HPE Growth III C.V. (the Fund) promotes environmental and social characteristics but does not intend to make sustainable investments within the meaning of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).
The Fund will actively invest in digital technology companies within HPE Growth’s sector of expertise: software, fintech, digital health, and climate tech that foster a more inclusive, sustainable and ethical technology ecosystem. This is achieved by providing capital and investing in businesses that contribute to one of the Fund's established impact ambitions, which also reflect the environmental and social characteristics promoted within the meaning of SFDR. Reference is made to the below for the impact ambitions.
HPE Growth's Impact Ambitions
These characteristics are central to our investment approach and are monitored throughout the investment lifecycle. Note that the Fund may also consider investments that contribute to additional positive environmental or social outcomes beyond those listed above.
The investment strategy of the Fund is to invest in early to mid-growth-stage digital technology companies across Europe, targeting scalable, capital-efficient business models with a proven product-market fit. The investments will be made in HPE Growth’s sector of expertise as mentioned above.
To ensure that the Fund’s environmental and social characteristics are attained, impact and ESG considerations are thoroughly integrated throughout the investment process. In addition, the Fund has established binding elements, including that the portfolio company must demonstrate impact potential, agree to set impact and ESG targets, commit to providing data requested as part of HPE Growth’s Framework, show no significant unmitigable Principal Adverse Impacts, follow good governance principles, and not be active in a sector included in the investment exclusion list. For this Fund, HPE Growth aims to have a minimum share of 60% of investments promoting environmental and social characteristics.
In the early stages of the investment process, potential portfolio companies are screened using the Impact Management Project (IMP) framework to assess their impact potential and alignment with the Fund’s ambitions. ESG due diligence is conducted in parallel to evaluate material environmental, social, and governance risks and opportunities. In the first 100 days post-investment, baseline performance and targets are set. At this stage, industry and materiality assessments are conducted for the portfolio company next to an ESG data collection. Monitoring takes place through yearly measuring and reporting. Performance is reported through a sustainability report for investors and a portfolio report for portfolio companies, covering impact, ESG, and Principal Adverse Impact (PAI) indicators as defined by the SFDR. These reports guide ongoing engagement with portfolio companies. Prior to exit, a final impact and ESG assessment is conducted to evaluate progress against targets set at entry.
HPE Growth measures the attainment of these characteristics through its Impact and ESG Framework, which aligns with internationally recognized standards, including among others, IRIS+ and the IMP’s five dimensions of impact. Impact performance is evaluated based on KPIs and targets established for each portfolio company, with progress tracked annually. The specific sustainability indicators for each investment are determined on a case-by-case basis, using pre-investment impact assessments. Data for monitoring is primarily sourced from portfolio companies through the ESG platform and engagement calls. A tailored approach, based on a post-investment materiality assessment, ensures that the sustainability indicators and methodologies used are relevant to each company's unique context. Additionally, PAI indicators such as GHG emissions, turnover, and sickness rates are monitored annually in line with SFDR requirements. If significant adverse impacts are identified, HPE Growth works with portfolio companies to mitigate them.
More detailed information on HPE Growth III C.V. can be found in sections b-l.
HPE Growth III C.V. (het ‘Fonds’) houdt rekening met milieu en sociale doelstellingen, maar heeft niet als doel om duurzame investeringen te doen zoals bedoeld in de Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).
Het Fonds investeert in digitale technologiebedrijven in de sectoren SaaS, fintech, digitale gezondheidszorg en klimaattechnologie. Deze bedrijven dragen bij aan een eerlijker, duurzamer en verantwoordelijker technologie-ecosysteem. Het Fonds steunt bedrijven die aansluiten bij zijn impactdoelen, die ook passen bij de milieu en sociale kenmerken volgens de SFDR.
HPE Growth's Impact Ambitions
Deze kenmerken zijn belangrijk in de manier waarop het Fonds investeert en worden tijdens het hele investeringsproces gevolgd. Het Fonds kan ook investeren in bedrijven die bijdragen aan andere positieve milieu of sociale effecten.
De strategie van het Fonds richt zich op digitale technologiebedrijven in Europa die zich in een vroege tot middengroeifase bevinden. Het gaat om bedrijven met een schaalbaar bedrijfsmodel en een bewezen marktbehoefte.
Om de milieu en sociale doelen te bereiken, zijn impact en Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria verwerkt in alle stappen van het investeringsproces. Het Fonds stelt eisen aan de bedrijven waarin het investeert. Zo moeten zij impact kunnen aantonen, doelen opstellen voor impact en duurzaamheid, data aanleveren via de aanpak van HPE Growth, voldoen aan goed bestuur, en niet actief zijn in uitgesloten sectoren. Het doel is dat minstens 60% van de investeringen bijdraagt aan milieu en sociale kenmerken.
In een vroeg stadium worden mogelijke investeringen beoordeeld met behulp van het Impact Management Project (IMP). Tegelijk wordt er gekeken naar risico’s en kansen op het gebied van ESG. Binnen de eerste 100 dagen na investering worden doelen en prestaties vastgelegd. Er wordt dan ook een analyse gemaakt van de sector en belangrijke ESG gegevens verzameld. De voortgang wordt jaarlijks gemeten en gerapporteerd voor investeerders en bedrijven. Hierin staan ook gegevens over impact, ESG en zogeheten Principiële Adverse Impacts (PAI), zoals vereist door de SFDR. Vlak voor een verkoop van een bedrijf wordt opnieuw beoordeeld in hoeverre de doelen zijn behaald.
HPE Growth gebruikt een eigen Impact en ESG aanpak die aansluit bij internationale standaarden, zoals IRIS+ en de vijf IMP-dimensies. Voor elk bedrijf worden doelen en indicatoren vastgesteld, en de voortgang wordt jaarlijks gevolgd. De benodigde data worden verzameld via het ESG platform en gesprekken met de bedrijven. Op basis van de kenmerken van elk bedrijf worden relevante indicatoren gekozen. Daarnaast worden jaarlijks gegevens gemeten zoals CO₂-uitstoot, omzet en ziekteverzuim. Als negatieve effecten worden gevonden, helpt HPE Growth bedrijven om deze te beperken.
Meer informatie over HPE Growth III C.V. is te vinden in de secties b–l.
HPE Growth III C.V. (der Fonds) fördert ökologische und soziale Merkmale, beabsichtigt jedoch nicht, nachhaltige Investitionen im Sinne der Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) zu tätigen.
Der Fonds wird aktiv in digitale Technologieunternehmen innerhalb der Fachgebiete von HPE Growth investieren: Software, Fintech, Digital Health und Climate Tech, die ein besser integriertes, nachhaltigeres und ethischeres Technologie-Ökosystem fördern. Dies wird erreicht, indem Kapital bereitgestellt und in Unternehmen investiert wird, die zu einem der festgelegten Impact-Ziele des Fonds beitragen, welche auch die im Sinne der SFDR geförderten ökologischen und sozialen Merkmale widerspiegeln. Wir verweisen auf die untenstehende Grafik für weitere Details zu den Impact-Zielen des Fonds.
HPE Growth's Impact Ambitions
Diese Merkmale stehen im Zentrum unseres Investmentansatzes und werden während des gesamten Investitionszyklus berücksichtigt. Es ist zu beachten, dass der Fonds auch Investitionen in Betracht ziehen kann, die über die oben genannten Ziele hinausgehende positive ökologische oder soziale Auswirkungen haben.
Die Anlagestrategie des Fonds besteht darin, in europäische digitale Technologieunternehmen in der Früh- bis Wachstumsphase zu investieren, wobei skalierbare, kapitaleffiziente Geschäftsmodelle mit nachgewiesenem Product-Market-Fit im Fokus stehen. Die Investitionen werden in den oben erwähnten Fachgebieten von HPE Growth getätigt.
Um sicherzustellen, dass die ökologischen und sozialen Ziele des Fonds erreicht werden, sind Impact- und ESG-Erwägungen umfassend in den Investitionsprozess integriert. Darüber hinaus hat der Fonds verbindliche Kriterien festgelegt, welche unter anderem sicherstellen, dass Portfoliounternehmen Impact-Potenzial aufweisen, sich zur Festlegung von Impact- und ESG-Zielen verpflichten, die im Rahmen von HPE Growth's Impact-Framework angeforderten Daten zur Verfügung stellen, keine signifikanten, nicht abwendbaren Principal Adverse Impacts aufweisen, die Grundsätze guter Unternehmensführung befolgen und nicht in einem Sektor tätig sind, der auf der Investitionsausschlussliste steht. Für diesen Fonds strebt HPE Growth an, dass mindestens 60 % der Investitionen ökologische und soziale Merkmale fördern.
In der frühen Phase des Investitionsprozesses werden potenzielle Portfoliounternehmen anhand des Impact Management Project (IMP) Frameworks geprüft, um ihr Impact-Potenzial und die Übereinstimmung mit den Zielen des Fonds zu bewerten. Parallel dazu wird eine ESG-Due-Diligence durchgeführt, um wesentliche ökologische, soziale und Governance-Risiken sowie -Chancen zu identifizieren. In den ersten 100 Tagen nach der Investition werden Basiswerte und Zielsetzungen festgelegt. In dieser Phase werden neben einer ESG-Datensammlung auch Branchen- und Materialitätsbewertungen für das Portfoliounternehmen durchgeführt. Das Monitoring erfolgt durch jährliche Messungen und Berichterstattung. Entwicklungen werden in einem Nachhaltigkeitsbericht für Investoren sowie einem Portfoliobericht für die Portfoliounternehmen dargestellt. Diese Berichte umfassen Impact-, ESG- und PAI-Indikatoren gemäß SFDR und dienen der laufenden Zusammenarbeit mit den Portfoliounternehmen. Vor einem Exit erfolgt eine abschließende Impact- und ESG-Bewertung, um die Zielerreichung zu prüfen.
HPE Growth misst das Erreichen dieser Kriterien mithilfe seines Impact- und ESG-Frameworks, das sich an international anerkannten Standards orientiert, darunter u. a. IRIS+ und die fünf Impact-Dimensionen des IMP. Die Bewertung der Effektivität erfolgt auf der Grundlage von KPIs und Zielen, die für jedes Portfoliounternehmen festgelegt werden, wobei die Fortschritte jährlich überprüft werden. Die relevanten Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren werden für jedes Investment individuel auf Basis des Impact-Assessments bestimmt, welches vor einer Investition durchgeführt wird. Die Monitoring-Daten stammen überwiegend direkt von den Portfoliounternehmen und werden über die ESG-Plattform und regelmäßige Gespräche geteilt. Ein maßgeschneiderter Ansatz auf Basis einer Wesentlichkeitsanalyse nach der Investition stellt sicher, dass die verwendeten Indikatoren und Methoden für den jeweiligen Kontext des Unternehmens relevant sind. Zusätzlich werden PAI-Indikatoren wie Treibhausgasemissionen, Umsatz und Krankenstand jährlich gemäß SFDR-Anforderungen geprueft. Sollten erhebliche negative Auswirkungen festgestellt werden, arbeitet HPE Growth mit den Portfoliounternehmen zusammen, um diese zu mindern.
Detailliertere Informationen zu HPE Growth III C.V. finden Sie in den Abschnitten b–l.
HPE Growth III C.V. (le Fonds) promeut des caractéristiques environnementales et sociales, mais n’a pas l’intention de réaliser des investissements durables au sens du Règlement sur la publication d’informations en matière de durabilité dans le secteur des services financiers (SFDR).
Le Fonds investira activement dans des entreprises de technologie numérique dans les secteurs d’expertise de HPE Growth: logiciels, fintech, santé numérique et technologies climatiques, qui favorisent un écosystème technologique plus inclusif, durable et éthique. Cela est réalisé par l’apport de capital et des investissements dans des entreprises qui contribuent à l’une des ambitions d’impact définies par le Fonds, lesquelles reflètent également les caractéristiques environnementales et sociales promues au sens du SFDR.
HPE Growth's Impact Ambitions
Ces caractéristiques sont au cœur de notre approche d’investissement et font l’objet d’un suivi tout au long du cycle de vie de l’investissement. Il convient de noter que le Fonds peut également envisager des investissements ayant des effets environnementaux ou sociaux positifs supplémentaires au-delà de ceux énumérés ci-dessus.
La stratégie d’investissement du Fonds consiste à investir dans des entreprises européennes de technologie numérique en phase de croissance initiale à intermédiaire, ciblant des modèles économiques évolutifs, efficaces en capital et disposant d’une adéquation produit-marché prouvée. Les investissements seront réalisés dans les secteurs d’expertise de HPE Growth mentionnés ci-dessus.
Afin de garantir l’atteinte des caractéristiques environnementales et sociales du Fonds, les considérations d’impact et d’ESG sont pleinement intégrées dans l’ensemble du processus d’investissement. En outre, le Fonds a mis en place des éléments contraignants, notamment : l’entreprise du portefeuille doit démontrer un potentiel d’impact, accepter de fixer des objectifs d’impact et d’ESG, s’engager à fournir les données demandées dans le cadre du modèle de HPE Growth, ne présenter aucun impact négatif principal significatif non atténuable, respecter les principes de bonne gouvernance et ne pas exercer d’activité dans un secteur figurant sur la liste d’exclusion des investissements. Pour ce Fonds, HPE Growth vise à ce qu’au moins 60 % des investissements promeuvent des caractéristiques environnementales et sociales.
Dès les premières étapes du processus d’investissement, les entreprises potentielles sont évaluées à l’aide du cadre de l’Impact Management Project (IMP) afin d’analyser leur potentiel d’impact et leur alignement avec les ambitions du Fonds. En parallèle, une due diligence ESG est menée pour évaluer les risques et opportunités environnementaux, sociaux et de gouvernance significatifs. Au cours des 100 premiers jours suivant l’investissement, une évaluation de référence est effectuée et des objectifs sont fixés. À ce stade, une évaluation sectorielle et de matérialité est menée en parallèle à la collecte de données ESG. Le suivi est réalisé par des mesures et des rapports annuels. Les performances sont communiquées via un rapport de durabilité destiné aux investisseurs et un rapport de portefeuille destiné aux entreprises, couvrant l’impact, l’ESG et les indicateurs d’impact négatif principal (PAI) définis par le SFDR. Ces rapports servent de base à un dialogue continu avec les entreprises du portefeuille. Avant toute sortie, une évaluation finale de l’impact et de l’ESG est menée pour mesurer les progrès accomplis par rapport aux objectifs fixés lors de l’entrée.
HPE Growth mesure l’atteinte de ces caractéristiques à travers son cadre Impact et ESG, qui s’aligne sur des normes internationales reconnues, notamment IRIS+ et les cinq dimensions d’impact de l’IMP. La performance en matière d’impact est évaluée sur la base des indicateurs clés (KPI) et des objectifs définis pour chaque entreprise, avec un suivi annuel des progrès. Les indicateurs de durabilité spécifiques à chaque investissement sont déterminés au cas par cas, à l’aide d’évaluations d’impact menées avant l’investissement. Les données de suivi proviennent principalement des entreprises du portefeuille, via la plateforme ESG et des échanges réguliers. Une approche sur mesure, basée sur une analyse de matérialité post-investissement, garantit la pertinence des indicateurs et méthodologies utilisés pour chaque entreprise. De plus, des indicateurs PAI tels que les émissions de GES, le chiffre d’affaires et le taux d’absentéisme sont suivis annuellement conformément aux exigences du SFDR. En cas d’impact négatif important, HPE Growth collabore avec les entreprises concernées pour y remédier.
Des informations plus détaillées sur HPE Growth III C.V. sont disponibles dans les sections b à l.
b. No sustainable investment objective
The Fund promotes environmental and social characteristics but does not intend to make sustainable investments within the meaning of Article 2(16) of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and does not commit to making investments in environmentally sustainable economic activities within the meaning of Article 3 of the Taxonomy Regulation.
c. Environmental or social characteristics of the financial product
The Fund will actively invest in digital technology companies within HPE Growth’s sector of expertise: software, fintech, digital health, and climate tech that foster a more inclusive, sustainable and ethical technology ecosystem. This is achieved by providing capital and investing in businesses that contribute to one of the Fund's established impact ambitions, as shown in Figure 1 below. These impact ambitions also include the environmental and social characteristics promoted by this Fund within the meaning of SFDR. Reference is made to the below for the impact ambitions.
Figure 1: Impact ambitions for the Fund
These impact ambitions are integral to our investment approach and are monitored throughout the investment lifecycle. Please note that while the Fund's primary focus is on the impact ambitions outlined herein, it may also consider investments that contribute to additional environmental or social outcomes beyond those identified in Figure 1.
d. Investment strategy
The Fund is a specialized investment fund focusing on digital technology in Europe, targeting minority investments in early to mid-growth-stage companies with proven product-market fit and scalable, capital-efficient business models. The Fund’s focus is on the digital technology sector. In particular, the Fund targets and invests in digital business models in the following sub-sectors:
• Software – e.g., e-commerce enablement, logistics automation, sales and marketing automation, regulatory technology, legal technology, robotic process automation, analytics and machine learning, 3D virtual and augmented reality visualization, ClimateTech.
• FinTech – e.g., payments infrastructure, smartPOS solutions, InsurTech (e.g., corporate pension/corporate health distribution platforms), RegTech (e.g., KYC/AML software).
• Digital Health – e.g., telemedicine, digital diagnostics, insurance settlement solutions, corporate health, connected health and fitness.
• Climate Tech – e.g., green supply chain solutions, energy efficiency solutions, climate risk management platforms, circular economy business models, carbon offsetting platforms, green shipping technologies, sustainable travel solutions, smart waste management systems, carbon accounting and sustainability reporting tools, sustainable banking and finance platforms.
Binding elements
To attain the impact ambitions that include environmental and / or social characteristics promoted by the Fund, binding elements have been incorporated into the investment strategy, which are screened and assessed as part of the impact pre-due diligence and impact due diligence. The following binding elements have been established for the Fund:
(i) Following the impact pre-due diligence assessment, it has been established that the portfolio company has impact potential (1);
(ii) The portfolio company agrees to establish impact & ESG targets;
(iii) The portfolio company agrees to provide the required data based on HPE Growth’s impact & ESG framework;
(iv) No unacceptable principal adverse impacts were identified in the pre-investment impact & ESG due diligence, meaning a significant principal adverse impact that cannot be reasonably mitigated in a reasonable timeframe.
(v) It has been established that the company follows the principles of good governance;
(vi) The company is not primarily active in a sector included in the investment exclusion list.
_________________________________________________________________ (1) Whether a target company has impact potential will be determined in the impact pre-due diligence assessment. As part of the impact pre-due diligence assessment, the 5 dimensions of impact: model of the IMP (what, who, how much, contribution and risk relating to impact) is applied to understand the nature, extent, scope and scale of the impact. Note that for HPE Growth impact potential is deemed to be established in the event that the target company demonstrates alignment with the impact ambitions for the fund as illustrated in Figure 1. However, HPE Growth may also consider businesses that contribute to a different impact ambition than indicated in Figure 1.
(2) Reference is made to the Responsible Investment Policy of HPE Growth.
Integration of impact & ESG strategy in the investment process
Impact and ESG have been thoroughly integrated into the investment process through the following steps. For a more detailed description of the investment strategy, please refer to the PPM.
1. Impact (pre) due diligence: The Fund screens target companies using the IMP framework to evaluate impact potential and alignment with the Fund’s impact ambitions. ESG due diligence is conducted in parallel to assess material environmental, social, and governance risks and opportunities.
2. Portfolio management: In the first 100 days post-investment, baseline performance and targets are set. Portfolio companies report annually on impact and ESG metrics, which are reviewed and discussed jointly to support ongoing performance improvements.
3. Measuring & reporting: Performance is reported through a sustainability report for investors and a portfolio report for portfolio companies, covering impact, ESG, and Principal Adverse Impact (PAI) indicators as defined by the SFDR. These reports guide ongoing engagement with portfolio companies.
4. Exit: Prior to exit, a final impact and ESG assessment is conducted to evaluate progress against targets set at entry.
Pre-investment, an ESG questionnaire is completed as part of the ESG due diligence. Upon investment during the first 100 days after investment, a materiality and industry assessment is kicked-off. At this stage, a baseline performance is set by collecting specific ESG metrics and action items and targets are set. On a yearly basis, the ESG performance is measured and monitored against the targets and action items set through ESG assessments.
Good governance practices
HPE Growth assesses each portfolio company's good governance practices, focusing on business ethics, strong management, independent boards, risk management policies, (tax) compliance, employee relations, transparency, and disclosures. These considerations are part of HPE Growth’s due diligence process, and governance is continuously monitored throughout the investment period. Each portfolio company is assessed on these considerations as part of HPE Growth’s robust due diligence process. For more details, reference is made to HPE Growth’s Investment & Due Diligence policy. During the holding period of the investment, the Fund monitors good governance continuously.
e. Proportion of investments
For this Fund, HPE Growth aims to have a minimum share of investments promoting environmental and social characteristics of 60% and will not make sustainable investments within the meaning of SFDR.
f. Monitoring the sustainable investment objective
HPE Growth monitors the environmental and social characteristics promoted by the Fund through a structured and ongoing process integrated into the investment lifecycle to measure their attainment. Within the first 100 days post-investment, baseline performance is established and KPIs aligned with the Fund’s impact ambitions (see Figure 1 in Section C) are set. Through impact data provided by the portfolio companies on a yearly basis, HPE Growth and portfolio companies will engage and discuss feedback on impact performance based on the impact baseline assessment.
Monitoring is facilitated through HPE Growth’s dedicated ESG reporting and monitoring platform, which allows for the continuous collection, review, and analysis of impact & ESG data. Regular engagement with portfolio companies ensures that impact & ESG commitments are being met and that any challenges are addressed with guidance and support. This systematic approach ensures that the environmental and social characteristics promoted by the Fund are actively measured and managed throughout the lifecycle of the financial product.
g. Methodologies
HPE Growth measures the attainment of environmental and social characteristics through its Impact and ESG Framework (the “Framework”), which is aligned with internationally recognized standards such as IRIS+. HPE Growth assesses impact potential based on the 5 dimensions of impact of the IMP and maps contribution to UN SDGs. Impact performance is measured based on progress with respect to the KPIs and targets set.
HPE Growth has identified indicative key indicators that will be used to measure the attainment of the Fund’s impact ambitions. Please see Figure 2 below for an illustration of potential key indicators and metrics. Note that the specific sustainability indicators used to measure the attainment of each characteristic promoted by the Fund will be defined on a case-by-case basis for each portfolio company, during the pre-investment impact assessments phase. This approach ensures that the sustainability indicators or methodologies used are specific and relevant to the environmental and social contexts of each company.
Figure 2: Indicative Impact KPIs
In addition to these sustainability indicators, the Fund also tracks PAI indicators in line with SFDR requirements. These include GHG emissions, turnover, and sickness rates, along with additional indicators identified through ESG due diligence and the industry and materiality assessments conducted for all portfolio companies. These PAI indicators are evaluated annually as part of the ESG performance monitoring. In doing so, the most significant adverse impacts will be identified and can be mitigated or excluded. In the event that an indicator for adverse impacts on sustainability factors has been identified with regards to a specific investment during the investment period, the outcome will be raised and discussed in the Investment Committee.
The Fund reports annually on its progress, including how it addresses PAIs, in line with SFDR Article 7. Data is collected on a best-effort basis and may include estimates where necessary, with explanations provided.
h. Data sources and processing
To assess the environmental and social characteristics promoted by the Fund, HPE Growth collects data from its portfolio companies through a dedicated ESG data platform. This allows for a more consistent and unified data collection approach which should ensure better comparability. Via the platform, portfolio companies can insert relevant data on pre-identified ESG metrics. The platform provides an overview of general progress and scoring per company and allows for aggregation of data. Scoring is based on the level of maturity of each portfolio company in relation to performance on specific material themes. After data collection, HPE Growth schedules engagement calls with its portfolio companies to run through the data provided and identify missing data or immediate red flags. The sustainability report that is prepared annually includes details on the limitations and restrictions of the data provided.
While HPE Growth endeavors to provide high-quality data at all times, from time to time, it may be that in certain instances, data will be provided based on an estimate. If estimation of data is required, this will always be mentioned, and based on verified research, market averages or comparable peers.
i. Limitations to methodologies and data
Through the methodology and Framework, HPE Growth aims to effectively measure impact and ESG performance based on KPIs, targets set and materiality for the purpose of helping our portfolio companies drive sustainable growth and meet targets set over time. Through the methodology and Framework, HPE Growth aims to effectively measure impact and ESG performance based on KPIs, targets set and materiality for the purpose of helping our portfolio companies drive sustainable growth and meet targets set over time.
The below depicts the limitations and restrictions we have experienced in the data collection process. The below depicts the limitations and restrictions we have experienced in the data collection process.
Accuracy Information shared with HPE Growth is currently not being audited. Whilst some of our portfolio companies have the information provided audited, this is not being done separately by us at this stage. That said, through engagement calls following the data collection exercise, HPE Growth has conducted sanity checks to a certain extent of the completeness and quality of the data provided. For the Fund, HPE Growth may have the impact data validated by a third party during the holding period of an investment. Completeness HPE Growth will continuously look for ways in how to best support its portfolio companies and to provide the needed guidance so that they are able to share complete information requests. Given the nature of the Fund and the type of investor that HPE is, HPE Growth considers itself capable of complementing missing data with the knowledge we have of portfolio companies. To mitigate above mentioned limitations and restrictions, HPE Growth provides clear guidance on how to calculate certain metrics. In addition, it has implemented an automated data collection and monitoring platform to streamline data collection. HPE Growth may consider having the data verified by a third party during the holding period of the investment.
j. Due diligence
To ensure that the environmental and social characteristics promoted by the Fund are upheld, HPE Growth follows a two-step impact due diligence process to assess the impact potential of target companies: 1. Pre-due diligence: mapping of impact potential based on the IMP model (what, who, how much, contribution, and risk) and screening of alignment with binding elements.
2. Impact due diligence: validation of the impact potential and business case, defining impact KPIs and incorporating impact considerations in investment documentation. ESG due diligence is carried out in the confirmatory due diligence to establish whether significant PAI indicators that cannot be reasonably mitigated in a reasonable timeframe has been identified.
k. Engagement policies
Performance on KPIs and targets set form the basis for engagement on progress in a specific year. As part of the Framework, it will frequently engage with its portfolio companies on impact and ESG to drive sustainable improvements.