What Inrate does

Inrate AG is an independent Swiss sustainability rating agency founded in 1991 by Christoph Müller, headquartered in Zurich with offices in Geneva and London. The company provides ESG impact ratings, sustainability data, and active ownership services to over 100 institutional clients globally, including asset managers, banks, pension funds, and index providers. Its core product is the CLIF ESG data platform, which provides transparency across 10,000+ companies (covering 99% of global listed market capitalization) and 190 sovereigns using 700+ indicators and a 12-point A+ to D- rating scale. The proprietary Business Activity Impact (BAI) framework assesses companies based on their actual business activities (400+ activities, 80+ parameters) rather than self-reported disclosures, with a stated aim of reducing greenwashing risk.

The technology stack centers on Inrate's science-based impact methodology combined with structured ESG controversies screening across 38 categories (bi-weekly updates) and, since 2026, AI-powered ESG assessments via a partnership with SESAMm covering 5M+ public and private companies through NLP analysis of 25B+ articles across 100+ languages. Modular product lines include ESG screening (controversies, adverse products, UNGC, OECD), climate impact data, EU Taxonomy and SFDR compliance data, SDG impact data, biodiversity solutions, sovereign ratings, and active ownership services (proxy voting and engagement). The Responsible Shareholder Group (RSG) engagement pool aggregates CHF 100+ bn AUM across institutional members.

Revenue derives primarily from enterprise B2B subscriptions to ESG data, ratings, and active ownership services, sold through a direct enterprise field sales motion targeting institutional investors, supplemented by channel partnerships (SIX Group for index products, Governance & Values for DACH stewardship, Minerva Analytics for voting services). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed for core data products; standalone research reports such as the zRating Study are priced at CHF 200. Inrate is actively pursuing ESMA recognition under the EU ESG Ratings Regulation ahead of the August 2026 deadline.

Name

Inrate

Legal name

Inrate AG

Website

https://inrate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Inrate AG is an independent Swiss sustainability rating agency, founded in 1991, that provides ESG impact ratings, sustainability data, and active ownership services to over 100 institutional clients—including asset managers, banks, pension funds, and index providers—via its CLIF platform covering 10,000+ companies and 190 sovereigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability data and ESG ratings

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

ESG Data, Ratings & Climate Benchmarks (FSAFAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG Reporting, Disclosure & Regulatory Compliance (SFDR, EU Taxonomy, TCFD/ISSB) (FSAAALAK), Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), ESG/Sustainable Investment Advisory (FSAEAAAJ)

Keywords

• ESG ratings
• Sustainability data
• ESG analytics
• Active ownership services
• Impact ratings

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. ESG Data & Ratings Subscription: Inrate provides ESG ratings and sustainability data through subscription-based access to its CLIF platform and data feeds. Services include ESG ratings for public companies, private companies, sovereigns, and sub-sovereigns across multiple asset classes. Annual release cycle with real-time controversy data updates.
2. Active Ownership Services: Proxy voting and engagement services delivered via proprietary online platform, including the Responsible Shareholder Group (RSG) engagement pool with CHF 100+ bn in AuM. Services include goal-oriented dialogue, tracking via defined KPIs, and customized reporting.
3. Research Reports: Sale of specialized research reports including zRating Study (CHF 200), Engagement Reports, and thematic whitepapers covering ESG trends, controversies, and sector-specific analysis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Inrate is an independent Swiss sustainability rating agency that provides ESG data, ratings, and active ownership services to institutional investors. Its CLIF platform covers 10,000+ companies and 190 sovereigns with 700+ metrics, and its proprietary impact-oriented methodology assesses real-world sustainability impact based on business activities rather than corporate disclosures. Core offerings include ESG Impact Ratings, ESG Screening Solutions, Climate Impact Data, Compliance Data (EU Taxonomy, SFDR), SDG Impact Data, Biodiversity Data, AI-powered ESG assessments, and active ownership services including proxy voting and the Responsible Shareholder Group engagement pool.

Product overview

Inrate is a sustainability data and ESG ratings company offering a modular platform architecture centered on its CLIF ESG data platform and ESG Impact Ratings product. The core offerings include ESG Data & Solutions (comprising ESG Screening Solutions with controversy, adverse product, UNGC, and OECD screening modules; Climate Impact Data; Compliance Data including EU Taxonomy and SFDR; Business Activity Impact; Biodiversity Data; SDG Impact Data; and AI-powered ESG assessments via the AI Report 2026), ESG Impact Ratings (covering public companies, private companies, and sovereigns), ESG Active Ownership (Proxy Voting Services and Engagement Services including the Responsible Shareholder Group), Portfolio Analysis & Reporting, and the zRating sub-brand for Swiss corporate governance. The CLIF platform provides access to over 700 metrics for 10,000+ companies and 190 sovereigns, integrated across all product modules. Inrate operates from Zurich and Geneva (Switzerland) and London (UK), serving over 100 institutional clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CLIF: ESG data platform that brings transparency to over 10,000 companies' and 190 sovereigns' sustainability performance.
• Responsible Shareholder Group (RSG)

Products and services

• CLIF ESG Data Platform ESG data platform providing transparency into the sustainability performance of over 10,000 companies and 190 sovereigns, with over 700 metrics across biodiversity, climate, labor, supply chain, and governance themes. Features drill-down capabilities, downloadable reports, and flexible data delivery through APIs, FTP, CSV, and XLXS. Designed for institutional investors requiring comprehensive ESG data for investment decisions.
• ESG Impact Ratings Science-based ESG ratings evaluating ecological and social impact and governance practices across asset classes using a 12-point scale from A+ to D-. Covers 10,000+ public companies representing 99%+ of listed market capitalization, private companies, and sovereigns/sub-sovereigns, providing comparable cross-asset and cross-sector ratings.
• ESG Screening Solutions Comprehensive screening framework covering 38 controversy types, 60 adverse products, and UNGC/OECD compliance screening for 10,000+ companies. Features bi-weekly real-time controversy assessment and customizable screening criteria with exclusion thresholds. Designed for institutional investors requiring exclusion lists and norms-based screening.
• Climate Impact Data Climate data package providing quantitative and qualitative insights for 10,000+ corporate and 200 sovereign emitter profiles. Includes reported and modelled Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, emission reduction programs, climate targets, and position statements on energy mix. Designed for climate-aware institutional investors.
• Compliance Data (EU Taxonomy and SFDR) ESG compliance solutions addressing EU Taxonomy and SFDR complexities for institutional investors. Includes EU Taxonomy alignment data (eligible activities, substantial contribution, DNSH, minimum safeguards) and SFDR Principal Adverse Impact (PAI) indicators across 14 mandatory and 33 voluntary indicators for 10,000+ issuers.
• Inrate AI Report 2026 AI-powered ESG assessment reports combining SESAMm's natural language processing with Inrate's ESG expertise. Monitors 25B+ articles across 100+ languages from 4M data sources. Generates scalable ESG insights for 5M+ public and private companies across controversies, human rights risks, climate topics, and governance signals.
• SDG Impact Data Assessment of positive or negative contribution to each of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Based on multidimensional impact research combining SDG contribution of business activities (67%) and company ESG impact (33%) from real-world impact and corporate disclosures.
• Biodiversity Data and Solutions Comprehensive nature and biodiversity solutions including biodiversity metrics (policies, targets, land/freshwater/ocean change), biodiversity-specific controversy screening, and ESG ratings assessing biodiversity impact of business activities based on TNFD and GRI frameworks.
• ESG Sovereign Ratings Impact-oriented sovereign and sub-sovereign ESG ratings using 60+ KPIs across ESG themes including Biodiversity & Resources, Democracy, and International Cooperation. Features client-specific exclusion criteria based on EU embargoes, UN Sanctions, Electoral Democracy, and Press Freedom.
• ESG Private Companies Ratings ESG ratings for private companies assessing sustainability impact of business activities, management of material ESG issues, and involvement in significant ESG controversies. Uses the same methodological approach as public company ratings for seamless portfolio comparability.
• ESG Active Ownership Services Stewardship services combining proactive ESG engagement with portfolio companies and end-to-end proxy voting solutions. Aligns with regulatory frameworks and the Swiss Stewardship Code, enables tracking of ESG performance through a proprietary real-time tool, and provides customizable engagement and voting reports. Includes the Responsible Shareholder Group (RSG) engagement pool with CHF 100+ bn AUM.
• Proxy Voting Services Comprehensive proxy voting solutions covering the entire voting process with a transparent and collaborative approach. Includes development of zRatings evaluating corporate governance of Swiss-listed companies using 65+ material indicators, and voting recommendations based on publicly available voting guidelines.
• Engagement Services
• Portfolio Analysis & Reporting
• Inrate zRating Study (Swiss Corporate Governance Report)

Quantifiable outcome

• Coverage of 99% of global listed market capitalization across 10,000+ companies
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Governance & ValuescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Strategic partnership to deliver integrated engagement and stewardship services to institutional investors across the DACH region. Combines Inrate's sustainability analytics and double materiality ESG expertise with Governance & Values' capabilities in corporate governance, fiduciary stewardship, and stakeholder engagement. Governance & Values leads engagement execution while Inrate provides proxy voting, structured engagement programs, and proprietary sustainability data.
• Norwegian Government Pension Fund GlobalcoreOthers · 12 May 2026Selected to support news-based ESG monitoring for the Council on Ethics of the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, one of the most closely watched mandates in responsible investing. Solution enables targeted monitoring across critical areas including systematic human rights abuses with structured scoring and clear attribution.
• SIX GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Five-year partnership marking five years of SIX Swiss ESG Indices collaboration. Inrate ESG Impact Ratings used for SPI ESG 25 index component selection (25 companies based on market cap and ESG ratings) and weighting. Partnership supports SIX's strategy to expand ESG-focused and alternative weighting solutions for asset managers, ETF providers, and structured product issuers.
• SESAMmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2025Strategic data partnership to enhance ESG ratings through advanced natural language processing and alternative data sources, improving coverage and analytical depth.
• SESAMmcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to deliver AI-powered ESG assessment reports combining advanced natural language processing with deep ESG expertise. Covers 5M+ public and private companies using 25B+ articles monitored (10M added daily) across 100+ languages, sourced from 4M public and premium data sources.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• LSEG (formerly Refinitiv) ESG:
• MSCI ESG Research: MSCI ESG Research is the largest global provider of ESG ratings, data, and analytics for institutional investors. Directly comparable as it serves the same asset managers, banks, and pension funds with overlapping ESG ratings, screening, and regulatory-compliance products — though MSCI's scale, asset-class breadth, and global coverage dwarf Inrate's.
• S&P Global ESG (formerly SAM / S&P CSA): S&P Global's ESG division (built on the SAM CSA acquisition) offers corporate sustainability assessments, ESG scores, and climate data. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping ESG ratings and index-eligible scoring used by the same institutional buy-side, but with much wider product scope.
• Moody's ESG Solutions:
• Bloomberg ESG Data:

Direct peers

• Sustainalytics (Morningstar): Sustainalytics is one of the most direct competitors to Inrate, providing ESG risk ratings, controversy research, and regulatory data to asset managers and asset owners globally. Highly comparable on product architecture (ratings + controversies + screening) and target customer (institutional investors), but operates at significantly larger scale under Morningstar.
• ISS ESG: ISS ESG provides ESG ratings, screening, climate, and proxy-voting/engagement services to institutional investors. Highly comparable because it competes head-on with Inrate across both data and active ownership, and it shares the same combination of ratings, voting, and stewardship offerings.

Emerging players

• Clarity AI: Clarity AI is a technology-first sustainability analytics platform providing ESG ratings, impact measurement, and regulatory reporting for investors and corporations. Comparable as an emerging player with strong AI/ML positioning, overlapping product scope, and similar institutional client base, though it has raised significantly more venture capital.
• RepRisk: RepRisk is a Zurich-based ESG data science company specializing in business conduct and controversy research using AI and NLP on news and NGO sources. Highly comparable given the shared Swiss base, shared institutional client base, and overlapping controversies/AI-news capabilities (akin to Inrate's SESAMm-powered AI Report).

Regional players

• Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP): CDP is a global non-profit running the world's largest environmental disclosure system, used by investors, companies, and policymakers to manage environmental impact. Comparable as a major supplier of corporate climate and environmental data that intersects with Inrate's Climate Impact Data and EU Taxonomy offerings, though its non-profit governance model differs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/InrateAG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inrate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Inrate