strategic alliance partners, and other international organisations, which include very early-stage investments in key technologies and services that create value for clients and their broader ecosystem partners as sustainability continues to solidify as a top concern among stakeholders.
Peter Lacy, global sustainability services lead, global management committee member and chief responsibility officer at Accenture, said:
"We believe that every business must be a sustainable business and that fundamentally changes how companies report and disclose financial data. Now, the next step is to deliver on this opportunity to unlock the full value from, and impact of, measuring and managing for sustainability. We look forward to bringing the capabilities from this strategic investment to our clients, alliances and partners to help improve ESG measurement and performance with greater transparency and assurance being sought across stakeholders.”
pulsESG, which was co-founded by Silicon Valley enterprise software veterans Murat Sonmez and Inderjeet Singh, provides organisations with a flexible and integrated software as a service (SaaS) platform with both internal data sources and external investor-facing systems to define, measure, and report on organisational ESG performance, as well as to address issues regarding ESG data quality and timelines.
Sönmez, CEO and co-founder of pulsESG, said:
“With a shift toward real-time ESG reporting becoming standard practice for companies worldwide, we designed this platform to be the ultimate system of record for ESG – one that has the flexibility and modularity required by today’s rapidly transitioning regulatory landscape. This investment from Accenture will allow us to scale our platform to new heights as clients navigate the inherent fluidity in ESG analysis.”
While still at an early stage, the platform has been created to increase the quality of ESG collection and enterprise-wide integration by combining the capacity of a multitude of support and specialised software providers with the dashboards and services of significant ecosystem and alliance partners.
“With features such as model-driven architecture and an end-to-end workflow engine, we offer a new level of information that allows for modifications based on changes in the ESG regulatory landscape and stakeholder needs,” said Singh, president and co-founder of pulsESG.
Recent research by Accenture reveals that while the majority of finance leaders (78%) are attempting to comprehend the financial risk that sustainability poses to their business, only 47% have identified critical metrics and data sources for their ESG reporting.
Accenture and pulsESG will collaborate to develop joint product offerings that help customers and partners make more informed decisions and navigate and respond more effectively to the developing ESG landscape.
Tom Lounibos, managing director of Accenture Ventures, said:
"Our investment in pulsESG not only highlights our commitment to scaling new technologies that help our clients solve critical business challenges, but also reinforces our belief in the importance of using innovation for social good. We look forward to collaborating with pulsESG and driving awareness of its offerings and value proposition among our clients and ecosystem partners around the world.”
Source: Accenture
