Bencis' sustainability journey so far
Founded in 1999, Bencis Capital Partners is a leading private equity firm operating in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Bencis focuses on investing in mid-sized businesses with the aim of creating sustainable, long-term value. The firm is guided by a strong belief that success is not solely measured by financial outcomes but also by how well businesses contribute to broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
According to Lizzy Peijs, Compliance Officer and Legal Counsel at Bencis, "Our goal has always been to make progress on all aspects of value – sustainability included. We've seen that employee health and wellbeing, for instance, can significantly improve a business by the time of exit."
Bencis has a well-established ESG strategy, being an early signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) and collecting ESG data at the portfolio company level since 2014 with the help of external ESG consultants.
The challenge: enhancing existing ESG expertise with scalable technology
In order to move from static ESG reporting to actionable sustainability improvement strategies, Bencis sought to complement their existing ESG consultant relationships with technology that would empower portfolio companies to build internal capabilities. Working alongside their external consultant firm, Bencis recognized that the existing software platform created barriers rather than bridges between expert guidance and practical implementation.
The previous technology solution was not user-friendly, did not offer the level of support required, and made it challenging to aggregate ESG data from each of the 29 portfolio companies at the fund level. As Lizzy noted,
"We were using a platform that just didn't meet our growing needs. We needed better usability for our portfolio companies and more flexible reporting capabilities at the fund level."
Critically, Bencis wanted to preserve the valuable expertise of their ESG consultants while enabling portfolio companies to develop complementary in-house capabilities. "It was always mandatory to report data, but we hadn't enforced target-setting," said Lizzy. "Now we're moving toward making improvements and building that buy-in – and we need a tool that works seamlessly with our consulting partners to support that shift."
The solution: strategic partnership enabling consultant-technology collaboration
To address these challenges, Bencis partnered with KEY ESG, specifically choosing the platform for its collaborative approach and ability to enhance existing ESG consulting relationships. KEY ESG's open approach towards collaborating with advisors aligned perfectly with Bencis' belief that the best customer outcomes emerge from partnership.
The KEY ESG platform serves as a complementary tool that amplifies the impact of ESG consulting work. The platform's intuitive design and in-built guidance enables portfolio companies to implement consultant recommendations more effectively, while providing consultants with higher-quality, more accessible data to inform their strategic advice.
"The portfolio companies are much happier with this platform," Lizzy explained. "They feel more in control of their performance and can log in any time to see how they're doing, while still benefiting from existing advisory relationships. That sense of ownership, combined with strategic support, is key."
KEY ESG's collaborative approach means the platform integrates seamlessly with existing consultant workflows rather than disrupting proven relationships. KEY ESG worked closely with Bencis’ consultants to translate their proprietary ESG scoring methodology into its flexible platform. This partnership-first approach has facilitated the creation of a scalable, sustainable model where technology amplifies advisory impact.
Two portfolio companies, SportCity and Rubio Monocoat, exemplify this collaborative success, describing how the combination of KEY ESG's platform and continued consultant partnership has enabled them to "drive tangible sustainability improvements" and "turn ESG data into business efficiency."
By providing a platform designed for collaboration, Bencis has seen greater engagement across all stakeholders. As Lizzy explains, "It's not just about compliance anymore. The portcos actually want to improve because they can see the impact of their actions, and they still have access to the expert guidance they value."
Next steps: building on collaborative foundations
Bencis views KEY ESG as a long-term technology partner that enhances their broader ecosystem of ESG expertise. With collaborative infrastructure now in place, the firm is focused on setting improvement targets, increasing stakeholder engagement, and delivering both sustainable outcomes and financial performance through the combined power of expert consulting and enabling technology.
As Lizzy concluded,
"I would recommend KEY ESG because they understand that great outcomes come from working together to deliver customer value. […] what stands out is how well the team listens and acts on feedback from both us and our consulting partners. That collaborative mindset is a real differentiator."
