ESG Data Specialist TruValue Labs Secures $13.6 Million in New Funding
The San Francisco-based company will use the investment to expand its language coverage and its AI-driven predictive analytics.

Hendrik Bartel, CEO and co-founder of TruValue, says that the company will use the investment to expand the depth and breadth of its platform to include multiple languages, as well as to add new asset classes to its coverage areas.
“The amount of unstructured data sources is growing quickly, so we are always looking to add additional coverage where the data is relevant,” he says. “In addition, we are preparing to expand from intangible risk issues, such as ESG, to additional risk classes and macro risks.”
TruValue is currently developing a Japanese-language model and a German model, which are slated to be released in the second half of 2018, Bartel tells WatersTechnology. The vendor will expand its language capabilities continuously from there.
As was detailed in this feature in the August 2017 issue of Waters magazine, TruValue’s Insight360 platform uses artificial intelligence—and, most notably, natural-language processing (NLP)—to take in large quantities of unstructured data to develop an ESG score. The company’s AI-driven algorithms sift through various sources of information to develop this score, such as magazines, trade publications, news sites, thought-leader blogs, a parsed set of social media “experts,” as well as government filings.
Increasingly, firms are incorporating ESG data into their models and portfolios, and independent research has found that firms with superior performance on material sustainability issues tend to outperform firms with inferior performance on these issues. One such report, released in 2015 by Harvard Business School, titled ‘Corporate Sustainability: First Evidence on Materiality‘—found an estimated 3.39 percent to 8.85 percent annualized alpha improvement for firms with high performance on material sustainability issues as prescribed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).
Bartel says that as the company expands its language and geographical coverage, it will also look to grow its team of data scientists and quants with AI experience. This will help the company to “start building algorithms that provide predictive analytics for our customers.”
“Our product is rooted in big data and we have harnessed millions of daily ESG data points which gives us endless possibilities for expanding and evolving our product using cutting-edge techniques,” he says. “We are also investing in growing our sales teams, bringing on a number of channel partners, as well as growing the product management team.”
Other investors beyond Katalyst include Hearst Financial Venture Fund, The Entrepreneurs’ Fund, Sun Hung Kai Strategic Capital Limited, as well as individuals including William Campbell, the former chairman of JPMorgan Chase Card Services and CEO of Citibank Global Consumer, and Tom Chavez, former CEO and co-founder of Krux.
Further reading
Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.
To access these options, along with all other subscription benefits, please contact info@waterstechnology.com or view our subscription options here: http://subscriptions.waterstechnology.com/subscribe
You are currently unable to print this content. Please contact info@waterstechnology.com to find out more.
You are currently unable to copy this content. Please contact info@waterstechnology.com to find out more.
Copyright Infopro Digital Limited. All rights reserved.
As outlined in our terms and conditions, https://www.infopro-digital.com/terms-and-conditions/subscriptions/ (point 2.4), printing is limited to a single copy.
If you would like to purchase additional rights please email info@waterstechnology.com
Copyright Infopro Digital Limited. All rights reserved.
You may share this content using our article tools. As outlined in our terms and conditions, https://www.infopro-digital.com/terms-and-conditions/subscriptions/ (clause 2.4), an Authorised User may only make one copy of the materials for their own personal use. You must also comply with the restrictions in clause 2.5.
If you would like to purchase additional rights please email info@waterstechnology.com
More on Emerging Technologies
M&A activity, syndicated loans, a new tariff tool, and more
The Waters Cooler: LSEG and LeveL Markets partner for new order type, QuantHouse gets sold to Baha Tech, and Fitch Ratings has a new interactive tool in this week’s news roundup.
Nasdaq, AWS offer cloud exchange in a box for regional venues
The companies will leverage the experience gained from their relationship to provide an expanded range of services, including cloud and AI capabilities, to other market operators.
OCC’s security chief on generative AI with guardrails
Clearinghouse looks to scale technology across risk and data operations—but safety is still the watchword.
Bank of America reduces, reuses, and recycles tech for markets division
Voice of the CTO: When it comes to the old build, buy, or borrow debate, Ashok Krishnan and his team are increasingly leaning into repurposing tech that is tried and true.
Waters Wavelength Ep. 313: FIS Global’s Jon Hodges
This week, Jon Hodges, head of trading and asset services for Apac at FIS Global, joins the podcast to talk about how firms in Asia-Pacific approach AI and data.
Project Condor: Inside the data exercise expanding Man Group’s universe
Voice of the CTO: The investment management firm is strategically restructuring its data and trading architecture.
BNP Paribas explores GenAI for securities services business
The bank recently released a new web app for its client portal to modernize its tech stack.
Bank of America and AI, exchanges feud with researchers, a potential EU tax on US tech, and more
The Waters Cooler: Broadridge settles repos in real time, Market Structure Partners strikes back at European exchanges, and a scandal unfolds in Boston in this week’s news roundup.