Private equity services
Private equity, investors and M&A
Sustainability is now a core lever in investment performance, and the most forward-looking investors are embedding it across the full investment cycle.
Sustainability is now a core lever in investment performance
We are investors ourselves, who work daily with investments in our Article 9 impact venture fund and fully understand the link between commercial value creation, risk management and strategic sustainability. From the outset of The Footprint Firm, we’ve worked closely with private equity firms, institutional investors, and M&A advisors to integrate ESG and impact into investment decision-making, ownership, value creation and exit.
We partner with leading PE firms across the Nordics and Europe, at fund level, with portfolio companies, and in transactions on both the buy and sell side. Our work spans funds of all sizes and Article 6, 8, and 9 classifications, as well as specialised investors in infrastructure, energy, shipping, climate, and impact.
ESG due diligence
We conduct ESG and impact due diligences across all sectors, all company maturity levels and tailored to specific fund strategies across article 6, 8 and 9. Our approach is tailored to the specific requirements of each fund – whether assessing traditional businesses or high-impact targets.
We offer four levels of due diligence:
- Light ESG due diligence focused on risk and compliance
- Standard ESG due diligence covering risk, compliance, and potential value creation levers
- Full impact ESG due diligence including theory of change and value creation potential plan
- Combined commercial due diligence (CDD) and ESG due diligence on impact cases, including assessment of EU Taxonomy and article 9 alignment
Depending on scope, our analyses can include double materiality assessments, peer benchmarking, risk mapping across the value chain, regulatory driver analysis, and maturity and gap assessments. We also support development of theory of change, define impact KPIs, evaluate EU Taxonomy alignment, and identify value creation levers and potential exit narratives. Our due diligence work is never just a one-size-fits-all approach but always carefully scoped to drive the most value in the process: fit with your fund strategy, target size, maturity and sector, calibration of focus vis-a-vis other DD streams and applying our business acumen to all analyses.
Exit preparation and ESG vendor due diligence
We work with companies, investors, and M&A advisors to prepare for exits, ensuring ESG performance is clearly articulated, and value creation opportunities are well positioned. This includes pressure-testing ESG data and systems, assessing regulatory implications, benchmarking against peers, closing material gaps, and preparing management teams for sustainability-related positioning in exit processes.
Additional expertise areas include
- Sustainability alignment under SFDR/EU Taxonomy
- Training on ESG and sustainability topics for investment teams and portfolio companies
- Development of fund sustainability strategy and frameworks, including reporting and impact KPIs
Our featured private equity services
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Anna Søndergaard
Co-Founding Partner & CEO
“From fund strategies to due diligence, value creation under ownership to preparing for exit, we support investors in turning sustainability into a lever for better deals, stronger portfolios, and long-term competitive advantage.”
Explore our full range of services supporting every step of the sustainability journey
- Private equity and investors
- Strategy and value creation
- Reporting and regulation
- Nature and resources
- Climate
We support investors across the full investment cycle, from fund strategy and impact priorities to Due Diligence, ownership and exit. Our work helps embed sustainability and impact throughout, unlocking long-term value and stronger outcomes.
- Sustainable fundsabout /services/sustainable-fundsSustainable funds
- Private equity servicesabout /services/private-equity-servicesPrivate equity services
Explore our full range of services supporting every step of the sustainability journey
We support investors across the full investment cycle, from fund strategy and impact priorities to Due Diligence, ownership and exit. Our work helps embed sustainability and impact throughout, unlocking long-term value and stronger outcomes.
- Sustainable fundsabout /services/sustainable-fundsSustainable funds
- Private equity servicesabout /services/private-equity-servicesPrivate equity services
CataCap
ESG due diligence with assessment of EU Taxonomy alignment potential for private equity investor
CataCap is a leading private equity investor, investing in Danish SMEs with innovative business models and significant development potential. CataCap partnered with The Footprint Firm on an ESG due diligence to understand sustainability risks and opportunities, including how the target could potentially align with the EU Taxonomy, laying the foundation for a sustainable investment thesis and a roadmap for action post-acquisition.
Services
- Private equity servicesabout /services/private-equity-servicesPrivate equity services
Industries
- Private equity
The project
We supported CataCap in the ESG due diligence process for a potential acquisition, working to uncover material sustainability risks, both from the company's external impacts and its internal operations. The scope included assessing exposure to upcoming regulations including CSRD and EU Taxonomy and identifying the strategic implications. The work was carried out in close coordination with commercial, legal, and financial advisors to ensure a consistent and integrated view of the investment opportunity.
Our approach
Our work involved regulatory screening, interviews, and close collaboration with other due diligence workstreams. We mapped the company’s eligibility and alignment to the EU Taxonomy, developed an initial roadmap for taxonomy alignment, and highlighted quick wins and longer-term sustainability initiatives that could be accelerated under new ownership.
Since the acquisition, we have continued working with the company to activate and progress several of these initiatives, moving from analysis to action.
The impact
The ESG due diligence gave CataCap the insight, documentation and confidence to integrate sustainability risks and opportunities into the investment case. It ensured regulatory readiness, elevated the ESG agenda across the deal team and management team of the company, and helped define a post-acquisition roadmap that supports both compliance and value creation.