DWS Group is one of the world's leading asset managers with EUR 704bn of assets under management (as of 31. March 2019). Building on more than 60 years of experience and a reputation for excellence in Germany and across Europe, DWS has come to be recognized by clients globally as a trusted source for integrated investment solutions, stability and innovation across a full spectrum of investment disciplines. They offer individuals and institutions access to our strong investment capabilities across all major asset classes and solutions aligned to growth trends. Their diverse expertise in Active, Passive and Alternatives asset management – as well as their deep environmental, social and governance focus – complement each other when creating targeted solutions for their clients. Their expertise and on-the-ground-knowledge of their economists, research analysts and investment professionals are brought together in one consistent global CIO View, which guides their strategic investment approach.

DWS Group

Allianz X is the digital investment unit of the Allianz Group and part of the Group’s Single Digital Agenda. Allianz X invests in digital growth companies that are part of its ecosystems related to insurance: Mobility, Connected Property, Connected Health, Wealth Management & Retirement, and Data Intelligence and Cybersecurity. It provides an interface between portfolio companies and the digital ecosystem within Allianz as well as drive innovation across Allianz’s operating entities and global lines of business.

Allianz X

If you want to invest in a stable future, you can not ignore real values. At Commerz Real, a company of the Commerzbank Group, these have been the focus for 46 years. At its main locations in Wiesbaden and Düsseldorf, as well as in 17 other branches in Germany and abroad, around 730 employees are committed to making tangible assets available and financing them. Whether real estate, solar parks, ships, pipelines or production plants: they concentrate on attractive real estate investments, which they structure optimally for you. Comprehensive expertise in asset management and broad structuring expertise are combined into investment products for private and institutional investors, individual financing structuring for commercial projects and alternative financing solutions for corporate clients. Their range of funds includes the open-ended real estate fund hausInvest, institutional investment vehicles as well as corporate participations of the brand CFB Invest with its focus on aircraft, renewable energies and real estate. As a leasing service provider to the Commerzbank Group, they also offer tailor-made leasing concepts for companies as well as individual financing structuring for real estate, large-scale real estate and infrastructure projects. This diversity is their strength. And the basis for the economic success of their investors, customers and business partners.

Commerz Real

Land Hessen

Accenture Ventures partners with growth-stage startups that create innovative and disruptive enterprise technologies using an open innovation.

Accenture Ventures

Energy Impact Partners LP (EIP) is a global venture capital firm leading the transition to a sustainable future. EIP brings together entrepreneurs and the world's most forward-looking energy and industrial companies to advance innovation. With over $2.5 billion in assets under management, EIP invests globally across venture, growth, credit, and infrastructure.

Energy Impact Partners

Meridiam is a global investor and asset manager specializing in public and community infrastructure with a long-term view. Founded in 2005, the company is an independent player committed to aligning the interests of all stakeholders.   Meridiam develops projects in OECD countries by working closely with public authorities at every stage of their projects, from design through long-term management (25 years). Meridiam promotes a hands-on approach with a strong focus on technical, environmental and social aspects as well as an active engagement with project stakeholders.

Meridiam

ESG Book

ESG Book is a global leader in sustainability data and technology. Incubated by Arabesque in 2018, ESG Book combines cutting-edge technology and proprietary research. ESG Book’s wide range of cloud-based sustainability products and solutions are used by many of the world’s leading financial organisations.  The company’s cloud-based platform makes ESG data accessible, consistent, and transparent, enabling financial markets to allocate capital towards more sustainable and higher-impact assets. Covering over 25,000 companies globally, ESG Book enables companies to be custodians of their own data, provides framework-neutral sustainability information in real-time, and promotes transparency. The company has offices in London, Frankfurt, Boston, Singapore, Delhi and Tokyo and serves clients worldwide from offices in Asia, Europe and North America.

ESG Book is a global leader in sustainability data and technology, offering a wide range of ESG-related data, scoring, and technology products. The company's cloud-based platform makes sustainability data accessible, consistent, and transparent, enabling financial markets to allocate capital toward more sustainable and higher-impact assets. ESG Book covers over 50,000 companies globally and provides a suite of solutions that empower companies to be custodians of their own data, disclose directly to stakeholders in real-time against multiple frameworks, and promote transparency.

ESG Book Launches Corporate ESG Dashboard

ESG Book raises £29m for corporate sustainability data platform

ESG Book Closes $35 million Series B to Build the World's Leading ESG Data Platform

ESG Book's sustainability and emissions data now available through Rimes

Analytics & Solutions

We power financial markets for a sustainable future.

Private Companies Can Now Disclose Sustainability Data Through ESG Book

Embedding environmental, social, and corporate governance factors into investments

Sustainable Finance

ESG Book and Vyzrd link to revolutionise climate risk management

ESG Book is a global leader in sustainability data and technology, offering a wide range of ESG-related data, scoring, and technology products. The company's cloud-based platform makes sustainability data accessible, consistent, and transparent, enabling financial markets to allocate capital toward more sustainable and higher-impact assets. ESG Book covers over 50,000 companies globally and provides a suite of solutions that empower companies to be custodians of their own data, disclose directly to stakeholders in real-time against multiple frameworks, and promote transparency.
In April 2023, ESG Book launched the Corporate ESG Dashboard, a unique and transparent solution that combines in-depth ESG and climate data, peer benchmarking analytics, and reporting features. This SaaS-based tool enables companies to analyze and optimize their ESG performance, gain transparency by drilling down scores to underlying source data, benchmark against industry peers, navigate reporting requirements, and disclose, validate, and update corporate ESG data in real-time.
ESG Book's platform also allows stakeholders, including investors, banks, and consultants, to analyze corporate sustainability performance in granular detail, better identifying non-financial risks and opportunities. The company partners with organizations like the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Global Reporting Initiative, and leading financial institutions to drive sustainability in financial markets.

Starling Bank is a digital, mobile-only bank based in the UK, offering personal and business accounts. Founded in 2014 by former Allied Irish Banks COO Anne Boden, Starling received its banking license from regulators in July 2016. The bank operates without any physical branches and provides services entirely through its mobile app.
Starling offers various personal account options, including current accounts, joint accounts, euro accounts, and teen accounts. Its multi-currency feature allows customers to hold, send, and receive euros for free, with a 0.4% conversion fee for foreign transactions. The app provides real-time spending insights, categorized expenses, budgeting tools, and the ability to set aside money in "Virtual Change Jars." Customers can also apply for overdrafts and loans through the app.
For businesses, Starling offers digital business accounts with powerful money management tools, invoicing, tax assessment, and integration with accounting software. Businesses can also hold and transact in euros and US dollars through dedicated currency accounts.
Starling facilitates international money transfers to 36 countries in 20 currencies, with competitive exchange rates and fees. Customers can opt for direct SWIFT bank-to-bank transfers for a flat fee of GBP 5.50.
In May 2023, Starling Bank reported a record pre-tax profit of GBP 195 million, a sixfold increase from the previous year. Anne Boden stepped down as CEO but remains a non-executive director and shareholder.

Starling Bank

Aspiration is a fintech company that offers a suite of green financial services products aimed at empowering individuals and businesses to combat climate change through their everyday spending and saving activities. The company provides sustainable checking and savings accounts, credit cards, and investment accounts that are fossil fuel-free and enable customers to track their personal sustainability scores.
Aspiration's key product is the Aspiration Spend & Save account, which offers a competitive 3.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on balances up to USD 10,000 as of October 2022. This cash management account comes with a debit card, mobile check deposit, bill pay, and up to USD 2 million in FDIC insurance coverage. Aspiration also has the Redwood Fund and Redwood IRA, investment products focused on sustainable companies committed to ethnic diversity, gender diversity, ethical practices, and addressing climate change.
In April 2024, Aspiration's consumer financial services brand was spun off as a separate company called Mission Financial Partners, led by CEO Tim Newell. This move allowed Aspiration to concentrate on serving businesses through its carbon credit offerings while Mission Financial Partners focused on expanding its suite of climate-friendly consumer products like banking, credit, lending, investment, and insurance solutions. A key aspect of Aspiration's approach is planting trees, with the company claiming to have supported the planting of over 100 million trees as of April 2024.

Aspiration

Classy is a cloud-based fundraising platform offering a comprehensive suite of tools to help nonprofits create engaging online donation experiences and manage fundraising campaigns effectively. Its key features include customizable donation pages, peer-to-peer fundraising capabilities, crowdfunding campaigns, event ticketing, and integration with popular CRM systems like Salesforce.
Classy's platform provides nonprofits with the ability to design branded, mobile-responsive donation forms and fundraising pages. Organizations can accept one-time and recurring donations, as well as process payments through multiple gateways, including PayPal, Venmo, and credit cards. The platform's peer-to-peer fundraising tools empower supporters to create personal fundraising pages and share them across social media platforms, fostering a sense of community and friendly competition through features like fundraising leaderboards and team fundraising goals.
For events, Classy offers event registration, ticketing, and attendee management functionalities, streamlining the process of organizing and promoting fundraising events. The platform also supports crowdfunding campaigns, enabling nonprofits to tap into this popular form of online giving.
Classy's pricing model consists of an annual subscription fee and transaction fees for each donation processed through the platform. As of May 2024, the transaction fees stand at 2.4% + USD 0.30 for credit cards and 2.5% + USD 0.30 for PayPal/Venmo.
Key customers and partnerships
Classy has been widely adopted by nonprofits of various sizes and causes, facilitating the raising of tens of thousands of dollars for their missions. The platform has garnered praise for its user-friendly interface, robust features, and seamless integration capabilities with popular tools like Salesforce and Facebook.
Classy's partnership with Facebook has been particularly noteworthy, enabling nonprofits to leverage the social media platform's reach for peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. This integration has streamlined the process for volunteers and supporters to raise funds on behalf of the organizations they support.

Classy

Tandem Bank is a digital challenger bank based in the UK, focused on providing environmentally-friendly financial products and services. The bank aims to help customers reduce their carbon footprint while offering competitive savings accounts, mortgages, personal loans, and home improvement financing options.
Tandem utilizes open banking technology to securely connect with customers' existing bank accounts, allowing seamless transfers into their Tandem savings accounts. The bank offers instant access savings accounts with variable interest rates up to 4.90% AER as of April 2024, as well as fixed-term savings accounts ranging from one to three years with interest rates up to 5.07% AER.
In addition to savings products, Tandem provides residential and buy-to-let mortgages, with discounts for energy-efficient properties based on their EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) ratings. The bank also offers personal loans, home loans for expenses like renovations or debt consolidation, and motor finance for used vehicles through approved dealerships.
Tandem's "Green Lending" initiatives allocate a portion of customer deposits toward financing eco-friendly home improvements such as solar panel installations and energy-efficient window replacements. In 2023, the bank facilitated over GBP 523 million in green home improvement lending, contributing to the avoidance of 74,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
In January 2022, Tandem acquired the consumer lender Oplo, further expanding its product offerings and solidifying its position as a "fairer, greener digital bank" in the UK market. The bank discontinued its automatic savings features in January 2021 to concentrate on developing its green banking strategy.

Tandem

Cushon is a London-based fintech company founded in 2014 that offers workplace savings and investment products, including ISAs, investment accounts, and pensions. Its key offerings include a workplace ISA, master trust pension, junior and lifetime ISAs, and a general investment account. Cushon's products are designed to be simple and user-friendly, with a mobile app that provides a personalized experience and helps engage savers with their financial goals.
Cushon's unique selling point is the "Net Zero Now" pension, launched in January 2021, which is claimed to be the world's first net zero pension. This pension aims to minimize carbon emissions from investments as much as possible and offsets any remaining emissions through carbon offsetting projects. As of April 2022, Cushon had approximately GBP 1.7 billion in assets under management, making it the fifth largest master trust pension provider in the UK. By February 2023, its assets under management had grown to GBP 1.85 billion.
In February 2023, NatWest Group acquired an 85% stake in Cushon for GBP 144 million, with the remaining equity retained by Cushon management. This acquisition allowed NatWest to offer Cushon's workplace savings and pension products to its commercial mid-market customers, enhancing its financial wellbeing services.

Cushon

Digital banks that deploy customer deposits to sustainable uses such as renewable energy projects and social housing.

Offers a platform for individuals and businesses to invest in sustainability-related companies, projects, and investment portfolios.

Solutions that allow investors to obtain sustainability-related information on their portfolios such as real-world impact (water savings, CO2 savings, etc.) and ESG-related compliance.

Companies that provide the digital infrastructure for financial institutions to offer their own sustainable finance products.

AI/ML is used to support robo advisory functions and allocate funds into ESG-based investments

Startups in this hub focus on ESG-related financial services such as sustainable investing

ESG Book

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