CSES

Name

CSES

Legal name

Center for Social Value Enhancement Studies

Website

https://cses.re.kr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Impact Measurement Research

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Finance, Carbon Markets & MRV Systems (BPADALAB), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), ESG Governance, Sustainability Reporting & Assurance Advisory (BPAHAFAJ)

Keywords

• Social value measurement
• Impact measurement methodology
• Social progress credit
• Environmental progress credit
• Outcome-based financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Yongsan

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CSES is a non-profit research foundation that develops and applies methodologies for measuring social value created by organizations. Its core offerings include SPC (Social Progress Credit), an incentive mechanism measuring and rewarding social performance outcomes across 6 Korean municipalities; EPC (Environmental Progress Credit), a carbon finance mechanism for climate technology developers; and DBL (Double Bottom Line), a methodology quantifying social, economic, and environmental value into monetary terms. These frameworks are complemented by the SV HUB knowledge platform providing publications, measurement tools, and research dissemination.

Product overview

CSES operates a multi-product portfolio centered on social value measurement and incentivization. The core offerings include SPC (Social Progress Credit) as the primary incentive mechanism for social performance measurement, EPC (Environmental Progress Credit) for climate technology value assessment, and DBL (Development-Based Lending) for converting social outcomes into monetary value. These products are supported by SV HUB platform for knowledge sharing and research dissemination. The portfolio also includes standardized measurement manuals and research publications such as CSES Issue Brief and SPC Magazine '사성인' for stakeholder communication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPC (Social Progress Credit): 사회성과인센티브 - 기업의 사회적 가치를 측정하고 보상하는 인센티브 메커니즘
• EPC (Environmental Progress Credit)
• DBL (Double Bottom Line)
• SV HUB
• CSES DB

Products and services

• SPC (Social Progress Credit / 사회성과인센티브) SPC is an incentive mechanism that measures and rewards social performance outcomes achieved by participating organizations, functioning as an outcome-based financing model for social economy organizations, cooperatives, and enterprises.
• EPC (Environmental Progress Credit / 환경성과크레딧) EPC is an incentive mechanism for climate technology that induces early rewards for potential carbon reduction achievements, promoting development and commercialization of innovative climate technologies by providing early-stage incentives to climate tech developers.
• DBL (Development-Based Lending / 성과근거기반대출) Measurement System

Quantifiable outcome

• First Korean social value measurement methodology applied internationally through SoftBank Japan partnership
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Government Council for Social Innovation (GCSI)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Korean SPC model featured as a deep case study in GCSI's global policy report. Selected as a representative example of outcome-based public financing for social innovation globally. Participation in global webinar launching GCSI policy recommendations.
• Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026Government partner for SPC (Social Progress Credit) business implementation. MOU for activation of social value creation measurement under government programs.
• SK Telecom (SKT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2025Second MOU signed for AI/ICT sector social value measurement cooperation. Joint development of AI-era social value measurement methodology and industry standards. Collaboration on global expansion of Korean social value measurement frameworks.
• SoftBank Japan (소프트뱅크)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2025Japanese partner in AI/ICT social value measurement standardization. Successfully applied DBL-based measurement to SoftBank, resulting in publicly disclosed social value figures. Active collaboration on global standards for AI-era social value measurement.
• SK Group (SK 통합재단)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Established under SK's social contribution philosophy as a public interest foundation. Parent organization providing institutional support and alignment with SK's social value creation mission.
• 6 Korean Municipal Governments (지방자치단체)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partners implementing SPC programs across 6 municipalities in Korea for social economy development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Impact Frontiers: Successor to the Impact Management Project; convenes investors and enterprises around impact measurement practices. Comparable to CSES as a thought leader shaping how social and environmental outcomes are quantified.
• B Lab Global: Operates the B Corp certification, using a structured assessment framework to measure social and environmental performance of companies. Highly comparable to CSES's mission of converting social performance into standardized, comparable metrics.
• Social Value International: Global network for social value and impact management; developed the SROI (Social Return on Investment) framework. Most directly comparable to CSES as a methodology-driven social value measurement organization.

Broad incumbents

• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): The most widely used sustainability reporting standards globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent setting the benchmarks that CSES's DBL methodology must interoperate with or differentiate from.
• Value Reporting Foundation (ISSB-aligned): Now part of the IFRS Foundation's ISSB, this body sets sustainability accounting standards. Comparable as a global standards-setter whose decisions shape the legitimacy of alternative measurement frameworks like DBL.

Regional players

• Korean Development Institute (KDI): Korea's leading economic and social policy research institute. Comparable as a Korean policy research organization that informs government decisions in areas adjacent to CSES's mandate.
• Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency (KoSEA): Korean government agency supporting social enterprises and social economy. Comparable as a domestic stakeholder in the Korean social value ecosystem that CSES's SPC program serves.
• ImpactBase Korea: Korean impact investing infrastructure platform. Comparable as a domestic stakeholder addressing the same measurement-and-capital-allocation problem CSES's SPC and DBL frameworks target.

Emerging players

• South Pole Group: Global climate solutions and carbon credit advisory firm. Comparable to CSES's EPC work as a commercial organization developing and monetizing carbon reduction value assessments and climate financing instruments.

Others

• SK Group Foundation ecosystem entities (e.g., SK Innovation Foundation): Other SK Group-affiliated public interest foundations operating under SK's social contribution philosophy. Directly comparable as sibling organizations with similar mandate, governance, and funding sources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC577ZXD8Nbo5D2jkvk1iwWA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CSES.socials/?view_public_for=2096576970554397
• Instagraminstagram.com/cses.official?igsh=MXU1aWE2ZTA3MHN0cg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Xx.com/CSESsocials

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 CSES