Sydney-based impact tech company Catalyser has raised $1 million to supercharge its entry into global markets within the ESG and corporate social responsibility space, with a focus on Asia.
Catalyser’s platform drives employee engagement data reporting capability for the traditionally under-automated activities of corporate volunteering, workplace fundraising and pro-bono and in-kind giving.
Co-Founder and Co-CEO Aivee Robinson says the time is right as companies across industries are talking about how “doing well by doing good” is fast becoming essential to doing business.
“Businesses that aren’t considering how they impact environmental, social and governance (ESG) are going to be left behind,” she explains. “Employees passionately want to work for the good guys and consumers want to buy from brands they can trust.”
Global Market Opportunity
Scalare Partners led the oversubscribed funding round, attracting prominent investors from Singapore, India, Canada and New Zealand and executives from local private equity firms.
James Walker, Founding Partner at Scalare Partners says Catalyser has aligned the powerful combination of a strong founding team, proven market fit and macro market drivers fueling demand for their offering.
“It is exciting to meet a founding team with this combination of aptitude, passion and opportunity”, James says.
“Across markets, there is increasing expectation and regulation for non-financial disclosure but companies struggle with quantifiable data when it comes to social impact activities – that’s where Catalyser comes in.”
“And the companies using Catalyser reads like a whos who of blue-chip employers – companies like KPMG, Deloitte, Energy Australia, nib, TPG, Telecom. . . the list goes on,” says James.
Giving is going digital
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an interruption to traditional in-person team volunteering days, workplace charity events and office fundraising drives as workforces remain remote amidst ongoing lockdowns.
Yet at the same time, companies are needing to tell stronger, more detailed stories about their commitment to social causes in response to growing demand from customers, employees and shareholders.
Companies are turning to software platforms to future-proof their corporate social responsibility programs.
The future of corporate giving has arrived, notes Aivee.
“Companies of all sizes are investing in cloud platforms like Catalyser that enable their corporate giving programs to not only continue, but to grow and expand in terms of employee engagement and social impact, despite teams remaining remote.”
“We see this trend growing particularly quickly in Asian markets like Hong Kong and Singapore where companies are looking for ways to engage their employees in their ESG initiatives, particularly their social investment activities and importantly, they’re looking for auditable data to meet their reporting and disclosure obligations,” Aivee says.
The Scalare Partners Team and its broader community of investors and advisors are looking forward to supporting the growth and expansion of Catalyser.
“This is exactly the type of game-changing founders and impact business that Scalare was established to support,” says James.
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