500 Startups是一家全球风险投资公司，其总部位于硅谷。该公司通过其5个全球基金和15个专项基金投资了2,300多家公司，这些基金专门用于特定市场和垂直行业。其100多名团队成员分布在全球20个国家，以支持500多家初创公司在75个以上国家/地区的全球投资。

环境、社会和治理（ESG）是指衡量一项投资的可持续性和社会影响的三个关键因素。 ESG标准有助于从回报和风险方面更好地确定公司的未来财务绩效。尽管一些早期公司可能会认为投资者并不在乎ESG政策，或者他们实施该政策为时过早，但黑人事件和新冠疫情的蔓延正凸显出提早和长期制定内部政策对影响公司扩大业务的重要性。

初创公司的创始人和投资者在建立更具包容性、可持续性和公平性的经济结构中都可以发挥重要作用。在早期阶段共同努力纳入ESG政策具有良好的商业意义，这其中有几个原因，包括更多的机会来吸引重视可持续性、多样性和公平劳动惯例的新客户，并吸引和保留人才。但是，早期的初创公司是否接受ESG？创始人如何根据近期事件看待ESG？

早期创业公司中ESG的现状

全球领先的风险基金和种子加速器500 Startups对其创始人社区进行了调查，以了解当前的事件如何影响初创公司的包容性、可持续性和公平的商业行为。109家初创公司创始人回答了有关ESG的观点和做法的问题。大多数受访者（57％）是拥有少于5名员工的创业公司。

根据调查结果，有66％的创始人透露，最近发生的事件（即黑人事件）使他们希望实施涉及ESG问题（例如多样性和包容性）的政策。 90％的受访者表示，由于新冠疫情，他们认为实施ESG政策和做法很重要（53％的人认为这非常重要，而37％的人认为这相对重要）。此外，有69％的受访者表示他们认为ESG将增加销售，绝大多数（91％）的受访者表示ESG将帮助他们的公司吸引和留住人才。

在尚未制定ESG政策的创业公司创始人中，有37％的人回答认为为时过早，有20％的人认为投资者不在乎它们。但是，在接受调查的所有创始人中，绝大多数（90％）表示，如果投资者要求公司实施ESG，将使投资者感到满意（45％极其可取，24％可取，21％较可取）。

为长期价值增长和回报奠定基础

ESG风险可能会因公司、产品、服务或市场而异。但是，早期投资者可以在对初创企业进行风险教育方面发挥积极作用。毕竟，强有力的ESG政策能够带来更高的回报。根据波士顿咨询集团的报告，长期来看，多元化的团队在创新和改善财务业绩方面均表现更好。消费者越来越显示出对具有道德和透明商业惯例的公司的支持，包括那些对环境具有积极影响和可持续经营的公司。同时，治理和法规问题（例如遵守数据隐私法）可能会影响不同规模的公司，这意味着即使在早期阶段，对法规的意识也至关重要。与这些问题相关的政策可以帮助面向未来的小型公司，并使它们处于更有利的位置，以便随着时间的推移应对潜在的监管变化。

500 Startups is a global venture capital firm with a network of startup programs headquartered in Silicon Valley. The firm has invested in over 2,300 companies via its five global funds and 15 thematic funds dedicated to specific geographic markets and verticals. Its 100+ team members are located in 20 countries around the world in order to support the 500 Startups global portfolio of investments which spans more than 75 countries.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) refers to the three key factors in measuring the sustainability and societal impact of an investment. ESG criteria help to better determine the future financial performance of companies, both in terms of return and risk. While some early-stage companies might feel that investors do not care about ESG policies or that they are too early to implement them, The Black Lives Matter movement and the spread of COVID-19 are highlighting the importance of outlining internal policies early and the long term impact of a company’s actions as it scales.

Both startup founders and investors have an important role to play in building a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable economy. Working together to incorporate ESG policies at the early stage makes good business sense for several reasons, including a greater opportunity to acquire new customers who value sustainability, diversity, and fair labor practices, and to attract and retain talent. But are early-stage startups embracing ESG? How do founders view ESG in light of recent events?

The current state of ESG among early-stage startups

500 Startups, a leading global venture fund and seed accelerator, surveyed its founder community to get a sense of how current events are influencing inclusive, sustainable, and equitable business practices at startups. One hundred nine startup founders responded to questions about internal environmental, social, and governance (ESG) views and practices. The majority of respondents (57%) were pre-seed startups with fewer than five employees.

According to the survey results, 66% of founders revealed that recent events (namely the Black Lives Matter movement) made them want to implement policies, practices, and metrics involving ESG issues such as diversity and inclusion. 90% responded that they think implementing ESG policies and practices is important due to COVID-19 (53% think it is extremely important and 37% think it is somewhat important). Furthermore, 69% responded that they think ESG will increase sales, and an overwhelming majority (91%) responded that ESG will help their company attract and retain talent.

Among startup founders who do not yet have ESG policies in place, 37% responded that they were too early, and 20% responded that investors don’t care about them. However, an overwhelming majority (90%) of all founders surveyed stated that if an investor required a company to implement ESG, it would make the investor desirable (45% extremely desirable, 24% very desirable, and 21% somewhat desirable).

Laying the foundation for long-term value, growth, and returns

ESG risks can vary greatly depending on the company, product, service, or market. However, early-stage investors can play an active role in educating startups about the risks. After all, strong ESG policies correlate with higher returns. According to a Boston Consulting Group report, diverse teams perform better in the long-term, both in terms of innovation and improved financial performance. Consumers increasingly show their support for companies with ethical and transparent business practices, including those with a positive environmental impact and sustainable operations. Meanwhile, governance and regulatory issues, such as compliance with data privacy laws, can affect companies of any size, which means that even at the early stage, awareness of regulations is crucial. Outlining policies related to these issues can help future-proof smaller companies and put them in a better position to face potential regulatory changes over time.

 (Source: www.nasdaq.com)

每天获取干货知识，请查找微信公众号"宏业上市通"关注，也可以扫下方二维码关注，您的关注是我们持续前行动力！

宏业金融集团

中国企业境外上市专业服务平台

宏业金融集团是一家国际金融咨询服务企业。在国内主营企业财务咨询、融资辅导、企业孵化、境外上市辅导服务等企业金融服务业务，在深圳、香港、马来西亚、美国设有办事处。宏业金融集团依托专业的咨询团队、丰富的辅导经验、广泛的社会关系、国际化的合作资源，通过一体化专业服务，为中国企业提供上市辅导服务。 是一家中国企业境外上市专业服务平台。

地址：深圳市罗湖区京基一百大厦A座4805

电话：86-0755-82334963

Add：Rm. 4805, Blk. A, Kingkey 100, Luohu Dist.,  Shenzhen, Guangdong Prov., China

Tel：86-0755-82334963

Web : www.hongyeconsulting.com