Our ESG Code of Conduct aims to have a relevant and measurable impact on society and our ecosystem by implementing concrete actions within our portfolio companies, within ISAI, and more generally within the Tech ecosystem, while avoiding any form of over-communication or greenwashing.

ISAI defined its Sustainability approach around the conviction that the Tech industry is facing fundamental challenges which will impact Tech companies’ future growth if nothing is done:

  • It is our responsibility to work on reducing the diversity gap within the Tech & Digital sector.
    At ISAI, we have defined a two-step approach to promoting access to employment and equal opportunities within our portfolio companies, namely:

    (i) the inclusion of an “Equal Opportunities Policy” in our shareholder agreements; and,

    (ii) access to tools and solutions to implement and track progress, notably through the active partnership we launched with Tech Your Place in 2022.

    At ISAI level, the mentorship program we launched in 2022 is now in place, and we continue to successfully mentor two Rocket School students per year in their professional transition to a job in the Tech industry. 

  • Rewarding employees for the value they create through value-sharing mechanisms has always been part of our DNA. Since our inception, we have always encouraged our portfolio companies to implement value-sharing mechanisms for employees that are tailored to the company’s profile and maturity (BSPCE, free shares, incentive packages, FPCE, etc.).
    Today, we are very proud to say that 100% of our portfolio companies have a value-sharing mechanism in place (all mechanisms included).

    This philosophy is also implemented at ISAI level, as all employees are granted carried interest in all funds launched, and benefit from a value-sharing mechanism.

  • Tech & Digital companies need to take their climate responsibility seriously. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the sector already accounts for 2% - 3% of global carbon emissions - comparable to the global airline industry. Such emissions are expected to increase significantly in the coming years if nothing is done.

    At the same time, the Tech & Digital sector's most important contribution in the race for global neutrality may be its ability to reduce emissions in other sectors. When used, Tech & Digital products and services can help avoid emissions that would otherwise have occurred. Car sharing and remote meetings are well-known examples.

    At ISAI, we have defined our climate journey to address both challenges and provide our companies with support, tools and methodologies to quantify their climate impact to:

    • Reduce their own carbon footprint (“Green for Tech”). Our partnership with Sweep is our first global initiative to provide our portfolio companies with an annual carbon footprint and integrate it into their roadmap; and,

    • Help others reduce their emissions (“Green by Tech”). Joining the Net Zero Initiative for IT working group, focused on building concrete accounting tools to measure avoided emissions thanks to digital solutions.

ESG TOOLBOX

To help our portfolio companies define, manage and progress their ESG strategy, we have designed a toolbox offering a catalogue of explanations, solutions and resources on various ESG themes and sub-themes. In the interests of transparency and support for our entire ecosystem, this toolkit has been made public and accessible to all.

 

  • In accordance with the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Registration (SFDR) Regulation, ISAI publishes the following information:

    • Integration of sustainability risks into the investment decision-making process (Article 3): please refer to the ISAI’s ESG Policy – Section III, which is publicly available on this website.

    • Non-consideration of material adverse impacts ("PAIs") of investment decisions on sustainability factors (Article 4).

    ISAI has established processes and measures to assess and monitor ESG and sustainability matters (i.e., environmental, social, and governance factors) in the investment cycle, in line with its ESG Policy.

    However, at this stage, ISAI does not consider any adverse impacts as prescribed in the EU SFDR regulation as the Company acknowledges the current limitations on readily available data to fully comply with the reporting requirements.

    ISAI’s position will be kept under ongoing review and monitored closely as the market developments evolve. In this sense, ISAI will reassess the situation and make the necessary changes in due course, toward the consideration of principal adverse impacts in the manner contemplated by Article 4(1)(a) of the SFDR.

    • Compensation policies in relation to sustainability risk integration (Article 5) : please refer to the ISAI’s Compensation Policy, which is publicly available on this website.

    ISAI Gestion has classified its funds under Article 6 and, from 2022, Article 8 of the SFDR regulation.

    The company's remuneration policy takes into account each employee’s long-term commitment and involvement in sustainability issues for the management company and within the investment process and portfolio companies. 

    All investors in ISAI-managed funds are regularly informed of each fund’s ESG activities through the fund reports and ISAI’s annual ESG report. This includes the integration of sustainability risks throughout the investment process, from analysis to monitoring, as well as any material environmental, social or governance issues that could have a negative impact on the value of investments.

    ISAI is a signatory of the UN-PRI (United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment), the France Invest Responsible Investor Charter, the France Invest Gender Charter and the SISTA Gender Charter.

    ISAI Gestion is also one of the founding members of Tech Your Place, a movement promoting Diversity and Inclusion in the Tech / Digital sector.