ACA’s latest deal is about data

ACA Group announced that it has acquired Ethos ESG, a data analytics and software provider. The tie-up gives the service provider its first-ever analytics offering and will broaden its existing ESG services lineup.

The firm said it will couple its new offering with its ESG advisory experts, establishing “an integrated tech and advisory offering” as part of its ESG advisory practice.

A spokesperson told Private Funds CFO that ACA plans to gradually add more analytics offerings for all its businesses, both through deals and organically.

Services from the advisory practice, ACA noted, already cover areas like policies and procedures, external reporting, strategy, external reporting and training. By adding Ethos, ACA’s customers will gain the ability “to easily analyze investments and automate several elements of ESG reporting,” the firm said.

Ethos supports reviews of more than 350,000 impact ratings, ACA said, which cover companies and funds. The ratings, in turn, are assessed “through a prism of 45 ESG causes,” which span racial justice to climate change.

ACA did not disclose the combination’s financial terms.