Tideline
Tideline is a specialist consulting firm founded in 2014 that advises institutional asset managers, allocators, DFIs, foundations, and corporations on impact investing strategy, management systems, and verification, using its proprietary Impact Management Compass framework.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Tideline does
Tideline is a specialist consulting firm serving the institutional impact investing industry, founded in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco. The firm provides expert advisory and implementation services to asset managers, asset allocators, development finance institutions, foundations, nonprofits, and corporations, organized around its proprietary Impact Management Compass framework. Core services include strategy development, impact management system design, impact due diligence, impact monitoring and reporting, and impact verification. The firm also publishes thought leadership through the Compass Series events and guides such as "Truth in Impact" and "Truth in Climate Impact."
Tideline firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tideline
- Legal name
- Tideline Advisors, LLC
- Website
- https://tideline.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tideline is a specialist consulting firm founded in 2014 that advises institutional asset managers, allocators, DFIs, foundations, and corporations on impact investing strategy, management systems, and verification, using its proprietary Impact Management Compass framework.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Tideline is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tideline business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Advisory and Consulting Services: Provides expert, tailored, and actionable advisory and implementation services to institutional clients developing impact investment strategies, products and solutions. Services are organized around proprietary Impact Management Compass framework.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Tideline product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tideline provides expert, tailored advisory and implementation services to institutional clients developing impact investment strategies, products, and solutions. Services are organized around the proprietary Impact Management Compass framework and span strategy development, impact management system design, impact due diligence, impact monitoring and reporting, and impact verification. The firm also operates BlueMark, a wholly-owned subsidiary launched in 2020 that delivers independent third-party impact verification services.
Product overview
Tideline is a specialist consulting firm for the impact investing industry, offering advisory and implementation services organized around its proprietary Impact Management Compass framework. The core service portfolio includes Strategy Development, Impact Management System Design, Impact Due Diligence, Impact Monitoring & Reporting, and Impact Verification. Key proprietary intellectual property includes the Impact Management Compass, the Framework for Impact Labeling (which helps investors differentiate between impact investing, thematic investing, and ESG-integrated investments using three pillars: intentionality, contribution, and measurement), and the Impact Classes concept. The firm operates through a thought leadership platform called the Compass Series (annual expert discussions) and publishes research including the Truth in Impact Guide, Truth in Climate Impact Guide, and Ten Years of Impact Milestone Report. An affiliated company, BlueMark, launched in 2020, provides independent impact verification services. Tideline serves institutional asset managers, allocators, development finance institutions, foundations, nonprofits, and corporations, having worked with clients managing over $250 billion in combined impact capital.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BlueMark: Independent impact verification services provider launched in 2020 to strengthen trust in impact investing through third-party assurance of impact claims and practices.
Products and services
- Strategy Development Advisory service helping institutional clients design and implement impact investing strategies aligned with their mission and financial objectives. For asset managers, allocators, foundations, development finance institutions, and corporations.
- Impact Management System Design Design and implementation of proprietary impact management systems for tracking and optimizing social and environmental outcomes across an investment portfolio. For institutional investors and asset managers.
- Impact Due Diligence Rigorous assessment of impact claims and practices during investment evaluation processes. For asset allocators, fund managers, and institutional investors conducting impact due diligence.
- Impact Monitoring & Reporting Ongoing performance tracking and reporting services for impact investments throughout the holding period. For institutional investors managing impact portfolios.
- Impact Verification Independent verification of impact management practices and claims to ensure credibility and prevent greenwashing. For investors, asset managers, and companies seeking third-party assurance of impact practices.
- BlueMark Impact Verification Services Independent impact verification services provided by BlueMark, a wholly-owned Tideline subsidiary launched in 2020. Provides third-party assurance of investor impact claims and practices to strengthen trust in the impact investing market.
Quantifiable outcome
- 200+ impact investing projects completed for 130+ clients
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Tideline
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Tideline technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Tideline partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.
- Prime CoalitioncoreJoint release of 'An Allocator Guide to Climate Solutions Investing', a publication designed to help institutional allocators develop and execute climate solutions investment strategies with rigor and consistency. Guide was launched at an ILPA event during London Climate Action Week.
- Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA)coreJoint publication of 'Impact Investing: The State of Market Institutionalization' report with ILPA and Campbell Lutyens, examining how to unlock significantly more institutional LP capital at scale.
- Campbell LutyenscoreCo-authored 'Impact Investing: The State of Market Institutionalization' report with Tideline and ILPA, drawing on insights from over 40 institutional investors.
- The Rockefeller FoundationflagshipPartnered to host 'Impact Investing's Next Chapter: Integrity Through Assurance' virtual event discussing why impact verification is key to scaling the market with integrity.
- BlueMarkflagshipBlueMark is a Tideline company launched in 2020 providing independent impact verification services. Tideline Managing Partner Ben Thornley and BlueMark CEO Christina Leijonhufvud issued joint statements on regulatory developments in ESG and impact investing.
- Builders Vision PhilanthropysupportingProvided support for the development and release of 'An Allocator Guide to Climate Solutions Investing' publication.
- Duke UniversitycoreCathy Clark from Duke University co-developed the 'Impact Classes' concept with Tideline and co-authored the 2016 working paper 'Navigating Impact Investing: The Opportunity in Impact Classes'.
- Impact Management Project (IMP)coreTideline worked closely with IMP to develop intellectual capital that resulted in the creation of the Avoid Benefit Contribute (ABC) classification system for impact investing.
- Impact Capital ManagerssupportingCollaborated on 'New Frontiers in Value Creation' framework including case studies on business transformations by impact managers.
- Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN)coreTideline's frameworks build on GIIN's definition of impact investing and its three pillars. Collaboration on advancing impact investing market standards and definitions.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tideline competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anthesis Group: Anthesis is a global sustainability consultancy offering ESG and impact advisory to investors and corporates. It competes for institutional impact-management and reporting engagements.
- FSG: FSG (now part of Co-Impact) is a social-impact strategy consultancy advising foundations, corporations, and investors on impact strategy and measurement. It is highly comparable to Tideline's work with asset allocators, DFIs, and foundations on impact strategy and management systems.
- BSR: BSR is a sustainability-focused consultancy advising businesses on strategy, impact, and ESG. Like Tideline, it works with institutional clients on integrating sustainability into investment and corporate strategy, though with a broader corporate-action orientation.
- BlueMark: BlueMark is a wholly-owned Tideline subsidiary providing independent impact verification. As a separate brand serving investors and companies on impact assurance, it is a direct comparable in the impact verification market.
- South Pole Group: South Pole advises corporates, investors, and developers on climate strategy and impact. Its climate-solutions advisory work directly parallels Tideline's expanding climate practice and Truth in Climate Impact offering.
- Dalberg Advisors: Dalberg is a global impact-focused consulting firm serving investors, foundations, and development organizations on strategy and implementation. It overlaps with Tideline's development finance and DFI advisory work, especially in emerging-market and catalytic-capital contexts.
- OE Cam: OE Cam is a specialist impact advisory firm serving institutional investors, family offices, and foundations on impact strategy and portfolio design. It competes head-to-head with Tideline for impact-strategy and impact-management mandates.
Emerging players
- Arabesque: Arabesque combines ESG data, ratings, and advisory services for institutional investors. It overlaps with Tideline's impact-management work via quantitative impact analytics and sustainability advisory.
Others
- Impact Management Project (IMP): IMP is a standards-building forum that co-developed the ABC classification with Tideline. While a partner rather than a direct competitor, it shapes the same market for impact norms and practices and is thematically tightly coupled with Tideline's intellectual property.
Broad incumbents
- ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is a large global sustainability and impact consultancy serving investors and corporates. It offers overlapping impact advisory and due-diligence services at greater scale, functioning as a broad incumbent relative to Tideline's boutique practice.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tideline social profiles
Digital presenceTideline financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tideline leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Tideline subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Tideline funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tideline M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tideline
What does Tideline do?
Tideline provides expert, tailored advisory and implementation services to institutional clients developing impact investment strategies, products, and solutions. Services are organized around the proprietary Impact Management Compass framework and span strategy development, impact management system design, impact due diligence, impact monitoring and reporting, and impact verification. The firm also operates BlueMark, a wholly-owned subsidiary launched in 2020 that delivers independent third-party impact verification services.
Is Tideline a public or private company?
Tideline is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tideline founded?
Tideline was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tideline based?
Tideline is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tideline make money?
One revenue line is on record: advisory and Consulting Services.
Who are Tideline's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anthesis Group, FSG, BSR, BlueMark, South Pole Group, Dalberg Advisors and OE Cam. Arabesque is listed as an emerging player. Impact Management Project (IMP) is listed as an others. ERM (Environmental Resources Management) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Tideline have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tideline.