Apex Group (Apex), a global financial services provider, has partnered with i80 Group, an investment firm that partners with pre-eminent venture and growth companies, to provide loan administration and ESG Ratings & Advisory services, in addition to its existing fund administration services.
New York headquartered i80 Group provides companies with bespoke financing solutions that are designed to scale with a company’s accelerating growth plans while minimising dilution. Apex will provide i80 Group with a comprehensive range of loan administration services to support these transactions from initial set up to maturity.
Apex’s market leading Loan Administration service encompasses operational support to funds and vehicles that invest in a variety of debt products. Delivered by Apex’s global team of experts with a local Client Service coverage model, Apex’s team will provide i80 Group with solutions that give the i80 team instant access to their portfolio views and crucial oversight of their investments.
Apex’s Loan Administration offering is unique in its provision of integrated ESG Ratings & Advisory services to the private credit markets. Apex’s ESG Ratings, Reporting & Advisory team will support i80 Group to accurately and consistently monitor and report on ESG matters to the business’ key stakeholders and investors. These ESG Ratings & Advisory services are underpinned by Apex’s proprietary and intuitive software platform which will enable i80 Group to collect ESG data from its portfolios in an efficient and usable format which can be benchmarked against best-in-class international regulations and standards.
In addition, ongoing support from Apex’s ESG Advisory team will further assist i80 Group in its commitment to identifying additional opportunities uncovered through portfolio specific industry-leading ESG data.
Georges Archibald, Head of Americas at Apex Group, says: “We are delighted to have extended our remit working with i80 Group, from fund administration to loan administration, ESG and beyond. As regulators begin to focus on enhanced ESG disclosures, forward-thinking managers such as i80 are embracing this opportunity to get ahead of the game and to ensure they can collect and analyse relevant ESG data, before the inevitable introduction of new regulation in the coming months and years. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the i80 team to meet their funds’ evolving needs and help them support growth with a leading business infrastructure.”
Warren Sckolnick, Chief Operating Officer at i80 Group, adds: “At i80, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all structure, we design bespoke financing solutions unique to our partner’s needs as their businesses rapidly scale – and the team at Apex clearly share this philosophy. Apex’s integrated loan administration and ESG services are particularly compelling, providing us with a clear picture of any financial and non-financial risks surrounding our portfolio. We view ESG as a business enabler and proactively integrating oversight of these factors into internal operations and disclosures provides us with a clear advantage. We look forward to continuing this strategic partnership with Apex and benefiting further from their scalable solutions which allow us to focus on the job in hand of deploying capital most efficiently and impactfully.”
Eddie Kelly, Head of Loan Services at Apex Group, says: “The operational challenges of the last 18 months mean that now more than ever, that access to the information is crucial for decision-making and risk oversight in the loan asset class. Outsourcing the loan administration function is not a new concept but is growing in popularity given the advantages for managers around scalability and the ability to access up to date information on portfolio and borrower characteristics for risk and liquidity management. Whether a loan relates to property transactions, business expansion, development or working capital, it is essential that managers appoint the right service provider who will enable them concentrate their time and resources on the core competencies of due diligence, risk assessment and identifying opportunities.”