Financial services provider Apex Group announced today the launch of the first ESG ratings and advisory platform for private companies and private market investors.

Apex is a Bermuda-based financial services firm, with over 3,500 employees, servicing $750 billion in assets. The company’s new private market ESG offering adds to its established suite of ESG ratings and advisory solutions.

According to Apex, private market investors currently lack high quality, global, independent tools to assess the ESG performance of private companies. The company’s new service is intended to remedy that gap.

Peter Hughes, Founder and CEO, Apex Group, said:

“I am personally excited about the platform and this latest addition to our ESG offering. We believe that all equity and debt investment decisions will soon evaluate the ESG profile of private companies before investments are made and we are focused on ensuring they have access to independent ESG scoring and rating. Through data collection, scoring and rating companies based on independent ESG data and insights, we are pleased to be working in partnership with our clients to influence significant behavioral change, drive capital flows and support them as they look to improve their ESG performance.”

Apex manages the full process of ESG solutions delivery, from managing the independent collection of data for investors from their underlying portfolio investments, to delivering real time ESG analysis via a secure, intuitive and flexible online platform. The company’s ESG services include:

• ESG Health Check
• ESG Rating, Reporting & Benchmarking measured in accordance with international standards and UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals to ensure integrity, relevance and longevity
• Gap analysis
• Carbon footprint assessment
• Investment manager assessment benchmarking against peers and aligning with UNPRI & EU Disclosure Regulation requirements

Andy Pitts-Tucker, Managing Director, Apex ESG Ratings and Advisory, said:

“Apex ESG’s new platform was established to satisfy the demand from private markets for a high quality, global, independent, single-source ESG solution. Allocators now invest based on ESG profiling and are calling for greater transparency and insight into the ESG credentials of the previously opaque private markets, we are pleased to offer a product which addresses these needs.”

Jeff Cohen, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) Director of Capital Markets Integration – Head of Private Investments Initiatives, said:

“We are pleased Apex ESG’s Ratings & Advisory portal is informed in part by the SASB standards.  Financially material impacts of ESG issues effect private companies and public companies alike. Management and communication around these issues is imperative for both companies and GPs, especially as the regulatory landscape pays increasing attention to these issues.”