Upright launches unprecedented data on PE/VC funds’ real-world impact

• The first-of-its-kind impact database provides public science-backed impact quantifications for over 1,000 PE/VC funds and 20,000+ portfolio companies worldwide, representing a significant portion of the $13 trillion PE industry.
• Following Upright’s successful launch of impact data for 35,000+ mutual funds and ETFs in September 2024, Upright now expands its public coverage to private markets using the same proven methodology, analysing 300M+ scientific articles and other best-in-class data sources through natural language processing technologies.
• For the first time, GPs, LPs, and other stakeholders can access independent, data-driven analysis of PE funds’ real-world environmental, health, social, and knowledge impacts – with key data results fully publicly available.
• Founded in 2017, Upright has provided evidence-based impact data to leading PEs for years, enabled by its capability to quantify the impact of any PE/VC fund globally without requiring portfolio company disclosures.

The Upright Project, an independent impact data company based in Finland, today launched the world’s first public impact database for the private equity sector. This initiative empowers an industry managing $13 trillion in assets (source: McKinsey) – over 10% of global public equity AUM – to better understand and grow its role in solving the world’s largest sustainability challenges.

Upright’s database provides publicly available data on the real-world impact of over 1,000 globally relevant PE/VC funds and 20,000+ portfolio companies, leveraging Upright’s unique capability to model fund impacts without requiring disclosures from portfolio companies and building on the success of Upright’s September 2024 launch of impact data for over 35,000 mutual funds and ETFs.

Upright’s macro-model approach to impact quantification uses natural language processing (NLP)-enabled technologies to analyse over 300 million scientific articles, publicly available databases from e.g. WHO and OECD and company disclosures to produce quantifications of the science-based impact across environmental, social, health, and knowledge dimensions of all products and services traded in global markets. In 2023, Upright also launched the world’s largest open-access dataset on company impact. Following Upright’s open data policy, key data results on the impact of PEs will be fully publicly available on Upright’s data platform.

Founded in 2017, Upright has for long been providing science-based impact data to 250+ investors and corporate customers, including private equity firms such as EQT, LGT Capital Partners, and Summa Equity, as well as asset managers and asset owners such as Nordea, Pictet, and APG.

Annu Nieminen, Upright’s founder & CEO, said: “It has been thought to be impossible to measure the impact of private equity because unlisted companies disclose little about their sustainability. The focus of sustainability efforts has been on regulatory ESG disclosures.”

“Upright’s public database, built on macro-modelling of real-life material, resource and value flows rather than companies’ own sustainability disclosures, marks a turning point in the PE sector’s sustainability potential. Finally, we can have an honest discussion about private equity’s real-world impact and provide the data needed to drive meaningful change.”

The PE dataset serves multiple stakeholders

For General Partners (PE/VC firms):

• Benchmark impact performance against peers
• Identify areas for improvement in portfolio management
• Support evidence-based communication with stakeholders
• Future-proofing of value creation strategies

For Limited Partners:

• Compare GP performance using objective metrics
• Evaluate impact claims beyond marketing materials
• Make more informed investment decisions
• Better align investments with sustainability goals

For the Public and Talent Pool in PE:

• Understand PE’s role in addressing global challenges
• Evaluate career choices with better information
• Foster informed discussion about PE’s societal role

Annu Nieminen added: “Private equity firms have unique opportunities to shape the global economy through their active investing mode, close relationships with portfolio companies, and longer investment horizons. With PE’s growing influence comes increased responsibility to address global environmental and social challenges.”

Notes to editors

Exclusive insights and interviews available with:

• Annu Nieminen, Founder & CEO

Please contact Pauliina Bogdanoff, VP, Marketing & Communications at Upright, at pauliina.bogdanoff@uprightproject.com or on +358 44 0241 616.

Photos of Upright’s team members are available here.

About Upright

The Upright Project is an independent impact data company and the creator of the world’s largest impact quantification model of the global private sector. Upright quantifies both positive and negative impacts across more than 50,000 businesses, 35,000 public funds, 1,000 PE funds and 150,000 different product and service categories on the environment, human health, knowledge and society.

By using its proprietary natural language processing framework to analyse more than 300m scientific publications, public databases and company disclosures, Upright acts as a bridge between humanity’s collective scientific knowledge and the private sector, giving companies, investors and consumers the data they need to make decisions based on their values.

Today, more than 250 investors and businesses – including e.g. PEs such as EQT, LGT Capital Partners, and Summa Equity, as well as asset managers and asset owners such as Nordea, Pictet, and APG – rely on Upright’s data to bring real transparency to ESG and sustainability efforts.