Innovations in Sustainable Finance #18: The Impact of Everything with Annu Nieminen of Upright

In the new episode of his podcast, «Innovations in Sustainable Finance», host Prof. Julian Kölbel speaks with Annu Nieminen, CEO of Upright, a Finnish technology startup that has developed an automated method to quantify companies’ net impact on people, planet, society, and knowledge. Upright combines machine learning and natural language processing to analyze scientific data and company activities, providing impact profiles for companies worldwide.
 
Julian’s favorite takeaways from the conversation were:

• Compromising the Answer, Not the Question: Annu emphasized the importance of focusing on the right question, even if the answer remains imperfect at first. Upright’s model prioritizes understanding a company’s true net impact, even if it challenges traditional ESG metrics.
• Hidden ESG Champions and Challenges: Annu’s examples of hidden impact champions like condom manufacturers and sewage infrastructure companies stood out. Both create significant positive health and societal impacts, even if they’re not traditional ESG favorites. Conversely, modern tech companies working in areas like ad optimization for tobacco or fast fashion can have surprisingly negative net impacts.
• Scarce Human Capital: Upright introduces the idea of evaluating companies based on the opportunity cost of the human talent they employ. This provocative metric raises critical questions about how the world’s brightest minds are allocated.
• The Power of Open Data: Annu shared her vision for creating a neutral, science-based resource to understand a company’s impact. She hopes this could become the default source for anyone searching for “Tesla impact” or similar, offering a common-sense starting point for discussions.

For listeners interested in exploring further, Upright offers a free version of its platform to investigate company impact profiles. Check it out and discover what your favorite company is doing for (or to) the world: https://uprightplatform.com

Subscribe here

RSS

Apple Podcasts

Spotify