What The Purpose Business does

The Purpose Business (TPB) is a Hong Kong-incorporated sustainability advisory consultancy founded in 2015 by Pat Dwyer. The firm helps organizations in Asia embed corporate purpose and sustainability into business strategy and operations, with a portfolio of services including purpose and values development (Purpose, Values and Ambition framework), ESG strategy, ESG reporting (aligned with GRI, SASB, HKEX, SGX, and TCFD), plastics strategy, decarbonization advisory, stakeholder engagement, and training programs. TPB does not develop proprietary technology products; its offering is delivered through human-led consulting engagements, workshops, and executive events such as "Breakfast with Purpose" hosted in Hong Kong and Singapore.

The firm's commercial model is professional services revenue from project-based advisory engagements with enterprise and multinational clients across Asia, with a visible footprint in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines. Named clients include Universal Robina Corporation (where TPB cascaded and trained over 10,000 employees, representing 90% of headcount, on a PVA framework), Swire Properties, Hong Kong Land, and Standard Chartered Bank. TPB differentiates through a network of globally experienced sustainability advisors and specialized knowledge of Asian ESG regulatory frameworks; the firm is supported by strategic partnerships with Within People, Carbonless, the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and HandsOn Hong Kong.

TPB is a bootstrapped, founder-led private limited company with 11-50 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no institutional investors identified in the available data. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales via direct consulting engagements, supported by content-led marketing (website insights, newsletters, reports, LinkedIn, and executive events).

Name

The Purpose Business

Legal name

The Purpose Business

Website

https://thepurposebusiness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Purpose Business is a Hong Kong-based sustainability advisory consultancy founded in 2015 that helps enterprises across Asia embed purpose, ESG strategy, and sustainability reporting into their business operations through project-based consulting engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB), ESG Strategy & Materiality Assessment (EUAHAJAA), ESG Governance, Sustainability Reporting & Assurance Advisory (BPAHAFAJ)

Keywords

• Sustainability consulting
• ESG advisory
• Corporate purpose
• ESG reporting
• Responsible business strategy

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sustainability Advisory and Consulting Services: The Purpose Business generates revenue through providing strategic sustainability advisory services to organizations across Asia. Services include purpose and values development, ESG strategy, sustainability reporting guidance, stakeholder engagement, and training programs. Engagements appear to be project-based consulting engagements with enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Purpose Business is a boutique sustainability advisory consultancy that helps organisations in Asia embed corporate purpose and sustainability into business strategy and operations. Its core offerings include purpose, values and ambition (PVA) development, ESG strategy and reporting guidance aligned with GRI, SASB, HKEX, SGX and TCFD requirements, plastics and decarbonisation strategy work, stakeholder engagement, and training programs delivered through direct consulting engagements with enterprise clients.

Product overview

The Purpose Business is a sustainability advisory firm offering a portfolio of consulting services including sustainability advisory, Purpose, Values and Ambition (PVA) development, ESG reporting services, plastics strategy development, and executive education events. Their core offering is helping organisations embed purpose and sustainability into business strategy and operations across Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sustainability Advisory Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully cascaded and trained over 10,000 employees (90% of total employees) across Universal Robina Corporation on their Purpose, Values and Ambition framework

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Within PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Strategic partnership established in 2023 to support businesses in Asia to become purpose driven. Within People provides 10 guiding principles as a helpful resource for finding and articulating purpose. TPB collaborates with Within People on purpose development engagements, including their work with Universal Robina Corporation where they designed a collaborative experience to craft Purpose, Values and Ambition.
• HandsOn Hong KongminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandsOn Hong Kong (HOHK) is TPB's friend and beneficiary partner. They hosted a session at the 2022 Tricor Group conference on 'ESG Practices with Real Community Impact' which TPB facilitated.
• CarbonlessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbonless is described as a TPB strategic partner. They are an innovation and investment platform that helps scale up low-carbon solutions in Asia by bringing together capital, mature start-ups, enterprises and government entities.
• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTPB advisor Simon Lee is an Associate with CISL, which provides qualification in Sustainable Finance. TPB staff participate in and collaborate with CISL for sustainability leadership programs.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Carbon Trust: Carbon Trust is an advisory firm specializing in sustainability strategy, carbon reduction and ESG advisory for businesses and governments. Its service portfolio closely mirrors TPB's decarbonization and ESG advisory offerings.
• Anthesis Group: Anthesis is a sustainability consultancy providing ESG strategy, reporting and transformation services to corporates globally, with strong Asia-Pacific presence. It competes head-to-head with TPB for enterprise ESG and purpose engagements.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): BSR is a global sustainable business advisory network helping companies align purpose, ESG strategy and operations. It is the closest analogue to TPB in terms of mission (purpose-driven business transformation) and advisory model, differing mainly by global rather than Asia-focused footprint.
• South Pole Group: South Pole is a global climate and sustainability consultancy offering ESG strategy, carbon advisory and net-zero services to enterprises. It overlaps directly with TPB's climate action, decarbonization and ESG advisory offerings and competes for similar enterprise mandates.

Emerging players

• Plan A: Plan A is a tech-enabled ESG and decarbonization platform providing software-led sustainability advisory to corporates. It represents an emerging SaaS-augmented model that could either compete with or complement TPB's pure advisory offering.

Regional players

• CSR Asia: CSR Asia is a Hong Kong-based sustainability and corporate responsibility advisory firm focused exclusively on the Asia-Pacific market. It is one of the most direct regional competitors to TPB in terms of geography and ESG advisory scope.

Broad incumbents

• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is a global environmental and sustainability consultancy offering ESG advisory, climate strategy and sustainability reporting to large enterprises. As a much larger incumbent, it competes for the same enterprise ESG mandates TPB pursues but with significantly broader scale.
• PwC Sustainability & Climate Change: PwC's sustainability and climate change practice offers ESG strategy, reporting assurance and transformation advisory as part of its broader professional services portfolio. As a Big 4 incumbent, it routinely competes with boutique firms like TPB for ESG advisory mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-purpose-business

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 The Purpose Business