Month: August 2026

NEW YORK, August 11, 2026 /3BL/ – Novata, a sustainability data and technology provider and B-corp certified public benefit corporation, announced today that it has been ranked in the top 5% of the 2026 Inc. 5000, the annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Novata is ranked No. 244, with 1,400% approximate three-year revenue growth from 2022 to 2025, reflecting the company’s momentum as a leading provider of technology infrastructure that help investors and companies manage sustainability data, navigate evolving requirements, and make more informed business decisions.The list is the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s most successful independent and entrepreneurial businesses, recognizing companies that have achieved remarkable growth while driving innovation, creating jobs, and shaping the future of the economy. Past honorees include companies such as Microsoft, Meta, Chobani, Oracle, and Patagonia.

“Being recognized on the Inc. 5000 is a gratifying milestone for Novata and reflects the momentum we’ve achieved by helping organizations turn sustainability data into business value,” said Alex Friedman, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Novata. “As organizations increasingly seek to better assess and manage financially material risks in areas spanning climate to governance, we’re proud to help them navigate a rapidly evolving landscape with technology and insights they can trust. And we are deeply grateful to our clients and partners, and all who have been part of our journey.”

Since its founding in 2021, Novata’s platform helps investors and companies manage sustainability data, from data collection and carbon accounting to regulatory reporting, benchmarking, and risk monitoring. Today, the company serves more than 400 clients and supports sustainability reporting across more than 13,000 companies, with teams in four global locations. Novata has also continued to invest in AI-powered capabilities to help organizations turn sustainability data into actionable business insights.

“Our growth is a reflection of the people behind Novata. Being ranked among the top 5% on the Inc. 5000 is a testament to the dedication, curiosity, and collaboration of a team that’s committed to simplifying sustainability,” said Josh Green, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Novata. “We’ve grown significantly over the past three years, but what I’m most proud of is how our team has continued to innovate and deliver as the sustainability landscape has become more complex. I’m excited about what we can accomplish together in the years ahead.”

The Inc. 5000 recognition comes as Novata celebrates its fifth anniversary, marking a significant milestone since the company’s founding. In just five years, Novata has formed over 20 partnerships and significantly expanded its product and service offerings, launching new capabilities including Risk Atlas, Novata for Supply Chains, end-to-end carbon accounting and management, regulatory solutions, expanded benchmarking & proxy data capabilities, Advisory services, and more. Together, these offerings reflect Novata’s commitment to providing clients with the infrastructure they need to achieve their sustainability goals and build long-term value.

This year’s Inc. 5000 recognizes a new class of companies redefining what growth looks like. From AI and advanced manufacturing to healthcare, consumer products, and professional services, these businesses are expanding their impact, creating jobs and proving that entrepreneurial ambition continues to fuel the U.S. economy. Among the 5,000 companies on the list, the median three-year revenue growth rate was 130%, and those companies have collectively added more than 627,208 jobs to the U.S. economy over the past three years.

“Every company on the Inc. 5000 has a story of perseverance, smart decision making, and a refusal to sit still,” says Mike Hofman, editor-in-chief of Inc. “Their growth reflects more than strong financial performance–it reflects creativity, resilience, and the customer focus required to build companies that make a lasting impact. We congratulate all honorees on this significant achievement.”

For the full Inc. 5000 list, honoree company profiles, and a searchable database by industry and location, please visit: www.inc.com/inc5000.

Inc. 5000 List Methodology

Companies on the 2026 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2022 to 2025. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2022. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2025. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2022 is $100,000; the minimum for 2025 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons.

About Novata

Novata’s solutions make it easy for organizations to achieve their sustainability goals and create value. Our trusted sustainability management platform and advisory practice empowers organizations to automate data collection and reporting, streamline carbon accounting, simplify regulations, benchmark performance, and monitor risk.

Backed by the Ford Foundation, Hamilton Lane, Microsoft, Motive Partners, Omidyar Network, Northern Trust and S&P Global, Novata is majority controlled by mission-driven organizations and its employees, and is a B-Corp-certified public benefit corporation.

Learn more at novata.com.

About Inc. 

Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

Read on Cisco’s Blog

As part of my work at Cisco, I often emphasize the power of proximity and how true impact isn’t delivered from a distance; it happens when we show up, listen, and align our global resources with the heartbeat of local communities. This is the foundation of our 40 Communities (40C) Initiative: bringing together four decades of trust, expertise, and innovation to engage, support, and invest in 40 communities around the world over 10 years.

Already, we’ve seen some early successes in our existing 40C sites in Western Northern Carolina in the US and Mumbai, India, where we’re working to bridge local challenges in partnership with community partners. These solutions include creating pathways for employment opportunities, introducing learning programs to develop AI and cybersecurity skills, rebuilding homes in disaster-stricken areas, and tackling water and waste management issues. We have work to do, but I’m proud of the progress we’re making to address critical issues for these communities.

New 40C Site: Johannesburg 

As we continue to expand and drive impact through our 40C Initiative, I am excited to share that our next site is Johannesburg, our first in Africa. Cisco’s history in South Africa spans three decades, rooted in the belief that technology is the great equalizer. Through programs like Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) and Cisco Networking Academy we’ve been able to complete 24 projects to digitally transform South Africa and educate over 600,000 learners in digital skills.

To reach these heights, I am truly grateful that our work in South Africa wasn’t done in isolation. It was made possible through meaningful partnerships with government entities such as the Department of Higher Education and Training, South Africa; the State Information Technology Agency; and the National Library of South Africa, among others. Many of the relationships were introduced and built through our work with community organizations – and the reason why our local community partnerships are critical. They help us get connected to local leaders, government and NGOs, and help us build an ecosystem of resources to tap into to meet our social impact and business goals.

A New Collaboration: Masibambisane with Jozi My Jozi

At the center of this work is Masibambisane (pronounced “mah-see-bahm-bee-SAH-neh” meaning, “let us work together”), a multi-year collaboration with Jozi My Jozi, a citywide coalition of more than 140 organizations spanning government, business, civil society, academia, and local communities. Cisco will become Jozi My Jozi’s first U.S.-based strategic partner, and Jozi My Jozi will serve as Cisco’s anchor institution for 40C Johannesburg. Together, we aim to co-create and co-execute on local revitalization opportunities and initiatives that build overall capacity within the community, yield measurable outcomes, and ensure long-term sustained impact across four priority workstreams:

• Digital education and skilling
• Connected safety
• Smart mobility and transit
• Responsible giving, volunteer engagement, and community activation

To bring these workstreams to life, we’ll combine Jozi My Jozi’s deep local relationships, coalition leadership, and ecosystem coordination with Cisco’s technology expertise, solution architectures, and global resources. Together, we’ll identify opportunities across Cisco’s portfolio, including Cisco Networking Academy, Country Digital Acceleration (CDA), and other innovation initiatives, to strengthen community outcomes and accelerate long-term revitalization.

“This partnership is about much more than technology. It is about bringing together the energy of our people, the commitment of our partners and Cisco’s global capability to help restore hope, dignity and pride in Johannesburg. Jozi My Jozi is a super-connector for this city, and Cisco is a global connector. Through Masibambisane, we have an opportunity to show what becomes possible when local action is strengthened by global perspective and practical support.” — Innocent Mabusela, CEO, Jozi My Jozi

Our Ongoing Commitment to Social Impact in South Africa 

Our work in South Africa doesn’t stop with the Masibambisane coalition. We’ll be investing in our ongoing local partnerships to empower the next generation as part of our larger 40C initiative. This includes introducing a new collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation and EduNova to increase AI literacy for educators and students across Gauteng. We’ll also be looking to expand our work with Camp Sizanani to equip underserved youth with the financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills needed to thrive in an AI-powered economy.

Beyond 40C, we’ll continue making impact through the Cisco Foundation and our broader Social Impact investments in South Africa as well. Whether empowering women in off-grid communities through our Networking Academy partnership with the Lindamahle Innovation Centre, or investing in STEM scholarships via StudyTrust, we are committed to closing the digital divide.

“Through our collaboration with Cisco Networking Academy and in support of government’s vision to connect communities, we have equipped students with the digital skills they need to unlock economic opportunities and build a more connected future for the Eastern Cape” — Zine Nkukwana, CEO of Lindamahle.

Our story on social impact also wouldn’t be complete without our people, Cisco employees, doing their part as engines of this impact. In South Africa, our teams have dedicated thousands of hours to mentorship and volunteership through our Time2Give program, helping students transition from the classroom to the workplace and ensuring our technology serves the people who need it most.

A Shared Vision for the Future

There’s no doubt that the work ahead is substantial. However, we’re confident that through our history of engagement in South Africa, a network of more than 140 partners, and a shared commitment to the city’s long-term revitalization, we can build a more connected, resilient and thriving community starting with Johannesburg.

What I’m most excited about is this marks the start of a new effort to revitalize the region and deepens our longstanding partnerships there.

By embracing the spirit of Masibambisane (“let us work together”) we can demonstrate what happens when global innovation meets deep-rooted local insight. We are honored to walk this path alongside our partners and look forward to collaborating on a model of community-led resilience and sustainable growth across the region for generations to come.

AI can help your small business work smarter, grow faster, and achieve more.

The Digital Ready AI Accelerator is a free, exclusive 12-week program, sponsored by Verizon Small Business Digital Ready in partnership with Next Street, that begins this September and helps small business owners move from exploring AI to actually using it, with expert support every step of the way.

Here’s what the 12 weeks look like: You’ll pick one process in your business – like marketing, sales, finance, or data analysis – and build a real AI-driven workflow around it.

Along the way, you’ll get:

• Weekly expert-led workshops with guest speakers from Google, OpenAI, Mastercard, and more.
• Hands-on access to leading AI platforms, so you can test tools using your own business instead of guessing.
• A dedicated mentor through weekly group sessions and one-on-one coaching as you build your implementation plan.

This program is designed for small business owners with established operations, repeatable processes, and recurring revenue who are ready to put AI to work.

Only 50 businesses will be selected. Applications close August 21 – apply now.

Key Takeaways:

• SFDR requires real estate funds to disclose how sustainability risks and ESG impacts are incorporated into investment decisions.
• Article 6, 8, and 9 funds each have different disclosure expectations and sustainability objectives.
• SFDR works alongside the EU Taxonomy and CSRD to improve the quality and consistency of sustainability data.
• Proposed reforms would simplify SFDR reporting and replace Articles 8 and 9 with new voluntary product categories.
• UK asset managers investing in Europe may need to comply with both UK SDR and EU SFDR requirements.

The EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) was written to curb greenwashing and give investors sustainability information that supports informed decision-making. It requires companies to disclose how they integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks and adverse impacts into investment decisions.

SFDR now shapes how capital is raised, deployed, and reported across European property markets. For real estate, an industry responsible for a large share of energy use and emissions, SFDR’s transparency push is changing everything from fund structuring to asset level business plans.

What Does SFDR Require?

SFDR is a disclosure regime that applies at both entity and product level. Under it, real estate fund managers must document how they integrate sustainability risks, whether they consider principal adverse impacts (PAIs), and which sustainability category their fund falls into:

• Article 6: Funds without a sustainability scope
• Article 8: Funds that promote environmental or social characteristics (light green)
• Article 9: Funds that have sustainable investment as their main objective (dark green)

The detailed content and standardised templates required to demonstrate compliance with Article 6, 8 or 9 arrived via the Level II Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS), which took effect on 1 January 2023.

Real estate feels the RTS particularly strongly because the PAI framework includes indicators tailored to property. The entity‑level PAI statement uses a fixed template and list of indicators, including two mandatory PAIs that specifically apply to real estate:

• Exposure to fossil‑fuel‑related assets
• Exposure to energy‑inefficient buildings

Many fund managers also choose to disclose additional real estate PAIs such as:

• Energy consumption intensity
• Waste management coverage

In practice, real estate funds may set a wide range of ESG objectives and targets. Some examples include:

Objective	Target
Improve energy performance of buildings	Upgrade 80% of portfolio to EPC A or B by 2030.
Do not contribute further to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming	Decommission all fossil fuel supplies and decarbonise all assets by 2035.
Increase energy self-sufficiency across the portfolio	Increase on-site renewable energy generation and storage to meet 40% of energy demand across the portfolio by 2035.
Measurably improve occupant health and wellbeing in office assets	Achieve WELL Building Standard Gold standard in all office assets by 2028.

An Article 9 fund must have clearly defined, quantifiable key performance indicators and targets, which must be linked to every investment decision and verified over time. This means that, where a fund has an overall objective, it must be achieved for all individual assets.

An Article 8 fund allows for a greater degree of flexibility in how a fund achieves its sustainability objective and how it measures and reports them. This approach allows a ‘portfolio’ approach, where some individual assets might not achieve all goals, as long as the overall aggregated targets are met.

An Article 9 fund does not automatically mean that is a ‘more sustainable’ fund than an Article 8 fund. An Article 9 fund may have a very specific narrow focus on one key ESG topic, whereas an Article 8 fund could be tackling several different topics.

Alignment With EU Taxonomy and CSRD

SFDR does not define “sustainable” assets. The EU Taxonomy provides the classification of environmentally sustainable activities (including acquisition & ownership, new construction and renovation for real estate) with technical screening criteria and ‘Do No Significant Harm’ (DNSH) requirements.

For buildings, alignment typically hinges on performance thresholds (e.g., the building’s EPC falling into the top 15% of UK building stock) and evidence on adaptation to climate change. Real estate companies and funds increasingly report Taxonomy alignment alongside SFDR to give investors a clearer view.

Data availability is often the greatest hurdle to overcome. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which was phased in from 2024 for many large companies, should gradually improve access to assetlevel metrics relevant to SFDR and the Taxonomy (energy, emissions, renovation plans, and social data), making PAI and DNSH assessments more reliable. Real estate firms within the scope of CSRD will have to disclose against European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), which investors can feed into SFDR reporting.

Potential Amendments to SFDR

In December 2023, the European Supervisory Authorities proposed amendments to the RTS, including more social PAIs, clearer DNSH disclosures for “sustainable investments”, a new section for funds with greenhouse‑gas reduction targets, and simplified, machine‑readable templates (including a front‑page dashboard). The Commission was expected to endorse these changes ahead of any broader overhaul of SFDR itself.

Separately, the Commission ran a wide consultation on the regime’s future. The May 2024 summary showed strong support for moving towards explicit product categories, potentially replacing the current Article 8 and 9 naming system, and for recognising “transition” strategies. For real estate, the recognition of transition would better reflect CAPEX‑driven improvement journeys (e.g., refurbishing assets to hit an EPC rating of B).

Industry bodies have pushed in the same direction. INREV’s guidance urged clearer, fit‑for‑purpose definitions of “sustainable investments” for property and supports a transition category that recognises credible refurbishment plans aligned to decarbonisation pathways.

In November 2025, the European Commission responded with significant proposed revisions to the SFDR aimed at simplifying the framework and reducing complexity for both investors and financial market participants. The Commission found that the existing SFDR had effectively become a labelling regime, which it was never intended to be, with disclosures that were overly long, difficult to understand and prone to causing confusion, greenwashing risks, and mis‑selling.

The proposed revisions would introduce simpler, more retail‑friendly disclosures, reduce reporting burdens, and replace Article 8 and 9 with three voluntary product categories: a sustainable category for products already meeting high sustainability standards, a transition category for products supporting companies or projects on a credible path to sustainability, and an additional category to reflect other sustainability‑related strategies.

A UK Perspective

SFDR is an EU Regulation which, following Brexit, was not formally transposed into UK law. However, the UK has its own similar regulations, the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR), which apply anti-greenwashing rules to how financial products are marketed. It has its own labelling system (Sustainability Focus & Impact) which, whilst appearing similar to Article 8 & 9 in SFDR, do not translate directly.

In simple terms, a UK SDR fund must demonstrate it meets certain criteria before it can be legally marketed, whereas an EU SFDR fund simply discloses information about its objectives and activities.

If a UK asset manager has an EU subsidiary, manages an EU-domiciled fund, or simply markets a fund to EU investors, then it must comply with SFDR.

In reality, many UK asset managers will have to report under both regimes – SFDR for its EU activities and SDR for its UK activities. In some cases, there may be overlap and duplication.

Even where a UK fund solely operates in the UK, it is likely that UK funds will acquire and divest assets from EU and international investors and, as such, need to consider aligning and upgrade their portfolio to SFDR standards. Doing so will make assets more attractive to a wider range of investors and potentially increase value.

How Can Antea UK Help?

Antea Group UK can help record SFDR asset-level data, whether we’re involved at the acquisition, divestment, refinancing, or redevelopment stage.

As part of our wider ESG due diligence reporting, we collect asset-level data through site visits, discussions with key stakeholders, and data room reviews to ensure asset alignment with SDR and/or SFDR requirements.

Where an asset or portfolio is not aligned to ESG objectives, our prioritised practical action plans show how individual assets can be improved, including capital expense budgets and timelines.

At Antea Group UK, we help our clients assess risk against their regulatory obligations, as well as providing expert advice and tangible solutions for enhancing ESG impacts.

Questions about SFDR or ESG due diligence for your real estate portfolio? Contact us today to learn how we can support your investment strategy:

Dan Ellis 
Dan.Ellis@Anteagroup.uk 
07586 113753

3BL, a provider of corporate communications and sustainability content solutions, highlighted additional capabilities in its AI Visibility Tracker, a tool that measures how brands appear in responses from AI-powered search and chat platforms.

The tracker assigns organizations a visibility score from 0 to 100, placing them into one of three performance bands — Needs Improvement (below 30), Contender (30 and above), or Leader (50 and above) — based on how frequently and favorably they surface across AI-generated answers. The tool breaks that overall score into segments by topic, persona, and intent, giving communications teams a way to see where their content is well-represented in AI search results and where it is largely absent.

 

Among the tracker’s most popular features is competitive benchmarking, which compares an organization’s visibility against a series of named competitors and produces a leaderboard showing whether the gap between them is widening or narrowing. The tool also includes an Evidence tab that surfaces the underlying prompts, platform responses, and source citations behind each score, allowing teams to verify whether their content is being properly attributed when AI platforms reference it.

3BL recommends organizations incorporate the tracker into recurring planning cycles — reviewing the same scorecard metrics quarter over quarter to establish trend lines alongside other communications KPIs, rather than treating it as a one-time audit.