ISS Stoxx Acquires Geospatial Climate, Nature Risk Analysis Firm Sust Global

Geospatial risk modelling and analytics provider Sust Global has been acquired by ISS Stoxx to be incorporated into its Sustainability Business.

Sust’s geospatial artificial intelligence engine analyses and seeks to find climate and nature patterns within geographical regions.

“This acquisition helps to underline our commitment to helping you better manage sustainability-related risks and uncover opportunities,” said Till Jung, Global Head of Sustainability Business.

S&P Global’s iLevel Private Markets Tool Updated with Document Search

S&P Global Market Intelligence has updated its private asset portfolio management capabilities with the launch of iLevel Document Search, an artificial intelligence-powered tool that can extract insights from a variety of unstructured data sources.

The latest augmentation of the iLevel suite has includes natural language querying, annotations for traceability and permissions-based search results for confidentiality.

“We’re moving from an era of portfolio monitoring to one of portfolio intelligence,” said Christopher Sparenberg, Head of iLEVEL, S&P Global Market Intelligence. “With deal flow at multi-year lows and exit windows tightening, the firms that will thrive are those that can unlock the ‘unknown unknowns’ in their existing portfolios to create differentiated value. iLEVEL Document Search enables investment teams to discover new opportunities and identify risks to make decisions with conviction.”

Informatica Adds New Features to its IDMC

Data management and integration specialist Informatica has updated its Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) platform to make it easier for users to utilise artificial intelligence-ready data.

The company, which is in the midst of a takeover by Salesforce, said the new release of IDMC includes features across data integration, governance, quality, master data management and integration platform as a service (iPaaS).

Acuity in ‘World-First’ Deal to Bring Databricks’ DIP to Clients

Acuity Knowledge Partners’ 650-plus financial services clients will be able to use the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to automate data-driven workflows and decision making in what the company has described as a “world-first deal”.

“Acuity is the first firm of its kind to bring Databricks to market for financial services firms,” said Jon O’Donnell, Chief Operating Officer of Acuity Knowledge Partners.

Swiss Firms Linked into GLEIF for Due Diligence Ease

Due diligence processes involving Swiss companies is anticipated to become easier with the integration of the Alpine nation’s corporate identification codes with Legal Entity Identifiers (LEI).

A direct URL link will be added to the LEI records of entities listed within Switzerland’s standardised business identification number (UID) register. The Global Legal Identifier Foundation (GLEIF), which issues LEIs, said this would enable “easy one-click access to each entity’s official verified registration data and associated documentation on the UID register website”.

The link-in initiative would make processes such as know your customer and know your supplier easier, GLEIF said.

AXA, Ardea Implement SimCorp Services for Portfolio and Risk Management

Global insurance giant AXA is to deploy financial technology provider SimCorp’s SimCorp One platform alongside SimCorp Managed Business Services to aid in its portfolio- and risk-management operations.

The combination of the two services will give the France-based insurer a “real-time, consolidated view of positions across all entities in the group”, said SimCorp.

Similarly, Australian fixed-income asset manager Ardea Investment Management has integrated SimCorp One into its tech stack.

Novata Teams With Microsoft on Private Markets ESG Data

Novata is to collaborate with Microsoft to scale its private-market ESG data offering. The two companies plan to develop artificial intelligence tools to simplify data collection and reporting, and give smaller companies climate reporting tools.

ICE Integrates NatureAlpha Biodiversity Data

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has integrated biodiversity data from start-up NatureAlpha. The new feed, NatureAlpha’s Glovers 2.0, will be integrated into ICE’s ICE Climate Analytics Platform.

Bloomberg Widens Leveraged Loans Indices

Bloomberg Indices’ leveraged loans gauges have been expanded. The Bloomberg European Leveraged Loan Index and the Bloomberg Global Leveraged Loan Index complement the US benchmark that was launched last year.

The indices are built on Bloomberg’s own evaluated pricing engine, BVAL, and include about 100 sub-indices, giving investors more granular visibility.

RepRisk Data Available on Aladdin

Reputational risk data provider RepRisk’s content is now available on Blackrock’s Aladdin platform. The Switzerland-based company said its data is used by 80 per cent “of the world’s top investment managers and 14 of the top 20 private equity firms to make better-informed portfolio and investment decisions”.