What Sedex Information Exchange does

Sedex Information Exchange operates the world's largest collaborative platform for sharing responsible sourcing data on global supply chains. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in London, the company serves over 100,000 member companies across 180 countries and 35 sectors, covering more than 120,000 supply chain sites. Its core product is the Sedex Platform, a cloud-based SaaS solution that combines multi-tier supply chain mapping, country/sector/site risk scoring, the proprietary Forced Labour Indicators (FLI) tool, Self-Assessment Questionnaires, Corrective Action Plans, and regulatory reporting dashboards aligned with CSDDD, CSRD, and UFLPA. SMETA 7.0, the company's social audit methodology, is officially recognized by The Consumer Goods Forum's SSCI and is delivered through a global network of Approved Audit Companies.

Sedex generates revenue primarily through annual buyer and supplier membership subscriptions, augmented by professional services (Sustainability Coordinator support, system integration, supplier engagement), training programs, and flagship events (Xchange UK and Xchange Europe). The go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales with community-led adoption through its 100,000+ member ecosystem. In May 2026, Apax Funds acquired a majority stake from SHLM (with LDC exiting), following a period in which LDC's 2023 minority investment supported a £20 million platform upgrade and revenue more than doubling between 2022 and 2025.

The company holds ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and GRI Software & Tools Partner status, and is positioned at the intersection of mandatory supply chain due diligence regulation (CSDDD, CSRD, UFLPA, Modern Slavery Acts) and enterprise ESG reporting demand. Named enterprise customers span Unilever, Tesco, Nestle, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Suntory, KFC, DuPont, Shiseido, and Barclays, among others, with a horizontal segmentation approach across procurement, compliance, sustainability, and supply chain management functions.

Name

Sedex Information Exchange

Legal name

Sedex Information Exchange Limited

Website

https://sedex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sedex Information Exchange operates the world's largest collaborative platform for sharing responsible sourcing data on global supply chains, serving over 100,000 member companies across 180 countries. Its Sedex Platform and SMETA 7.0 audit methodology enable enterprises to map supply chains, score supplier risk, and meet CSDDD, CSRD, and UFLPA due diligence requirements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supply Chain Sustainability Management Software

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Social, Ethical & Sustainability Audits for Food Supply Chains (SMETA/SA8000, ESG-linked) (AFALABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Compliance & Labor Standards Certification (SMETA/SA8000) (AFALAMAM)

Keywords

• Supply chain sustainability
• Ethical sourcing platform
• Social audit methodology
• Supplier risk assessment
• ESG due diligence

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Platform Subscriptions (Buyer & Supplier Memberships): Sedex operates a membership-based model with separate buyer and supplier membership tiers. Members access the platform for supply chain mapping, risk assessment, audit management, and reporting capabilities.
2. SMETA Audit Services: SMETA audits are conducted by Approved Audit Companies (AACs) within the Sedex ecosystem. Sedex provides the methodology, quality assurance, and audit data management platform.
3. Sustainability Coordinator Services: In-house expert services providing personalized support in ethical trade from supplier engagement to compliance, risk, and audit preparation.
4. Training & Events: Educational programs, webinars, and in-person events (Xchange conferences) providing training on supply chain sustainability, due diligence, and regulatory compliance.
5. System Integration Services: Integration services enabling Sedex data to be seamlessly integrated into customer systems for real-time transparency and risk management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sedex operates a cloud-based SaaS platform (the Sedex Platform) that enables buyers and suppliers to map global supply chains across multiple tiers, assess and score supplier risk, conduct SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) social audits, manage corrective action plans, and produce regulatory-ready reports for CSDDD, CSRD, and UFLPA compliance. Memberships are sold separately to buyers and suppliers and complemented by professional services (Sustainability Coordinator, System Integration, Supplier Engagement, Training) and SMETA audits delivered through Approved Audit Companies. The platform aggregates verified audit data across 100,000+ members in 180 countries covering 120,000+ supply chain sites.

Product overview

Sedex Information Exchange operates as a platform-plus-services company offering the Sedex Platform as its core technology product, complemented by the globally recognised SMETA audit methodology and additional service modules. The portfolio includes the Sedex Platform (central technology for supply chain mapping, risk assessment, and reporting), SMETA Audit (social audit methodology), Sustainability Coordinator (expert support services), System Integration (data connectivity), Supplier Engagement (strategic relationship services), Community (networking/events), and Training (educational programs). The platform also incorporates specialised tools such as the Forced Labour Indicators Tool, Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQs), Environment SAQ, and the recently launched Multi-Tier Linking Feature. The architecture combines technology platform capabilities with professional services to deliver comprehensive ethical and sustainable supply chain management across 35 sectors in 180 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMETA: Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit - the world's most widely used social audit methodology, now at version 7.0 and officially recognised by the Consumer Goods Forum's SSCI
• Sedex Platform
• Xchange

Products and services

• Sedex Platform Central technology platform providing data-driven insights and risk assessment tools for building transparent, efficient supply chains. Supports supply chain mapping, multi-tier visibility, risk scoring, audit management, corrective action tracking, and stakeholder reporting aligned to CSDDD, CSRD, and UFLPA. Sold via separate buyer and supplier annual memberships.
• SMETA Audit Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit — the world's most used social audit methodology for assessing and improving ethical standards across labour, health and safety, environment, and business ethics. Audits are conducted by Approved Audit Companies and results feed the Sedex Platform.
• Sustainability Coordinator In-house expert support service providing personalised assistance in ethical trade, covering supplier engagement, compliance preparation, risk management, and audit readiness for buyer and supplier members.
• System Integration Integration services that connect Sedex Platform data into customer enterprise systems, enabling real-time transparency and risk management across supply chain operations.
• Supplier Engagement Strategic engagement services designed to boost supplier commitment and compliance, building stronger, transparent relationships throughout the supply chain for buyer members.
• Sedex Training Educational programs and eLearning resources covering forced labour indicators, human rights due diligence, and supply chain sustainability practices for Sedex members and the broader market.
• SMETA for Service Providers Specialised SMETA audit methodology and service for suppliers with distributed workforces (transport, cleaning, security, construction, waste management), addressing worker vulnerability where conventional site audits are insufficient.

Quantifiable outcome

• 312% ROI over three years for composite organization
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers44 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• SHL Membership Ltd (SHLM)coreOthersSHL Membership Ltd (formerly Sedex Holdings Ltd) is a membership organization incorporated as a company limited by guarantee under English law. SHL retains a minority stake in SIEL following the Apax transaction. SHLM protects and promotes the vision of advancing supply chain sustainability and will use proceeds to create a charitable foundation to advance its founding mission of improving labour conditions and corporate responsibility in global supply chains.
• The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Human Rights CoalitionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSedex and CGF Human Rights Coalition partnership discussed at Xchange Europe 2026 regarding supply chain data on forced labour risk. Joint report planned covering implications for buyers, suppliers, and policymakers. Collaboration between two leading organizations to advance human rights due diligence across consumer goods supply chains.
• GRI (Global Reporting Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSedex is a GRI Software & Tools Partner, working in alignment with the Global Reporting Initiative to support standardized, transparent sustainability reporting. Enables Sedex customers to generate reports aligned with GRI standards for ESG disclosure.
• IDH (Sustainable Trade Initiative)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDH participates in Sedex Xchange Europe 2026 workshop on practical approaches to advancing Living Wage through CARs (Collaborative Action Required). Provides expertise on living wage market engagement.
• CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSedex partnered with CIPS on a webinar about managing human rights risks in supply chains. CIPS is a professional body for procurement and supply chain professionals, providing access to a relevant professional community for Sedex's solutions.
• VerdantixminorOthersVerdantix provides industry research and data supporting Sedex's thought leadership content. ESG and Sustainability Industry Analyst Elisa Molero participates in Sedex webinars. Verdantix Global Corporate Survey 2025 data cited in Sedex content.
• Mondelez InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMondelez case study featured in Sedex webinar on ESG risks in service providers. Practical example of how social audits support robust due diligence in complex supply chains including logistics and service providers.
• AlignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhillip Clayton, Founder and Director of Align, participated in Sedex webinar on F&B supply chain risks. Align provides Lived Experience Approach Framework supporting companies' responses to human rights risk information.
• Approved Audit Companies (AACs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal network of third-party audit firms authorized to conduct SMETA audits. These AACs perform site audits and submit results to the Sedex platform. AACs must meet Sedex quality standards and adhere to SMETA methodology guidelines.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Supplier.io: Supplier.io provides supplier risk management and ESG screening for enterprise procurement teams, with capabilities spanning supplier diversity, sustainability, and risk intelligence. It targets the same enterprise buyer segments as Sedex and competes for supply chain compliance and ESG program budget.
• Riskmethods: Riskmethods offers a supply chain risk management platform providing real-time monitoring of supplier risks, including ESG-related events. It competes with Sedex in the broader supply chain intelligence category, particularly for European multinationals needing integrated financial, operational, and sustainability risk views.
• EcoVadis: EcoVadis is the leading global sustainability ratings platform serving over 100,000 companies across 200+ industries. It directly competes with Sedex by providing supplier sustainability assessments (covering environment, labor, ethics, sustainable procurement), overlapping with Sedex's buyer/supplier membership model and targeting the same Fortune 500 procurement teams.
• Resilinc: Resilinc is a supply chain risk management platform focused on multi-tier visibility, supplier risk monitoring, and disruption prediction. While more oriented toward operational/financial risk, it competes with Sedex for enterprise supply chain intelligence budgets and increasingly overlaps in ESG and human rights risk monitoring.
• IntegrityNext: IntegrityNext is a SaaS platform for supply chain compliance and sustainability, covering human rights, environmental, and security standards. It competes directly with Sedex in helping large enterprises monitor supplier sustainability and comply with regulations like the German Supply Chain Act and CSDDD, often serving as a lighter-weight alternative.

Broad incumbents

• Dun & Bradstreet: Dun & Bradstreet provides business data, supplier risk intelligence, and ESG screening through its D&B ESG Intelligence product. While broader in scope (covering all business risks), it increasingly overlaps with Sedex in supplier ESG and compliance use cases for enterprise procurement and compliance teams.
• SGS: SGS is one of the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification companies, providing supply chain audits, sustainability certifications, and social compliance services. It is a major SMETA Approved Audit Company and competes with Sedex across multiple service lines including audit delivery and certification.
• Intertek: Intertek is a leading TIC (testing, inspection, certification) provider offering supply chain assurance, social audits, and sustainability services. It conducts SMETA audits and competes with Sedex in audit delivery and broader supply chain compliance services.
• SAI Global / UL Solutions: UL Solutions (which acquired SAI Global) provides compliance, certification, and supply chain advisory services including social audits and ESG programs. It competes with Sedex in adjacent supplier compliance and risk management services for large enterprises.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) giant offering social audits, supply chain assessments, and sustainability services. It is one of the largest Approved Audit Companies conducting SMETA audits and competes with Sedex's broader audit/consulting offerings in adjacent service lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sedexcsr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SedexGlobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/sedexcsr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sedex

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Sedex Information Exchange