
Entrepreneur UK's London 100: GaiaLens
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Industry: Sustainability
GaiaLens is an AI-powered Sustainability Analytics Platform for institutional investors and financial services firms.
Co-founded in 2021 by Gordon Tveito-Duncan (CEO) and Seb Kirk (Chief Operating Officer), the idea for GaiaLens was developed whilst co-founders were at City University, London, emerging as an effective, transparent and easy-to-use solution for asset managers.
GaiaLens is led by a group of finance professionals, technologists, and academics who firmly believe that economic value creation can and should be combined with environmental stewardship, social inclusion, and sound governance.
Acknowledging the frustrations of asset managers using other ESG rating platforms such as MSCI and Sustainalytics, where methodologies were often opaque, GaiaLens' innovative platform offered a suite of tools to help investors fulfil their ESG needs, including sustainability reporting, investment screening, and deep-dive research capabilities.
GaiaLens has experienced significant growth over the past 12 months, having recently been named as an innovator transforming sustainability in finance in the ESGFinTech100 for the third year in a row.
GaiaLens was also awarded funding from Fintech Scotland, which will fund the development of its Greenwashing Analytics solution, designed to help investors evaluate the greenwashing risk of funds and companies.
Challenging the traditional 'one size fits all' approach to ESG reporting, GaiaLens has also developed a unique 'on-demand' reporting solution that provides ESG analysts instant access to its sophisticated AI-powered reporting system.
It acts as a digital ESG analyst that can support investors throughout the ESG investment lifecycle and has saved them significant time.
Sustainability Frameworks is the first module to be released by the technology team at GaiaLens, giving analysts access to the latest, highest quality ESG data available and generating SFDR, TCFD, EU Taxonomy and UN SDGs reports (and more) for portfolios/funds in a matter of seconds.
Three further products, namely a GenAI-powered PDF Chatbot, a Greenwashing Risk Assessment tool and a Customisable Reporting tool, will expand the sustainability analytics platform further in the first half of 2025.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Miami Herald
'Waste to energy' gas company files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
NLC Energy has a business model that sounds a bit like a wizard turning rocks into gold or a certain biblical fellow who could famously turn water into wine. The company builds, owns, and operates renewable natural gas facilities that convert organic waste into useful commodities like clean energy, organic nutrients, clean water, organic liquid carbon dioxide, and dry ice. Related: 63-year-old retailer closing all stores in Chapter 11 bankruptcy Organic waste does not solely mean animal poo. It can also include food waste, grass trimmings, and more. It's a proven process that should be a key part of building a United States that's not dependent upon foreign oil. NLC Energy creates renewable energy. "Through the process of anaerobic digestion, we harvest the energy stored in organic waste sourced from farms and food manufacturers," it shared. By upcycling waste into useful commodities, the company offers a way for waste generators to reduce their carbon footprint and attain ESG goals. "Low-carbon, renewable natural gas replaces higher-carbon fossil fuels that are used in transportation, by utilities, and by manufacturers. Clients and partners advance towards meeting net-zero carbon emission objectives," NLC shared on its website. Those are noble goals that are perhaps not fully embraced by the current political climate. NLC Energy Denmark LLC, a renewable energy company specializing in organic waste digestion for biogas production, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The company, formerly known as NEW Organic Digestion LLC, operates a facility in Denmark, Wisconsin, while maintaining its principal place of business in Nashua, New Hampshire. The company filed its voluntary petition on August 16 with a plan already prepared, suggesting a strategic approach to its restructuring efforts. The filing indicates assets valued between $50 million and $100 million, with liabilities ranging from $100 million to $500 million. NLC Energy reported having between 50 and 99 creditors and stated that funds will be available for distribution to unsecured creditors after administrative expenses are paid. More Bankruptcy: Beloved sandwich chain franchisee closes in Chapter 11 bankruptcyHuge retail chain nears Chapter 11 bankruptcy after harsh closureFamous gunmaker files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, closes The company has filed a restructuring document with the bankruptcy court that was not publicly available on August 16. Welles Hatch, NLC Energy's Chief Financial Officer, signed the petition, which was filed by attorney Jerome R. Kerkman of Kerkman & Dunn. NLC Energy has presented itself as part of the solution to the problem of global warming. It's doing that in a practical, not ideological, way. The company has been working toward that while literally paying farmers for their unused manure. That's a solution to a problem that also comes with added revenue. NLC Energy uses dairy manure as its primary feedstock. Manure supplies are sourced from dairy farms in the region near our facility, based in the heart of dairy production in Northeastern Wisconsin. "From a business perspective, we effectively borrow the farm's manure for a fee per gallon of manure collected. Once manure has been through the digestion process, it is returned to the farm in amounts equal (gallon for gallon) to that which was collected. The farm is paid for each gallon collected, with the assumption that a modern dairy farm is generating approximately 30 gallons of manure, per cow, per day," it shared on its website. NLC Energy pays for all manure transport, including trucking of the manure from the farm and its subsequent return to the farm. In addition, the company will make capital improvements on the farm to facilitate manure collection. Capital improvements may include reception tanks, agitators, pumps, fill stand and other necessary infrastructure on the farm to allow for daily collection and return of manure. Related: Beyond Meat headed to Chapter 11 bankruptcy NLC Energy, a renewable natural gas company converting manure and food waste into clean energy, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Assets: $50M–$100 million; Liabilities: $100M–$500 million; lists 50–99 creditors. CFO Welles Hatch signed the petition, filed by attorney Jerome R. Kerkman. Business model: Pays farmers for manure, processes it via anaerobic digestion, returns residue, and covers transport plus farm infrastructure upgrades. Company positioned itself as a climate solution, capturing methane before release and supporting ESG/net-zero has filed a bankruptcy plan, but it has not been made public yet. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Aussie mum turns dirty laundry from side hustle to $8 million business
After weeks of rain that little pile of laundry quickly turns into a mountain and the idea of spending a weekend washing, drying and folding, leaves most people praying for a laundry fairy. It was the same in Susan Toft's household. But, when thinking about the laundry problem from a different angle, Toft wondered if she could be the solution. It was 2012 and, on maternity leave from a job in international marketing, the Sunshine Coast mum decided to try it out. Today, she is the CEO of a company that netted $8.6 million and has plans for expanding globally. 'I became the original laundry lady,' the 46-year-old told Yahoo Finance. RELATED ANZ hikes home loan interest rates in 'surprise' move ahead of RBA cash rate meeting $65,000 property warning as Aussies set to flood market Centrelink update on little-known support for Aussies in crisis 'I created a website and had a mobile number and I picked up washing in my local area and brought it home to my own machine. "I did a bit of Google AdWords and back then it was only about 20 cents a click.' The grand plan did not involve Toft washing other people's clothes forever though. She wanted to scale the business and employ contractors all over Australia. 'I never had the time or resources and it wasn't until 2016 that I got a $5,000 grant which allowed me to build an online booking platform and get my first ten contractors in South East Queensland,' she said. 'The model works that I paid them a percentage of the services they do.' Aussie mum's bumpy road to success As with many small businesses the path to success does not run smoothly and a divorce and relocation left Toft reeling. Financially she had to go back to her corporate life and The Laundry Lady, as she'd called it, became a side hustle. 'It was a tough few years and I didn't know how I'd be able to come back to it but then in 2020 Covid saw an end to my job in events and it was now or never,' Toft said. Suddenly there was a huge residential need. People were at home but had no time for laundry and the business did what Susan had always hoped. It took off. New laundry ladies and lads came on board in Melbourne and later all over the country and Toft was able to focus on managing the business rather than washing socks. $300 to $3,000 pay days for 'flexible' work Toft said her original investment in the booking platform and early focus on her systems really paid off as there was nothing else like it. This allowed the business to grow without teething problems. 'We had steady but fast growth over five years to 350 laundry ladies and lads across every state," she said. "And 45 per cent of those are in regional areas – everyone has laundry. 'People love the flexibility the business offers." Toft said 90 per cent are women however "many work with their husbands". "They can consistently earn between $300 and $3,000 a week.' She provides them with a starter kit including flyers and magnets for any local marketing. But head office does all the digital and event marketing. It's a model that's working so well Susan has already expanded into New Zealand and is heading into Canada and the UK in the next 12 months. In the last financial year The Laundry Lady saw a revenue of $8.6 million and she has lots of plans for future growth. 'Given how I used to help businesses grow internationally this is a real full circle moment for me,' Toft said. 'I never thought I'd be in laundry but I always had the desire in me to start a business and grow it.'


Entrepreneur
17 hours ago
- Entrepreneur
What Quick Commerce Needs Beyond Speed?
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. India's quick com merce sector is at a tipping point. With gross merchandise value projected to reach $9.95 billion by 2029 and a surge of 75-100% y-o-y in monthly transacting users, what began as an urban convenience is now becoming a national habit. Consumers have grown used to groceries, gadgets, and daily essentials arriving in minutes. But as competition intensifies and operating costs mount, one thing is becoming clear: speed alone is no longer a differentiator - it's a given. The real competitive advantage in q-commerce lies beneath the surface, in the systems and infrastructure that make this speed viable at scale. Today, the game is not just about how fast you can deliver once, but how consistently, profit ably, and sustainably you can do it across India's urban sprawl. While customer expectations are soaring, profitability remains elusive. Most q-commerce players operate on wafer-thin margins, with delivery costs eating into unit economics. In fact, leading platforms are still losing ₹20–50 per order on average, despite growing volumes. As brands fight for market share, they're discovering that you can't subsidize speed forever. The sector's future now hinges on reducing the cost per delivery not by slowing down, but by reengineering the ecosystem, starting with better-located, smarter urban infrastructure. The core constraint in q-commerce isn't consumer demand, its fulfillment proximity. India's top cities are facing a crunch on Grade-A warehousing space. What's needed is a shift from legacy warehousing on the periphery to tech enabled, in-city Grade-A micro-fulfilment hubs. Modern fulfillment centers are no longer passive storage spaces, they are productivity engines. The next-generation Grade-A warehousing facilities are designed for throughput and agility, with features like automation-ready layouts, high floor load capacities, temperature controlled zones, and advanced racking systems. Built with ESG compliance and fire, zoning, and safety norms baked in, these assets not only meet today's operational demands but accelerate speed-to-market. Designed for API integration with tenant tech platforms, they enable real-time inventory visibility, smart replenishment, and efficient dock-to-door routing, all of which are critical for q-commerce. Unlike retrofitted godowns or legacy industrial parks, these assets don't just support logistics, they elevate it. These spaces also create new touchpoints. Q-commerce brands can operate product experience zones or dark stores within high-footfall areas, bridging the gap between physical and digital retail, a proven consumer engagement strategy in dense urban markets like Singapore and Seoul (McKinsey, 2023). Infrastructure decisions today will shape whether q-commerce companies are seen as merely fast, or also responsible, resilient, and respected. With increasing scrutiny on urban air quality and emissions, shorter delivery routes enabled by in-city hubs can reduce carbon emissions by up to 25% per order. Add to that energy-efficient facilities and consolidated deliveries, and you have a logistics model that aligns with climate goals and customer demands. India's q-commerce sector no longer needs validation, it needs structure. The early play book of raising capital, building brand loyalty, and offering hyper-speed delivery has reached its limits. The next wave of leadership will come from those who pair consumer-first thinking with infra-first execution. Because the future of quick commerce won't be defined by who delivers in 10 minutes. It will be defined by who still can, 10 years from now.