Global investor services group IQ-EQ has today announced its strategic alliance with Novata, a technology platform and public benefit corporation that provides private markets with a comprehensive environmental, social and governance data solution.
The Novata platform will streamline ESG data collection and sit at the centre of IQ-EQ’s four pillared environmental, social and governance (ESG) offering of ESG Set Up, ESG Data Strategy, ESG Data Collection and ESG Reporting. Through this platform, asset managers, investors and portfolio companies can identify the ESG framework and metrics best aligned to their sustainability strategy, capture and collate ESG data, and benchmark results against the market and peers.
The platform is uniquely tailored to the needs of the private markets and backed by industry leaders such as the Ford Foundation, Hamilton Lane, Microsoft, Omidyar Network and S&P Global. It provides multiple framework options and over 650 metrics from widely accepted standards so firms can collect the information most aligned to their business and investment priorities. Novata’s analytical tools include the broadest collection of private markets’ ESG benchmarks, enabling actionable insights to drive ESG performance.
Emma Crabtree (pictured), Group Chief Commercial Officer at IQ-EQ, commented: “ESG reporting requirements have become more stringent than ever. In response, this alliance highlights our commitment to innovation and providing our clients with the most up-to-date technology to efficiently solve ESG challenges.
“With our new and evolved offering, asset managers, investors and portfolio companies can now gain better data and improved strategic clarity. This will facilitate better reporting for both investors and regulators, better risk management, access to deeper capital pools and, most importantly, a more sustainable future.”
Scott Kennedy, Co-Founder and President at Novata, added: “Technology and innovation are central to meeting the evolving challenges for private markets and ESG transparency. Our alliance with IQ-EQ is unique, as our platform will be integrated with their existing ESG expertise that already constitutes a widely respected ESG offering for private markets. We are thrilled to be working with IQ-EQ to continually innovate to meet the challenges our clients are facing in the context of increasingly complex regulatory and investor demands.”