S3 - E2: The Impact of Everything with Annu Nieminen of Upright

Innovations in Sustainable Finance

In this episode, I speak with Annu Nieminen, CEO of Upright, a Finnish technology startup with an automated method to quantify companies' net impact on people, planet, society, and knowledge. Upright combines machine learning and natural language processing to analyze scientific data and company activities, providing an impact profile for companies worldwide.

My favorite takeaways from the conversation were:

1. Compromising the Answer, Not the Question: Annu emphasized the importance of focusing on the right question, even if the answer remains imperfect at first. Upright’s model prioritizes understanding a company's true net impact, even if it challenges traditional ESG metrics.
2. Hidden ESG Champions and Challenges: I loved Annu’s examples of hidden impact champions like condom manufacturers and sewage infrastructure companies—both create significant positive health and societal impacts, even if they’re not traditional ESG darlings. Conversely, modern tech companies working in areas like ad optimization for tobacco or fast fashion can have surprisingly negative net impacts.
3. Scarce Human Capital: Upright introduces the idea of evaluating companies based on the opportunity cost of the human talent they employ. This provocative metric raises critical questions about how we allocate the world’s brightest minds.
4. The Power of Open Data: Annu’s vision for the future is to create a neutral, science-based resource for understanding a company’s impact. She hopes this could become the default source for anyone searching for "Tesla impact" or similar, allowing a common-sense starting point for discussions.

For listeners who want to dive deeper, Upright offers a free version of its platform to explore company impact profiles. Check it out and see what your favorite company is doing for (or to) the world. https://uprightplatform.com