StepChange
StepChange is a SaaS climate-tech platform providing carbon accounting, ESG reporting, and climate risk management software for financial institutions and corporates, primarily serving the Indian market with international expansion plans. It is the first PCAF-accredited organization in the Global South.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersBengaluru, India
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What StepChange does
StepChange is a SaaS-based climate-tech platform founded in 2021 and headquartered in Boston with primary operations in Bengaluru, India. The company provides a unified platform covering carbon management (Scope 1-3 and financed emissions), ESG intelligence (operational ESG, vendor assessment, portfolio scorecards), and climate and nature risk management (physical and transition risk, adaptation, nature risk). It serves financial institutions (banks, asset managers, insurers) and corporates across multiple sectors, including industrial manufacturing, consumer goods, chemicals and pharma, agriculture, transportation, real estate, and technology services. Named enterprise customers include ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, ITC Limited, Union Bank of India, SyrmaSGS Technology, and Saison International.
The platform is built on cloud infrastructure with 350+ enterprise system integrations supporting SFTP and API-based data ingestion, AI-powered workflows for climate and sustainability data, and PCAF-accredited methodologies for financed emissions accounting. It supports disclosure compliance across GRI, BRSR, ISSB, TCFD, TNFD, IFRS, and GHG Protocol frameworks. Specialized modules include NetZero Navigator for financed emissions, ESG Accelerator for BRSR compliance, a Data Registry (beta), and the Climate and Sustainability Data Exchange (CSDX), launched in April 2026 in partnership with Networks for Humanity. The company also publishes the annual BRSR Barometer report in collaboration with Ecube.
StepChange operates a sales-led enterprise GTM with "Schedule a Demo" and "Request a Free Assessment" CTAs, quote-based annual subscription pricing, and complementary professional services. It is the first PCAF-accredited organization in the Global South and the first PCAF Regional Partner for India. The company has raised approximately $4 million in seed funding (May 2023, led by BEENEXT and Global Founders Capital) and maintains a SOC2 Type 1/Type 2, SOC1, SOC3, ISO 27001/27017/27018, GDPR, and CCPA-aligned security posture.
StepChange firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- StepChange
- Legal name
- StepChange Inc.
- Website
- https://stepchange.earth
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- StepChange is a SaaS climate-tech platform providing carbon accounting, ESG reporting, and climate risk management software for financial institutions and corporates, primarily serving the Indian market with international expansion plans. It is the first PCAF-accredited organization in the Global South.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
StepChange industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Climate-tech SaaS for Carbon, ESG, and Climate Risk Management
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- ESG/Sustainability Reporting & Disclosure Platforms (EUABAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Supply Chain (Scope 3) Emissions & Supplier Engagement Platforms (EUABAEAE), Benchmarking, Ratings & Stakeholder Reporting Portals (Scorecards, Dashboards) (EUABAEAJ), Climate Target-Setting, Transition Planning & Performance Management Platforms (EUABAEAF), Audit-Ready Controls, Assurance & Compliance Workflow Tools (CSRD/SEC/ISSB) (EUABAEAG), Regulatory & Disclosure Strategy (CSRD/ESRS, ISSB/IFRS S2, SEC, TCFD) (EUABAKAH), Climate Risk & Scenario Analysis (TCFD/IFRS S2) (EUAHAJAD)
Keywords
Where StepChange is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bengaluru
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
StepChange business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- SaaS Platform Subscription: Software-as-a-service platform providing carbon management, ESG intelligence, and climate risk management solutions. The platform is described as 'Affordable. Accessible. Accredited.' with enterprise-grade features and compliance certifications.
- Professional Services: Professional services including consulting, implementation support, and specialized sustainability advisory for financial institutions and corporates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise SaaS with quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
StepChange product offering
Product offeringCore offering
StepChange provides a SaaS-based climate-tech platform for carbon accounting (Scope 1-3 and PCAF-accredited financed emissions), ESG reporting, and climate and nature risk management. It serves financial institutions and large corporates with carbon management, ESG intelligence, climate risk assessment, BRSR/TCFD/ISSB-aligned disclosures, and ancillary professional advisory services. The platform integrates with 350+ enterprise systems via SFTP and API and supports disclosure frameworks including GRI, BRSR, ISSB, TCFD, TNFD, IFRS, PCAF, and GHG Protocol.
Product overview
StepChange offers a unified SaaS platform for corporate sustainability management, combining three core solution areas: Carbon Management (covering Scope 1-2, Scope 3, and Financed Emissions), ESG Intelligence (Operational ESG, Vendor ESG Management, Portfolio ESG Scorecard), and Climate & Nature Risk (Operational Climate Risk, Portfolio Climate Risk, Adaptation & Resilience, Nature Risk, Extreme Weather Risk). The platform is complemented by specialized modules including NetZero Navigator for financed emissions management, ESG Accelerator for BRSR compliance, the Climate and Sustainability Data Exchange (CSDX) for data sharing, a Data Registry (beta), and Professional Services. The company also publishes annual research reports including the BRSR Barometer. The platform serves financial institutions (banking, asset management, insurance, real estate) and business sectors (industrial manufacturing, materials extraction, consumer goods, agriculture, transportation, chemicals, technology services).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Unified Platform for Carbon, ESG & Climate Risk Management A unified SaaS platform that measures carbon footprint across operations, value chains, and portfolios (Scope 1-3 and financed emissions), tracks operational and vendor ESG performance, and assesses climate and nature risk. It supports disclosure compliance with GRI, BRSR, ISSB, TCFD, TNFD, IFRS, PCAF, and GHG Protocol for financial institutions and large corporates.
- NetZero Navigator A specialized suite within the StepChange platform designed to measure, analyze, and reduce financed emissions and manage climate risks. Enables banks, asset managers, and insurers to quantify Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions across portfolios using PCAF methodology, with integrated climate risk and ESG scorecard modules.
- ESG Accelerator A specialized solution designed to help the Indian chemical industry and other sectors achieve BRSR compliance and net-zero goals through ESG data digitalization and supply chain sustainability support.
- Climate and Sustainability Data Exchange (CSDX) An open network for decision-grade climate and sustainability information. Built on the Decentralised Data Marketplace (DDM) vision, it creates a common rail that allows authorized actors (suppliers, banks, regulators) to publish and access sustainability information through common infrastructure at near-zero marginal cost.
- Professional Services Advisory and consulting services supporting sustainability transformation, including materiality assessments, gap analyses, and strategic sustainability roadmap development for financial institutions and corporates.
- BRSR Barometer Report Annual collaborative research report by StepChange and ECube analyzing ESG and sustainability disclosures across India, providing insights on industry performance, material trends, and sectoral scorecards. The 2025 edition covers 800+ companies representing over ₹8 trillion in annual revenue across 12 sectors.
- BRSR Barometer 2023-24 Collaborative report analyzing 1,041 BRSR reports across 13 sectors with 50+ data points per company, focusing on environmental, social, and governance disclosure gaps and improvement opportunities in India.
Quantifiable outcome
- First PCAF-accredited organization in the Global South, fourth globally
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use StepChange
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
StepChange technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
StepChange partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core partnership and minor.
- Networks for Humanitycore partnershipStepChange and Networks for Humanity launched the Climate and Sustainability Data Exchange (CSDX) on Earth Day. CSDX is an open, global rail for decision-grade climate and sustainability data built on decentralized data marketplace vision.
- Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF)core partnershipStepChange is the first PCAF Regional Partner for India and the first PCAF-accredited organization in the Global South (fourth globally). Delivers trusted frameworks and cutting-edge tools for financial institutions to measure and disclose financed emissions.
- Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)minorGRI Licensing Marks Partner enabling StepChange to support clients with GRI-aligned sustainability disclosures.
- Ecubecore partnershipJoint publication of the BRSR Barometer - an annual report analyzing ESG and sustainability disclosures across India. The 2025 report covers 800+ companies representing ₹8 trillion+ in annual revenue.
- MIT Sloan School of ManagementminorDr. Jason Jay, Director of the Sustainability Initiative at MIT Sloan, serves as an advisor to StepChange, providing guidance on Net Zero strategies and organizational transformation.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
StepChange competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Watershed: Watershed is a leading enterprise carbon accounting and climate platform helping companies measure, report, and reduce emissions across operations and value chains. Direct competitor to StepChange's Carbon Management Suite, with similar Scope 1-3 and ESG reporting capabilities but focused on large US/EU enterprises.
- Persefoni: Persefoni is a climate management and accounting platform specializing in carbon footprint calculation and decarbonization for enterprises and financial institutions. Closely comparable to StepChange with its Scope 1-3 and financed emissions focus, competing in the same enterprise carbon accounting category.
- Sweep: Sweep is a sustainability management platform enabling businesses to centralize ESG data, measure emissions, and engage supply chain partners. Directly comparable to StepChange's ESG Intelligence and Scope 3 supplier engagement modules, serving mid-market and enterprise customers globally.
- CarbonChain: CarbonChain provides carbon accounting for financed emissions, supply chains, and product footprints, with strong focus on financial institutions and hard-to-abate sectors. Direct competitor to StepChange's NetZero Navigator and BRSR-focused offerings, especially for banks and asset managers.
- Greenly: Greenly is a carbon accounting platform helping businesses measure, reduce, and report their carbon footprint with a focus on SMB and mid-market. Comparable SaaS model and Scope 1-3 functionality to StepChange, though more focused on smaller customers and less on Indian/emerging market financial institutions.
- Plan A: Plan A is a corporate sustainability and ESG software platform for carbon accounting, decarbonization, and CSRD/ESG reporting. Direct European competitor to StepChange with similar enterprise SaaS positioning, decarbonization planning, and supplier engagement features.
Broad incumbents
- Workiva: Workiva is a leading cloud platform for ESG, sustainability, and financial reporting, serving large enterprises with integrated disclosure workflows. Broader incumbent competing in ESG reporting and audit-ready compliance, where StepChange operates; not specialized in carbon accounting but overlaps in disclosure workflows.
- Microsoft Sustainability Manager: Microsoft Sustainability Manager is an enterprise ESG and carbon accounting solution within the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem, bundling emissions tracking with Power Platform. A broad incumbent that competes indirectly with StepChange by leveraging Microsoft's enterprise distribution and existing IT relationships.
- Salesforce Net Zero Cloud: Salesforce Net Zero Cloud (formerly Salesforce Sustainability Cloud) is an enterprise carbon accounting platform integrated with the Salesforce CRM ecosystem. Broad incumbent competitor overlapping with StepChange's Scope 3 and ESG data capabilities, particularly for large CRM-equipped enterprises.
Emerging players
- Emitwise: Emitwise is an AI-powered carbon accounting platform focused on manufacturing and industrial customers, helping measure Scope 1-3 emissions across complex operations. Comparable to StepChange's industrial sector offering and ESG Intelligence, with emerging traction in supply chain decarbonization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
StepChange social profiles
Digital presenceStepChange compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance13 records
StepChange financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
StepChange leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
StepChange funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors15 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
StepChange M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments5 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about StepChange
What does StepChange do?
StepChange provides a SaaS-based climate-tech platform for carbon accounting (Scope 1-3 and PCAF-accredited financed emissions), ESG reporting, and climate and nature risk management. It serves financial institutions and large corporates with carbon management, ESG intelligence, climate risk assessment, BRSR/TCFD/ISSB-aligned disclosures, and ancillary professional advisory services. The platform integrates with 350+ enterprise systems via SFTP and API and supports disclosure frameworks including GRI, BRSR, ISSB, TCFD, TNFD, IFRS, PCAF, and GHG Protocol.
Is StepChange a public or private company?
StepChange is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was StepChange founded?
StepChange was founded in 2021. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is StepChange based?
StepChange is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, in the Asia region.
How does StepChange make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. SaaS Platform Subscription is the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are StepChange's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Watershed, Persefoni, Sweep, CarbonChain, Greenly and Plan A. Broad incumbents are Workiva, Microsoft Sustainability Manager and Salesforce Net Zero Cloud. Emitwise is listed as an emerging player.
Does StepChange have an API?
No public API is recorded for StepChange.
What industry is StepChange in?
StepChange's product category is Climate-tech SaaS for Carbon, ESG, and Climate Risk Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAEAB, ESG/Sustainability Reporting & Disclosure Platforms, with a secondary code of EUABAEAE, Supply Chain (Scope 3) Emissions & Supplier Engagement Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51821 and its SIC code is 7372.