BlackRock announced a minority investment in Clarity AI, a sustainability analytics and data science platform, as the firm continues to invest in delivering sustainable investing analytics and software for clients. BlackRock will integrate Clarity AI’s capabilities with the asset manager’s tech platform, Aladdin. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Clarity AI builds on the existing sustainability dataset in the Aladdin platform with additional forward-looking sustainability analytics and models, generated from data about companies. These insights complement traditional corporate ESG disclosures. BlackRock will join existing investors including Deutsche Börse, Kibo Ventures, Mundi Ventures, Seaya Ventures and Founders Fund.
Clarity AI 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. Its proprietary technology and data science capabilities across environmental and social impact analyze more than 30,000 companies, spanning almost 200 countries. Clarity AI also supports regulatory and client reporting to help investors meet new sustainability disclosure obligations.
“Investors are galvanized around sustainability as a critical consideration in managing immediate and future risks, and better data is foundational to this,” said Mary-Catherine Lader, head of Aladdin Sustainability at BlackRock, in a statement. “As BlackRock makes sustainability its standard for investing, we are committed to raising the standards for ESG data and technology. We’re investing in new analytics and software in Aladdin and are also integrating capabilities from strategic partners like Clarity AI so clients can understand their investments’ social and environmental impact and risks. Clarity AI’s capabilities use machine learning to help Aladdin clients analyze a broader universe of companies, address their disclosure obligations and build more sustainable portfolios.”
“BlackRock’s investment in Clarity AI and the integration of our capabilities and comprehensive ESG, sustainability and impact data into BlackRock’s Aladdin platform will be transformative, bringing Clarity AI data and analytics to more of the world’s largest and most significant investors,” said Rebeca Minguela, founder and CEO of Clarity AI, in a statement. “This strategic partnership with BlackRock reflects the growing demand for our innovative approach in helping investors assess the impact of companies on our society and planet.”
Demand for sustainable investing accelerated rapidly in 2020. Global investors in mutual funds and ETFs invested $326 billion in sustainable assets in the 12 months to November 2020, a 97% increase over the same period in the prior year. In addition, a recent survey of global investors shows that their allocations to ESG strategies are expected to double by 2025. Within the survey, 53% of respondents cited concerns about “poor quality or availability of ESG data and analytics” as their biggest barrier to adopting sustainable investing. As more investors look for ways to evaluate the social and environmental impact of their investments, the need for improved ESG data and analytics in individual investments and across whole portfolios will continue to grow.
This investment is the latest step from BlackRock’s Aladdin platform as it continues to invest in its sustainability capabilities, which last year added 1,200 sustainability metrics and established data partnerships to help investors understand ESG and physical climate risks and opportunities.BlackRock also recently unveiled Aladdin Climate, which helps investors understand and act on climate risk. It is the first software application to offer investors measures of both the physical risk of climate change and the transition risk to a low-carbon economy on portfolios.