Zielke Research Consult

What Zielke Research Consult does

Zielke Research Consult GmbH is a privately held, founder-led consulting and certification firm headquartered in Aachen, Germany, founded in 2013 by Dr. Carsten Zielke. The firm serves banks, insurance companies, and institutional investors across Europe, with a particular concentration in the German-speaking insurance market, advising on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting, ESG analysis, Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) compliance, EU Taxonomy alignment, and the upcoming Empowering Consumers Directive (effective September 2026). Its core product, the "Zielke Rating," is a public-data-only ranking and benchmarking methodology for European insurers and banks, complemented by a Nachhaltigkeitsregister (Sustainability Register), an ESG Datenbank, an ESG Fund Label, and a DIN 77236-2 / ISO 32212-based certification program for financial products and transition plans.

The technology layer is methodological rather than software-driven: rankings are constructed exclusively from publicly available data, drawing on the European ESG Template (EET) standard maintained by FinDatEx, and the firm is positioned as the operator of the DIN 77236-2 certification process that translates EU sustainability rules into a verifiable product-level compliance instrument. The firm derives revenue from three streams — ESG/CSR advisory engagements, product and company certification (DIN 77236-2, ISO 32212, EU Taxonomy Article 8/9), and ranking publication/benchmarking research — sold on a quote-based enterprise B2B model through direct relationships and industry referrals.

The firm's competitive positioning rests on regulatory proximity rather than scale: it holds mandates with the European Commission and the German Federal Government, participates in EFRAG Lab and FinDatEx standardization work, and lists cooperation partnerships with major European insurers (AXA, Allianz, Zurich, Helvetia, Gothaer, Debeka, Die Bayerische, SIGNAL IDUNA, HanseMerkur, Sparkassen Versicherung, Basler, Canada Life, PrismaLife, Condor, Fidelidade), Société Générale, CCR RE, Fidelity International, and consumer-protection and sustainability bodies (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband, Betterfinance, Climact). With 1-10 employees and no external funding, the asset is the founder's 27+ years of Asset-Liability Management expertise and the institutional roles occupied in the EU sustainability rule-setting ecosystem.

Name

Zielke Research Consult

Legal name

Zielke Research Consult GmbH

Website

https://zielke-rc.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zielke Research Consult GmbH is an Aachen-based, founder-led consulting and certification firm that advises European banks, insurance companies, and institutional investors on CSR reporting, ESG benchmarking, SFDR/EU Taxonomy compliance, and DIN 77236-2 certification under the Empowering Consumers Directive.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

ESG and sustainability consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL), ESG Governance, Sustainability Reporting & Assurance Advisory (BPAHAFAJ), ESG Reporting, Disclosure & Regulatory Compliance (SFDR, EU Taxonomy, TCFD/ISSB) (FSAAALAK)

Keywords

• ESG consulting services
• Sustainability ratings
• CSR reporting advisory
• SFDR compliance consulting
• Financial institution benchmarking

Headquarters

HQ city

Aachen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. ESG and CSR Consulting Services: Advisory services helping insurance companies, banks, and institutional investors navigate regulatory requirements in CSR and financial reporting, including SFDR compliance and sustainable finance strategy implementation.
2. Product and Company Certification: Certification services for financial products and institutions against DIN 77236-2 and ISO 32212 standards, qualifying products as sustainable under EU taxonomy.
3. Ranking Publications and Research Reports: Publication of industry studies and rankings including ESG spotlights, solvency studies, and CSR benchmarking reports for European insurers and banks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zielke Research Consult is a specialized consulting firm that provides ESG analysis, sustainability rankings, CSR reporting advisory, and product/company certification services for banks, insurance companies, and institutional investors. The firm qualifies financial products as sustainable under SFDR and EU Taxonomy, performs benchmarking using exclusively publicly available data, and offers certification against the DIN 77236-2 standard for compliance with the Empowering Consumers Directive. Its core deliverable is the "Zielke Rating" — independent ESG and sustainability rankings — supported by a Sustainability Register (Nachhaltigkeitsregister) of certified green financial products.

Product overview

Zielke Research Consult is a specialized consulting firm offering a portfolio of ESG and sustainability rating services for banks, insurance companies, and institutional investors. The core offering consists of Zielke Rating, which provides ESG benchmarking and ranking services based exclusively on publicly available data. This is complemented by the Nachhaltigkeitsregister (Sustainability Register), which certifies financial products as sustainable under SFDR and EU Taxonomy. The product suite includes ESG Funds Label for investment fund certification, an ESG Datenbank providing access to sustainability metrics, and EmpCo-Compliance Services for regulatory preparation under the Empowering Consumers Directive. Certification Services enable companies and products to receive DIN 77236 certification. All services emphasize transparency through public data analysis and independent third-party verification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zielke Rating

Quantifiable outcome

• 27+ years of industry experience in Asset-Liability Management
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers23 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

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fidelity InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing investment management expertise. Listed as a Partner on the company references page alongside Climact.
• ClimactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability advisory partner specializing in climate and ESG strategy. Listed as a Partner alongside Fidelity International on the company references page.
• AXAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor European insurance group listed as a cooperation partner (Kooperationspartner). AXA Group has been certified and works with Zielke Research Consult for ESG compliance and sustainability ranking services.
• AllianzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading global insurance company listed as a cooperation partner (Kooperationspartner) on the company references page.
• DebekacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman insurance company listed as a cooperation partner. Debeka is highlighted as one of the first insurers to successfully complete DIN 77236-2 certification for EmpCo compliance.
• Die BayerischecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman insurance company highlighted as one of the first to successfully complete DIN 77236-2 certification for Empowering Consumers Directive compliance.
• FidelidadecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese insurance company highlighted as one of the first to successfully complete DIN 77236-2 certification for Empowering Consumers Directive compliance.
• ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal insurance group listed as a cooperation partner (Kooperationspartner) on the company references page.
• HelvetiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss insurance group listed as a cooperation partner (Kooperationspartner) on the company references page.
• GothaercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman insurance company listed as a cooperation partner and noted for receiving recognition for sustainable insurance products.
• HanseMerkurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman insurance company listed as a cooperation partner (Kooperationspartner) on the company references page.
• SIGNAL IDUNAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman insurance group listed as a cooperation partner (Kooperationspartner) on the company references page.
• Société GénéraleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench banking group listed as a cooperation partner (Kooperationspartner) on the company references page.
• EFRAG LabcoreTechnology or IntegrationActive participation in EFRAG Lab (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group) as part of international accounting and sustainability standard-setting. Provides early access to regulatory developments and industry influence.
• FinDaTex (Financial Data Exchange Templates)coreTechnology or IntegrationActive participation in FinDaTex, the organization developing the European ESG Template (EET) standard. The company's methodology is based on EET data, ensuring alignment with industry standards.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company holds a mandate with the European Commission, underlining its regulatory credibility and recognized expertise in sustainability reporting.
• German Federal GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company holds a mandate with the German government, demonstrating recognition of its expertise at the highest political level.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• RepRisk: RepRisk provides ESG and business conduct risk analytics used by banks, insurers, and asset managers. It is a comparable niche data-and-ratings provider serving financial institutions with sustainability and reputational risk data.
• Carbon Trust: Carbon Trust is a sustainability consultancy that advises corporates and financial institutions on climate strategy and certification. It is comparable to Zielke as a specialized sustainability advisory firm working with insurers and banks on ESG implementation.
• EcoVadis: EcoVadis provides business sustainability ratings used by procurement teams and financial institutions. While more focused on supply chains, it overlaps with Zielke on sustainability ratings, benchmarking, and ESG data products for European corporates and financial institutions.

Broad incumbents

• ISS ESG: ISS ESG provides ESG ratings, screening, and climate solutions for institutional investors and corporates, with deep European regulatory expertise. It competes with Zielke on ESG ratings, sustainability reporting, and SFDR/ EU Taxonomy solutions for insurers and asset managers.
• S&P Global Sustainable1: S&P Global Sustainable1 offers ESG scores, climate analytics, and sustainable finance solutions to financial institutions worldwide. It overlaps directly with Zielke's ESG benchmarking and EU taxonomy certification services for the insurance and banking sectors.
• Sustainalytics (Morningstar): Sustainalytics, owned by Morningstar, is one of the leading global ESG and corporate governance research, ratings, and analytics firms. It serves asset managers and banks with risk ratings and is a direct competitor for ESG advisory and research mandates in Europe.
• Moody's ESG Solutions: Moody's ESG Solutions (including Vigeo Eiris) provides ESG scores, climate data, and sustainable finance advisory to banks, insurers, and investors. It is a scaled incumbent competing with Zielke on SFDR assessments, EU Taxonomy alignment, and second-party opinions.
• MSCI ESG Research: MSCI ESG Research provides ESG ratings, data, and analytics to institutional investors globally, including on insurance companies and banks. It is the broadest incumbent in ESG ratings and a key alternative for European financial institutions that Zielke serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zielke-rc
• Facebookfacebook.com/zielkerc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Zielke Research Consult