ACTIAM has announced that it is entering into a partnership with Util, an Oxford-based financial technology company.
Util is currently developing its proprietary holistic company valuation methodology which addresses the need for a standardized and comparable analysis that considers a company’s social and environmental performance alongside its financial performance. This analysis will help identify and steward investments to optimize financial and non-financial performance.
Furthermore, Util’s methodology builds upon the best practice of existing global frameworks, including the UN Principles for Responsible Investing, Integrated Reporting and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Over the next twelve months, ACTIAM will assess and audit Util’s methodology and actively use Util’s data and insight.
Dennis van der Putten, Director Sustainability & Strategy at ACTIAM, said: “ACTIAM is a frontrunner in the Dutch financial sector when it comes to providing insights in responsible investing. Util’s new methodology builds on existing best practices. This is in line with the industry call to use more standardized data, which we as ACTIAM actively support. These insights will help us construct investment portfolio’s that support the Sustainable Development Goals and will be used in our engagement with the companies that we invest in.”
Stephen Barnett, Util CEO, said: “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with ACTIAM who have consistently evidenced their commitment to responsible investing by supporting innovative initiatives such as Util. We are especially excited to work alongside ACTIAM in support of their future business development, which we expect will set a standard in intention, positive investing.”
About Util
Util is an Oxford and London based financial technology company providing responsible investors with actionable data and metrics. Solving the world’s major problems requires an estimated $4trn a year, and such amounts can only be serviced by mainstream investing. To support the asset management community in investing more responsibly, Util has developed a unique methodology, powered by machine learning, to holistically analyze the financial and non-financial value companies create and destroy for all their stakeholders.
Util’s methodology is developed alongside world-class academics and practitioners, and over 2018 Util will seek to develop its product offering alongside it’s two commercial partners, to bring its flagship product to the $28.7bn global data and analytics financial services market.
