SoftBank, BlackRock Invest in Sustainability Data and Analytics Platform Clarity AI
$50 million funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2
Sustainability analytics and data science platform Clarity AI announced today the completion of a $50 million funding round, led by the AI-focused investment fund SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and including new investor Fifth Wall ClimateTech Fund and existing investor BlackRock, among others.
The new funding round valued Clarity AI at $450 million.
Rebeca Minguela, Founder and CEO of Clarity AI, said:
“The social and environmental challenges the world faces and the corresponding economic opportunities unlocked have put impact assessment at the forefront of the minds of investors and organizations. Having the support of such an influential group of backers and partners who share our vision for a more equitable, sustainable world is one more proof point that Clarity AI is on the right side of a real trend that we believe will continue to grow. Our technology shows our clients how their investments and other organizations are positioned to impact the world.
Clarity AI is a pure play impact evaluation and assessment technology platform, designed to enable investors to manage the impact of their portfolios. The platform uses big data and machine learning to create actionable sustainability and impact insights and expand these to a uniquely broad universe of companies, countries and local governments, and supports regulatory and client reporting to help investors meet new sustainability disclosure obligations, such as those required by SFDR and EU Taxonomy regulations.
Jimi Macdonald, investor for SoftBank Investment Advisers, said:
“The sustainable investment market is already more than one third of total global assets and growing rapidly. Empowering investors to make informed decisions about social and environmental impact is a real differentiator, and we are delighted to work with Rebeca and her team to bring this technology to an even larger network of stakeholders.”
BlackRock initially invested in Clarity AI in January 2021. According to Samantha Tortora, Head of Aladdin Sustainability at BlackRock, the firm has integrated Clarity AI’s capabilities into its own Aladdin operating system for investment professionals.
Tortora added:
“We continue to believe in the value of Clarity AI’s data and tools, and the enhanced transparency and flexibility they provide. By embedding Clarity AI within investors’ daily workflows through Aladdin, we’re collectively able to help more investors construct sustainable and outcome-oriented portfolios over time.”