Apex Group , a global financial services provider, has launched a pioneering ESG Data as a Service (“DaaS”) platform for the private markets.

Apex Group’s ESG Data as a Service is a verified ESG database and benchmarking index for the private markets.

Apex Group has been collecting, verifying and examining private market ESG data from more than 400 GPs, 1,500 portfolio companies in more than 45 countries since 2019, compiling a proprietary and verified ESG database for benchmarking performance.

ESG data collection and reporting have become increasingly important in the private markets. The next step in the evolution of ESG for these market participants is to compare ESG performance metrics against industry peers.

The ESG DaaS database will include dozens of anonymized data points for peer comparison including environmental and carbon footprints, disclosure and management of climate-related risks and opportunities, DE&I statistics, cybersecurity breaches and best practice, as well as revenue generation from green, sustainable or socially impactful products and services.

The ESG DaaS offering consists of four main solutions and will initially be exclusively available to Apex Group’s existing clients:

1. ESG benchmarking index for private markets: global and anonymised private market dataset, independently verified by Apex Group ESG experts;
2. Tailored advisory services with granular sector benchmarking: expert recommendations tailored to individual companies, to identify and improve area of under-performance;
3. Regular market insights and research updates: aggregated research on verified ESG data trends in the private markets to drive understanding and positive change through best practice insights;
4. Correlation of ESG and financial performance metrics: access to analysis on verified relationships between ESG and financial performance.

The announcement is further evidence of Apex Group’s continued innovation and ESG service evolution.

It follows the launch of new solutions as part of ESG Impact Month including Impact Positive, EU Taxonomy and DEI Solutions.

Apex Group has recently become a technology platform provider for The ESG Data Convergence Initiative (EDCI) a fast-growing industry-led initiative converging meaningful ESG metrics for the private equity industry, by generating useful, performance-based, comparable ESG data from private companies. As a supporter of the EDCI, Apex Group is streamlining data submission and validation for member GPs. To date, the EDCI has over 260 GP and LPs managing more than $25trn of assets, streamlining the private investment industry’s approach to the collection and reporting of ESG data.

Joshua Brunert, Global Head of Product Development, ESG at Apex Group, said: “When it comes to ESG, it is no longer acceptable for private markets investors to ‘mark their own homework’ in-house. Independent data assessment, verification and benchmarking is essential to ensure the integrity of ESG reporting and to drive positive change. Verified and accurate data underpins meaningful comparisons against international standards and to monitor change over time. With Apex Group’s pioneering ESG Data as a Service Solutions, private markets investors can now, for the first time, accurately compare ESG performance against their peers and sector.”