Palatine invests in sustainability consulting group Anthesis
Sustainability consultancy Anthesis has received a minority investment from Palatine Private Equity. The new backing will help Anthesis accelerate its mission to help mitigate the worst impacts of global climate change.
Established in 2013 and growing upwards of 20% in revenue annually, Anthesis is a professional services firm which brings together 600 experts operating in 40 countries around the world, and has offices in Andorra, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Middle East, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US. The firm is a certified B Corp, and works with cities, companies, and other organisations to drive sustainable performance, developing financially driven sustainability strategies, underpinned by technical expertise and delivered by innovative collaborative teams.
From designing a waste ‘track and trace’ tool for the UK Government and managing Tesco’s 10,000-supplier network, to certifying Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly programme, Anthesis currently supports 1,000 clients, including 25% of the FTSE 100, with their sustainability ambitions. Since its inception, Anthesis has acquired 13 businesses including impact innovation strategist GoodBrand and 200-strong Spanish consultancy, Lavola.
With the world’s attention on COP 26 in Glasgow in November, where 197 countries and territories will report on their progress to a net-zero economy, Anthesis has emphasised its commitment to sustainability by looking to further expand its global footprint and impact. Anthesis is setting its own goal to support its clients to avoid, reduce, and remove at least 3GT of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. This is equal to reducing or removing over half of the US’ annual emissions – something which will necessitate further growth of the firm’s international offering.
In order to achieve this landmark target, Anthesis has attracted a major minority investment from Palatine Private Equity. As a responsibly-driven, mid-market private equity firm, Palatine accelerates sustainable growth in its portfolio businesses through buy and build, organic growth, roll-out and international expansion strategies. Its investment strategy is underpinned by strong partnerships, integrating environmental, social and governance improvements and an absolute focus on value creation, achieved by improving operational efficiencies, developing talent, expanding networks and through digital transformation.
Speaking on the news, Stuart McLachlan, CEO of Anthesis, commented, “We have ten years to effect change. Our market is now awake to the reality of climate impact and the need for unsustainable brands and organisational models to transform. Anthesis is positioned in the middle of these commercial and sustainable performance drivers. We are constantly looking at how we can scale our impact by helping our clients navigate through these constraints, risks, and opportunities… While we have achieved strong growth since the Company was formed in 2013, we need to accelerate progress, and I am delighted that Palatine is joining us on this journey.”
The acquisition combines investment from both Palatine’s Buyout Fund and its Impact Fund, which is the first dedicated returns-focused impact fund launched in the mid-market to back profitable companies which have a positive impact on the environment or society.According to Beth Houghton, Partner and Head of the Impact Fund, Palatine sees tremendous growth potential as more progressive businesses seek out expert support to embrace sustainability in a meaningful way, as Anthesis has.
Houghton added, “Anthesis is an outstanding purpose-led business and a trusted partner to global, household name brands, major corporates and forward-thinking cities, as they work to address one of the great social and economic challenges of our time, sustainability… Anthesis’ mission-driven approach aligns with our long-term commitment to place purpose and responsibility at the heart of our investment strategy. We are thrilled to be working closely with Stuart and the Anthesis team and take the business to the next level.”