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Sustainability-Related Disclosures

Sustainability-related disclosures

Graph showing how investments are divided

The Fund is expected to invest at least 90% of its NAV in assets that are aligned with one or several of the environmental and/or social characteristics promoted by the Fund (#1 Aligned with E/S characteristics).

The Fund can invest up to 10% of its NAV in cash, cash equivalents, and/or hedging instruments (#2 Other).

The Fund does not currently commit to invest in any sustainable investment within the meaning of the SFDR or the Taxonomy Regulation. The minimum share of Taxonomy-aligned investments is 0%. Since the Fund will invest in companies that are in a very early stage of their operations, it will not, beforehand, be possible to assess what share, if any, of the investment that will be aligned with the EU Taxonomy.

EU Taxonomy alignment

6. Monitoring of environmental or social characteristics

What sustainability indicators are used to measure the attainment of each of the environmental or social characteristics promoted by this financial product?

The sustainability indicators used to measure the attainment of the environmental and social characteristics promoted by the Fund are the following, in relation to the services/solutions provided by the portfolio companies:

  • Climate & Nature: the number of CO2e removed or avoided, measured in (i) tonnes of CO2e emissions removed/avoided and (ii) tonnes of CO2 emissions removal/avoidance enabled by strategic tools by 2030;
  • Health & Well-being: the number of (i) people with improved access to healthcare and (ii) underserved people with reduced healthcare or treatment cost by 2030; and
  • Equality & Inclusion: the number of people with access to a service or product that improves equality and inclusion by 2030,

(the “Impact Indicators”).

How are the environmental or social characteristics and the sustainability indicators monitored throughout the lifecycle of the fund, and how do the related internal or external control mechanisms work?

Sustainability is integrated throughout the investment cycle – from thematic sourcing and conducting focused sustainability due diligence / impact scoring to aiming to accelerate and scale positive impact as an owner.

During the Fund’s ownership of portfolio companies, the Manager will seek to promote sustainability practices and sound environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) standards in the companies. The Manager is continuously working towards improving the ESG performance, sustainable practices, and disclosure practices of its portfolio companies by monitoring the portfolio companies’ ESG performance and requiring the portfolio companies to report to the Manager on certain impact management standards on an annual basis.

The environmental and social characteristics promoted by the Fund, as well as the Impact Indicators, are monitored as part of the overall investment monitoring process of the Manager. The environmental and social characteristics of all existing investments are reviewed at least annually in order to examine how the portfolio companies promote and make progress against the Impact Indicators. Investments that fail to achieve a satisfactory outcome based on the Impact Indicators are more extensively monitored. The Manager shall work actively and systematically to influence the portfolio companies through, for instance, offering advice to their founders. Where needed, the Manager will prepare action plans in order to enhance portfolio companies’ progress against the Impact Indicators. Active influence also entails influencing the companies to adopt, implement and monitor internal policies on how to achieve the environmental and social characteristics promoted by the Fund.

7. Methodologies

What are the methodologies to measure the attainment of the environmental or social characteristics promoted by the financial product?

The Impact Indicators are used to measure the attainment of the environmental and social characteristics promoted by the Fund. In order to measure progress against the Impact Indicators during the holding period, the Manager will consult with the portfolio companies in regular intervals and will carry out further checks in order to identify potential issues with such progress. The methodology used includes collecting qualitative and quantitative data via portfolio management software to assess the portfolio companies’ progress in relation to the Impact Indicators. If the Manager identifies a need to define a portfolio company’s impact goals or otherwise support in the portfolio company’s ESG performance, an impact workshop is offered to the portfolio company by the Manager.

8. Data sources and processing

What are the data sources used to attain each of the environmental or social characteristics promoted by the financial product? What are the measures taken in order to ensure data quality? How is data processed? What proportion of data is estimated?

In order to attain the environmental or social characteristics promoted by the Fund, the Manager obtains most of the relevant data from its (potential) portfolio companies. Moreover, during the holding period, the Manager obtains further information from the portfolio companies on an annual basis. Hence, data is obtained primarily from the portfolio companies. An internal or external review or verification of the information obtained will be carried out if misrepresentations are suspected. The results of the data obtained are considered in connection with the investment decision and, for existing portfolio companies, any follow-on investment decisions. The Manager requires the portfolio companies to answer certain qualitative questions for the Manager to understand in what areas each portfolio company needs support in relation to ESG performance. The Manager also collects and qualifies data and documents and performs risk scoring, due diligence level maintenance, shareholding structure collection and watchlist screening in relation to the portfolio companies. If the Manager considers that any of the portfolio companies is moving in the wrong direction, out of the impact space, and this is not avoidable by providing support, the Fund’s shares in the relevant portfolio company will be sold. The Manager does not anticipate any data to be estimated.

9. Limitations to methodologies and data

What are the limitations to the used (i) methodologies and (ii) data sources? How do such limitations not affect the attainment of the promoted environmental or social characteristics?

The information collected from portfolio companies as part of the due diligence and during the holding period is internally or externally verified only if and to the extent misrepresentations are suspected. Thus, it cannot be ruled out completely that false information may remain undetected in certain cases. As the Fund’s investments are generally long-term partnerships, the Manager considers it a priority to establish and maintain a trustful working relationship with its portfolio companies in order to ensure compliance with the environmental or social characteristics promoted by the Fund. It is, therefore, considered unlikely that the isolated provision of incorrect information from a portfolio company would result in non-compliance with the Fund’s promotion of environmental and social characteristics. As described above, certain information is collected using automatic systems and/or software and is dependent on such systems/software functioning.

10. Due diligence

What is the due diligence carried out on the underlying assets of the financial product, and which internal and external controls are in place?

When assessing the attractiveness of an investment opportunity (i.e. a potential portfolio company), the Manager considers material sustainability / impact aspects as part of its due diligence. The outcome of the sustainability / impact analysis is documented and considered by the Manager as a part of the overall review of the investment opportunity.

The Fund’s investment screening process is based on the Impact Management Project's (IMP) framework for impact management, and the following factors are analysed as part of the investment screening / due diligence: (i) impact potential considering five pre-defined IMP metrics, (ii) business model and the relationship between impact and financial returns, (iii) disruption, (iv) management team and (v) risk factors. Each potential portfolio company is assessed in relation to these impact standards and the results of the data obtained are considered in connection with the investment decision.

To assess good governance practices of the Fund’s portfolio companies, the Manager’s processes for due diligence also set out positive and negative assessment criteria in relation to governance aspects such as management structures, employee relations, remuneration of staff and tax compliance.

As stated above, an internal or external review or verification of the information obtained will be carried out if misrepresentations are suspected.

11. Engagement policies

Engagement is not part of the environmental or social investment strategy of the Fund. However, the Fund encourages its portfolio companies to conduct regular ESG trainings, to consider principal adverse impacts on a voluntary basis and to improve their ESG efforts.

12. Designated reference benchmark

No reference benchmark has been designated for the purpose of attaining the environmental or social characteristics promoted by the Fund.

Sustainability-related disclosures