The pandemic has led to exponential growth in employees working remotely. That, coupled with a shift in the business community toward ever-higher standards of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, has resulted in the compliance market growing at a CAGR of approximately 13.5%. One company that finds itself in a prime position to benefit from this momentum is the Copenhagen based tech trailblazer Impero.
Established in 2013 by two Deloitte veterans, this software-as-a-service (SaaS) company’s digital compliance platform enables its clients to manage compliance through the automation of risk and control management, documentation, and reporting. The software is intuitive, scalable and – crucially – user-friendly.
“We’ve made it extremely easy for large companies to work across multiple areas, from tax and finance to ESG,” says Impero’s CEO Rikke Stampe Skov, who took up her position in 2018. It’s no coincidence that Impero was founded in Scandinavia, where the values of trust and transparency are part of the corporate DNA. “We empower companies to deliver on what they promise in terms of adhering to rules and regulations and living up to their responsibilities,” explains company chair Jørgen Bardenfleth.
We empower companies to deliver on what they promise in terms of adhering to rules and regulations and living up to their responsibilities. Compliance is essential to a well functioning society and economy. It’s about protecting stakeholders across the board.
The relevance and ease of use of the Impero platform has earned it a loyal client base, especially, but not exclusively, among companies committed to finance, tax, ESG and IT compliance. It also has many admirers in the investment community, as indicated by its IPO last spring being 324% oversubscribed. Impero concluded a hugely successfully year by signing up Siemens Energy and Thyssenkrupp, two of Germany’s most prominent industrial giants. They join Volkswagen, Maersk, GroupM and Bertelsmann on its list of satisfied blue-chip clients. Both the chairman and CEO now have their sights set on the markets of Northwestern Europe, where there is a high degree of digitalization and where the battle against corruption is being fought in earnest.
Over the longer term, Australia, Japan, and North America, where Impero recently signed a partnership deal with KPMG in Canada, also look like promising markets for the company. Wherever Impero ventures next it will be guided by the beliefs that have brought it so far in such a short time. “It’s not just about the bottom line,” says Skov.
Our vision is to help build a society founded on transparency and trust. We believe that compliance is crucial to a well functioning economy and society.
