CAUSE

What CAUSE does

CAUSE is a São Paulo-based boutique consulting firm founded in 2013 that specializes in ESG strategy, cause-driven brand positioning, and social impact engagement for large corporations, consumer brands, and non-governmental organizations across Latin America. The firm organizes its offering around three interconnected service pillars: ESG e Programas de Impacto (impact program design, ESG diagnosis and governance, sustainability reporting and communication); Marcas & Causas (cause identification, cause architecture, cause branding, and sponsorship strategy); and Advocacy & Engajamento (advocacy strategy, multistakeholder engagement, network mapping, coalition building, and movement incubation). Underlying these services are three proprietary methodologies — the Curva de Engajamento (Engagement Curve), Sistema de Stakeholders (Stakeholder System), and Metodologia ESG CAUSE — codified over a decade of practice. The firm also produces intellectual property assets including the annual Palavra do Ano research in partnership with Instituto IDEIA (since 2016), the Causas para Observar annual report (launched 2023), authored books on cause defense and ESG implementation, and an online advocacy course on Hotmart.

CAUSE generates revenue through professional services engagements on a custom-quoted basis, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Distribution is sales-led and direct, leveraging the firm's reputation, referral networks, and thought leadership content to win enterprise and NGO clients. The client roster includes multinationals such as Visa, Sanofi, YouTube, Aché, Libbs, Afya, ZAMP (Burger King/Popeyes), Veja, Neve, Elopar, DSM, Copapa, and ASAZGUA, alongside international organizations including UNICEF and the American Bar Association, and Brazilian NGOs such as Instituto Avon, GoAll, and Instituto Sonho Grande. CAUSE operates a small senior multidisciplinary team of 11–50 employees and extends capacity through a network of partner specialists, allowing it to execute projects across Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Paraguay, and Argentina. The firm has held B Corp certification since 2014 and maintains affiliations with the UN Global Compact, Conscious Capitalism Brazil, the Racial Equity Pact, and Carbon Free.

Name

CAUSE

Legal name

CAUSE

Website

https://cause.net.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CAUSE is a São Paulo-based ESG and social impact consulting firm founded in 2013 that helps large corporations, consumer brands, and NGOs develop ESG strategy, cause branding, and advocacy campaigns across Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

ESG and Sustainability Consulting Services

NAICS

Media Representatives (541840)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Cause, ESG & Sustainability Communications (MPAAADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), Cause/Sustainability & Purpose-Driven Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAL), ESG/Sustainability Reputation & Purpose Communications (MPAAAOAN), Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB)

Keywords

• ESG consulting services
• Sustainability strategy advisory
• Stakeholder engagement consulting
• Cause marketing advisory
• Advocacy campaign consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. ESG Consulting Services: CAUSE generates revenue through consulting engagements focused on ESG strategy development, sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy campaigns for corporate clients and NGOs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CAUSE is a Brazilian sustainability and social impact consulting firm that helps corporations, brands, and NGOs develop ESG strategies, define and connect to social causes, design cause-based branding, and execute advocacy and stakeholder engagement campaigns. The firm delivers its services through three pillars: ESG e Programas de Impacto, Marcas & Causas, and Advocacy & Engajamento, supported by proprietary methodologies including the Curva de Engajamento, Sistema de Stakeholders, and Metodologia ESG CAUSE.

Product overview

CAUSE is a consulting firm that operates as a single unified service offering rather than a software platform with distinct products. Their core portfolio consists of three interconnected service pillars: (1) ESG e Programas de Impacto (ESG and Impact Programs) for developing impact strategies, governance, and reporting; (2) Marcas & Causas (Brands & Causes) for connecting brands to societal demands through cause architecture and branding; and (3) Advocacy & Engajamento (Advocacy & Engagement) for mobilizing stakeholders and influencing change. Supporting these client services, CAUSE produces proprietary research and methodologies including the annual Palavra do Ano (Word of the Year) study, SROI methodology guides, the Causas para Observar annual report, and educational resources including books and courses. They also offer specialized methodologies such as the Curva de Engajamento (Engagement Curve), Sistema de Stakeholders, and Metodologia ESG CAUSE. The company positions itself as a sustainability consultancy rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ESG e Programas de Impacto

Quantifiable outcome

• Enxergue os Sinais campaign achieved 47M impressions, 20M people reached, 160K unique website visitors
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Instituto de Pesquisa IDEIAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Long-term partnership with Instituto IDEIA for conducting the annual 'Palavra do Ano' (Word of the Year) research survey, now in its 10th edition. The research has become a widely recognized social barometer of Brazilian sentiment, generating significant media coverage. IDEIA CEO Cila Schulman co-coordinates the research with CAUSE founder Leandro Machado.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Radley Yeldar (RY): London-based brand, communications, and design agency with a strong focus on sustainability, purpose, and ESG reporting. Comparable to CAUSE on purpose branding, ESG narrative, and integrated reporting work for large organizations.
• Salterbaxter (MSL/Publicis): Specialist sustainability and ESG communications consultancy, now part of MSL/Publicis. One of the most established purpose-and-sustainability strategy shops globally and a direct peer in terms of offering: ESG strategy, stakeholder engagement, and purpose narrative for large corporates.
• GlobeScan: Insights and strategy consultancy specializing in sustainability and consumer research, including a flagship annual consumer study. Comparable to CAUSE's research-led thought leadership (e.g., Palavra do Ano) and ESG stakeholder research offerings.
• South Pole: Global climate and sustainability solutions provider offering consulting, project development, and advisory services. Comparable to CAUSE in ESG/sustainability strategy and stakeholder engagement, with overlap on brand and corporate purpose work.
• Futerra: UK-based creative communications agency dedicated exclusively to sustainability and purpose-driven work for global brands. Highly comparable to CAUSE: similar boutique size, similar positioning around 'sustainability as vocation', and similar service mix spanning strategy, branding, and campaign execution.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Global sustainable business consultancy working with large corporates on ESG strategy, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. Closely comparable to CAUSE's ESG strategy, governance, and reporting offerings, though at significantly greater scale.
• Purpose: Global agency that builds campaigns, movements, and communications for social and environmental impact. Overlaps with CAUSE on advocacy campaigns, cause branding, and impact strategy for brands and NGOs.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: Global public relations firm with a dedicated global sustainability and purpose practice (Edelman Trust, Brand, and Purpose). Overlaps with CAUSE on ESG communications, stakeholder engagement, and purpose campaigns but at vastly greater scale and as part of a broader PR portfolio.
• Kantar (Sustainability division): Global data, insights, and consulting group that includes a sustainability practice. Comparable to CAUSE in sustainability insights, consumer research, and ESG advisory, but delivered within a much larger data and analytics platform.

Regional players

• Report Sustentabilidade: Brazilian sustainability communications and reporting consultancy focused on GRI/SASB-style sustainability reports and ESG communications. Most direct regional peer to CAUSE's sustainability reporting and ESG strategy work in the Brazilian market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cause-brasil
• Instagraminstagram.com/oficialcause
• Xx.com/CauseBrasil
• Facebookfacebook.com/oficialcause

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 CAUSE