Aeris Insight
Aeris Insight is a Philadelphia-based data and rating firm, founded in 2004, that provides CAMEL-based CDFI ratings, standardized performance data, and impact management assessments to more than 200 institutional investors including banks, foundations, and government agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Aeris Insight does
Aeris Insight is a Philadelphia-based data, rating, and assessment services firm founded in 2004, focused exclusively on Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and private impact loan funds. The company serves more than 200 institutional investors—including corporate financial institutions such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, PNC, and Truist; philanthropic foundations including Ford Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and Annie E. Casey Foundation; and government agencies such as the U.S. Department of the Treasury's CDFI Fund and USDA Rural Development—by providing CAMEL-based rating reports, standardized quarterly performance data, and independent impact verification. Aeris' ratings and data cover more than 150 CDFIs managing over $19 billion in loan capital, and the 2025 CDFI Trends analysis draws on data from 139 CDFIs representing $23.8 billion in total on-balance-sheet assets.
The company's core technology is Aeris Cloud, a proprietary cloud-based platform built in 2013 and upgraded to version 2.0, which underpins the collection, management, and analysis of CDFI impact and financial data. On top of this platform, Aeris operates three product lines: (1) Aeris Ratings and Performance Data, providing annual impact management and financial strength ratings plus standardized quarterly performance data and a self-service CDFI Selector tool; (2) Aeris Atlas, an integrated SaaS solution for collecting, organizing, and analyzing investor-defined impact metrics with alignment to IRIS+ and UN SDG frameworks; and (3) Impact Management Assessments, independent verifications of fund manager impact capacity applicable to any type of impact fund. The company has 11–50 employees and is led by Paige Chapel (President and CEO since 2007), with Helen Leung as COO and Karen Seabury as Director of Ratings & Analysis.
Aeris generates revenue primarily through subscription-based recurring services—rating reports, performance data subscriptions, and Aeris Atlas SaaS access—supplemented by professional-services engagements for Impact Management Assessments. Distribution is conducted via direct enterprise sales to institutional investors and reinforced by thought-leadership content, including quarterly CDFI Loan Funds Trends Reports, a blog, email newsletters, and an organic social presence on LinkedIn and X. The company has a 10-person board drawn from across the impact investing community, including representatives of Calvert Impact Capital and Soros Economic Development Fund, and received its first documented external strategic investment from MasterCard Labs in December 2023.
Aeris Insight firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aeris Insight
- Legal name
- Aeris Insight Inc.
- Website
- https://aerisinsight.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Aeris Insight is a Philadelphia-based data and rating firm, founded in 2004, that provides CAMEL-based CDFI ratings, standardized performance data, and impact management assessments to more than 200 institutional investors including banks, foundations, and government agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aeris Insight industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Impact Investing Data & Analytics
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- ESG Reporting, Disclosure & Regulatory Compliance (SFDR, EU Taxonomy, TCFD/ISSB) (FSAAALAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Advisory (BPAHAFAA), Structured Credit (CDO/CLO Tranches, Credit Opportunities) (FSAAAHAH)
Keywords
Where Aeris Insight is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Aeris Insight business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Rating Reports and Analysis Services: Aeris provides in-depth rating reports and analysis on CDFIs covering financial strength and performance (based on CAMEL methodology) and impact management effectiveness. These subscription-based services support decision-making for CDFI investments by institutional investors.
- Aeris Atlas SaaS Platform: Technology platform subscription for collecting, organizing, and analyzing impact and financial data. Supports collection of investor-defined impact metrics, narrative reports, and multimedia content with alignment to emerging impact frameworks and taxonomies.
- Impact Management Assessments: Independent verification and certification services for fund managers' capacity to deliver promised impact. Applicable to any type of impact fund.
- Performance Data Services: Standardized quarterly financial performance and impact data with key performance indicators. Investment navigation tools including CDFI selection using impact filters and performance-based peer analyses.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Aeris Insight product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aeris Insight provides rating reports, standardized performance data, and independent impact management assessments for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and other private impact loan funds. Its offerings include CDFI Ratings (annual CAMEL-based financial strength and impact management ratings), Performance Data (quarterly standardized financial and impact data), the Aeris Atlas data services platform, and Impact Management Assessments for fund managers. These tools serve institutional investors — corporate, government, and philanthropic — making due diligence and monitoring decisions on CDFI investments.
Product overview
Aeris Insight operates as a rating and information service in the impact investing field, offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) analysis and data management. The core offerings include CDFI Ratings and Performance Data (rating reports, quarterly performance data, and investment navigation tools), Aeris Atlas (an integrated data collection and analysis platform), and Impact Management Assessments (independent verification of fund impact capacity). These are supported by the proprietary Aeris Cloud platform for data submission and management, and the CDFI Selector tool for filtering and selecting CDFIs based on impact and performance criteria. The product ecosystem is anchored by Aeris Ratings, which provide annual analysis of Impact Management and Financial Strength and Performance for CDFIs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Aeris Atlas: An integrated solution for collecting, organizing, and analyzing impact and financial data. Supports collection of investor-defined impact metrics, narrative reports, visuals and videos, with alignment to existing accounting and emerging impact frameworks.
- Aeris Cloud
Products and services
- CDFI Ratings and Performance Data In-depth due diligence and monitoring tools that support decision-making for CDFI investments. Includes annual Rating Reports covering Impact Management and Financial Strength and Performance, standardized quarterly Performance Data with key performance indicators, and Investment Navigation Tools for CDFI selection using impact filters and performance-based peer analyses.
- Aeris Atlas
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 150 CDFIs managing $19 billion+ in loan capital covered by Aeris ratings, analyses, and data
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Aeris Insight
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Aeris Insight technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Aeris Insight partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Aeris Insight competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CDFI Assessment and Ratings System (CARS): CARS is the rating system Aeris itself operates for the U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund, rating Certified CDFIs on financial and impact performance. It is the most direct functional peer, operating an overlapping methodology and dataset for the same institutional investor audience.
- ImpactAssets: ImpactAssets is a non-profit impact investing platform and data publisher (IA 50, Issue Briefs). It serves a similar investor audience with comparable impact measurement and due diligence content, partially overlapping Aeris' CDFI impact verification offering.
Broad incumbents
- Opportunity Finance Network (OFN): OFN is the national CDFI industry association and Aeris' former employer affiliation (Helen Leung). It collects and publishes CDFI performance data and industry research that overlaps with Aeris Ratings and Performance Data products.
- Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN): GIIN publishes the industry's IRIS+ catalog of impact metrics and IRIS Catalog of Metrics, and runs investor networks and research. It overlaps Aeris' Atlas data platform on impact taxonomy alignment and serves a similar institutional investor base.
- Moody's Ratings: Moody's rates social bonds, CDFI bond issues, and ESG-linked debt, and publishes related investor research. It is a broader incumbent offering overlapping CAMEL-style financial assessment and impact/ESG due diligence content.
- S&P Global Ratings: S&P Global Ratings provides credit ratings and ESG evaluations that touch community development and impact bond issuers. It serves the same institutional investor audience with broader, less CDFI-specialized methodologies.
- MSCI ESG Research: MSCI ESG Research provides impact and ESG ratings, screening tools, and regulatory-aligned datasets used by large institutional investors. It is a broader incumbent that could extend its data set downward into the CDFI/community investment niche.
Emerging players
- Novata: Novata is an ESG data management platform for private markets including private credit and impact funds. It competes with Aeris Atlas on impact and financial data collection, reporting, and benchmarking for institutional limited partners.
- Clarity AI: Clarity AI provides ESG and impact analytics across public and private assets, including sustainability ratings and regulatory-aligned reporting. It is comparable as a tech-enabled ESG/impact ratings and data provider serving institutional investors.
- Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA): KBRA rates structured credit and community development / CDFI bond issuances and publishes related credit research. It is comparable as a credit-oriented rater with selective overlap into the CDFI and impact investing investor community.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Aeris Insight social profiles
Digital presenceAeris Insight financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aeris Insight leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Aeris Insight funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aeris Insight 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 Aeris Insight
What does Aeris Insight do?
Aeris Insight provides rating reports, standardized performance data, and independent impact management assessments for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and other private impact loan funds. Its offerings include CDFI Ratings (annual CAMEL-based financial strength and impact management ratings), Performance Data (quarterly standardized financial and impact data), the Aeris Atlas data services platform, and Impact Management Assessments for fund managers. These tools serve institutional investors — corporate, government, and philanthropic — making due diligence and monitoring decisions on CDFI investments.
Is Aeris Insight a public or private company?
Aeris Insight is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Aeris Insight founded?
Aeris Insight was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Aeris Insight based?
Aeris Insight is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Aeris Insight make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Rating Reports and Analysis Services are the primary driver. The others are aeris Atlas SaaS Platform, impact Management Assessments and performance Data Services.
Who are Aeris Insight's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CDFI Assessment and Ratings System (CARS) and ImpactAssets. Broad incumbents are Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), Moody's Ratings, S&P Global Ratings and MSCI ESG Research. Emerging players are Novata, Clarity AI and Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA).
Does Aeris Insight have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aeris Insight.
What industry is Aeris Insight in?
Aeris Insight's product category is Impact Investing Data & Analytics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAALAK, ESG Reporting, Disclosure & Regulatory Compliance (SFDR, EU Taxonomy, TCFD/ISSB), with a secondary code of BPAHAFAA, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Advisory. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.