Establishment of ESG Policy

Global Brain announces that it has established an ESG policy to support our portfolio companies for the whole investment processes including the initial investment examination through to the post-investment exit support, applicable to the existing accounts and new investment programs to be launched onward gradually.

Background to the formulation of the ESG Policy

In recent years, ESG-conscious business operations have become essential for sustainable management & development of the business. We believe that developing an awareness about ESG issues from an early stage of a company’s lifecycle will lead to business growth and increase in corporate value over the long term.

Global Brain believes that addressing ESG issues is important not only for the investment performance of the fund, but also for portfolio companies to continue to grow and increase their corporate value after an exit event. We hereby formulated a policy to support ESG issues of portfolio companies as summarized below.

ESG Policy

Apply the following ESG policies to GB investment deals, starting from the startup’s investment examination process until an exit event.

Environment: Follow relevant environment-related laws and regulations, and make an effort to operate businesses considering their effects on climate change, waste pollution, and biodiversity.
Social: Endeavour to build good relationships with employees, business partners and local communities
Governance: Maintain transparency, prevent all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery

How ESG Policy is applied

The ESG Policy is applied in accordance with our investment strategy in each phase of Global Brain's investment examination process, including screening, DD, and hands-on support after investment. Since Global Brain's investment targets range from seed stage to later stages, we will conduct ESG-related interviews on the candidate and existing portfolio companies, using our proprietary indicators based on the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact, depending on the stage of each company.
ESG Policies are used in investment decisions, aiming to improve the welfare of the business from such ESG perspectives. As Global Brain has strong hands-on value up supports, we will provide ESG related supports conscious of which start up business stage such portfolio company is in.

About the United Nations Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is a voluntary initiative for companies and organizations to participate in the creation of a global framework for achieving sustainable growth by acting as good members of society through responsible and creative leadership.
https://www.ungcjn.org/gc/
https://www.unglobalcompact.org/about

About the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact
The 10 principles of the UN Global Compact in the four areas of human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption have all been adopted and agreed upon globally and are recognized by the international community as universal values. The UN Global Compact requires companies to accept, support and implement a set of essential values in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption within their sphere of influence.
https://www.ungcjn.org/gc/principles/index.html
https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/mission/principles

About Global Brain

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Representative: Yasuhiko Yurimoto

Founded: January, 1998

URL: https://globalbrains.com/