ClearlySo Launches ATLAS Impact Assessment Solution for Investors

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Dec 08, 2016, 06:45 ET

LONDON, December 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Octopus Ventures First Customer to Go-Live

ClearlySo, Europe's leading impact investment bank, announced today that it has launched ClearlySo ATLAS, an impact assessment solution for private equity and venture capital investors. Octopus Ventures, a London based venture capital firm, focused on backing unusually talented entrepreneurs, is the first customer to go-live and is in the process of rolling out the solution across its portfolio.

ClearlySo ATLAS helps private equity and venture capital investors assess the social and environmental impact of their investments and provides practical suggestions for action. Research increasingly shows that there is a positive correlation between impact and financial return, and lack of awareness about negative impact is a risk.

The methodology ClearlySo ATLAS uses to assess impact combines current best practices, industry-wide expertise and years of in-house experience developed at ClearlySo. Private Equity Reporting Group, Principles for Responsible Investment, European Union Directives and Red Line Voting are all considered and the results are mapped to the UN Sustainable Development Goals ensuring investors engage with the latest market expectations.

Luke Hakes, investment director at Octopus Ventures commented: "We are delighted to be working with ClearlySo to assess the social and economic impact of the companies we back. We are incredibly proud of our portfolio companies which include Antidote and Big Health and the brilliant work they do in their respective sectors. We know that High Growth Small Businesses have a disproportionately high impact on our domestic economy and we are excited to be able to work with ClearlySo to analyse the impact of our venture capital investments."

Further commenting, Lindsay Smart, head of impact innovation at ClearlySo said: "The launch of ClearlySo ATLAS marks a new chapter in assessing the role of impact and sustainability in the venture capital and private equity sphere. We spent 18 months collaborating with industry experts to develop a solution at a time when corporate and financial action continues to garner much scrutiny. We look forward to working with our customers, including our first, Octopus Ventures, renowned for leadership in innovative thinking, as they seize the opportunity to be standard setters for private equity and venture capital investment."

To learn more about ClearlySo ATLAS please visit http://www.clearlyso.com/ATLAS.

Notes to editors

About ClearlySo

ClearlySo is Europe's leading impact investment bank, working exclusively with businesses and funds delivering positive social, ethical and/or environmental impact along with financial return. It supports capital raising activity through financial advisory work.

Originally founded in 2008, ClearlySo has helped over 100 clients raise more than £100 million in impact investment from its extensive network of high-net-worth individual and institutional investors.

In addition, ClearlySo ATLAS helps investors assess the social and environmental impact of their venture capital and private equity investments and guides them towards choosing sustainable businesses that deliver long term benefit to people, planet and the bottom line.

ClearlySo is headquartered in London.

About Octopus

Octopus transforms industries that really matter - like investments, healthcare and energy. We do extraordinary things so that our customers see change for the better. Octopus is a fast-growing UK fund management business with leading positions in several specialist sectors including smaller company investing, healthcare property, energy and property finance.

Founded in 2000, Octopus manages more than £6 billion of funds on behalf of 50,000 investors - both retail and institutional. Over the years we have invested in more than 500 SMEs including household names such as LOVEFiLM, graze.com and Zoopla Property Group. Our investments have helped these businesses to create thousands of new jobs.

Further Information
John Lloyd
Chief Marketing Officer
ClearlySo
E: [email protected]
T : +44(0)20-7490-9520

Georgina Turner/Sarah Whybrow
Octopus
E: [email protected]
T: +44(0)207-776-7968
M: +44(0)7824-444798