BrazilRachel Delacour on Sweep’s growth, ESG impact and partnership with BearingPoint
At the start of 2025, BearingPoint became a partner of Sweep, an AI-powered sustainability data management platform. To find out more about Sweep’s offering, impact in the ESG space and its collaboration with the consulting firm, we spoke with CEO and co-founder Rachel Delacour.
To start with: why did you co-found Sweep?
After selling a previous company I founded, BIME Analytics, I took time off to spend with my kids, and explore some personal interests. My ‘Eureka’ moment that led to me founding Sweep, along with my co-founders Yannick Chaze and Raphael Güller, came after a conversation with my son.
We were walking along the beach when he asked me a question about climate change and rising sea levels. I was struck by his awareness of these topics, and it spurred me to research climate change. I found the world’s current path very alarming, and I then realized that I did have the power to do something positive – that was the start of Sweep.
How does Sweep’s software help businesses improve their ESG performance?
Sweep is a software platform which empowers businesses to take control of their carbon and ESG data and transform it into both a business advantage, and resilience against future sustainability-related challenges.
Most if not all companies start out trying to account for their sustainability data manually, on spreadsheets. But with spreadsheets, it can be very complicated and time-inefficient to obtain and calculate accurate data on carbon emissions, water use, waste, and many other ESG metrics. Moreover, the vast quantity and diversity of the data means that spreadsheets are an inefficient, cumbersome, and error-prone method.
Sweep offers a sustainability data management platform that can meet the needs of the biggest players in the corporate and finance world. The platform helps streamline the data collection processes, uncovers potential for competitive advantage and value-creation, supports the implementation of impactful transition plans, and provides real-time feedback so companies can adjust their strategy and remain on top of their targets.
How has Sweep evolved since its inception in 2020?
Today we have more than 170 employees (known as ‘Sweepers’) of more than 30 different nationalities, working across Europe, North America and Asia. In 2024 we acquired a UK-founded AI-focussed start-up called Consequence, integrating its teams into the Sweep family, and enhancing our AI innovations, which are today threaded throughout the entire Sweep platform.
What kinds of companies does Sweep work with?
We can work with the biggest Fortune 500 brands, European listed companies, through to SMEs. Our powerful platform can tackle challenging and complex data projects, which is why these companies choose us over our many competitors. We excel in supporting multinational companies with long and complex supply chains, or financial organizations which need to make complex calculations around their financed emissions.
To name a few clients: L’Oréal, Orange, Bouygues, Kantar, Decathlon, CH Robinson, Swisscom, BlackRock, and Maxeda.
What tangible benefits do users of Sweep get?
Simply put, “sustainability is smart business”. ESG is not just a business acronym, it is a fundamental lever for growth and value-creation. When an organization adopts sustainable and responsible practices, it sets itself up to grow and create value in a sustainable way, while distinguishing itself from competitors who fail to harness these principles.
To put some numbers to the business case – independent analysts from Verdantix recently calculated that businesses could realize the following from investing in Sweep:
- 238% ROI over three years
- €1.23 million in total benefits over that period
- €864,000 net present value (NPV) over a three-year period
- A 9-month break-even point, which shows rapid value realization
On performance, Sweep certainly holds its own against long-established software players. In a separate Verdantix report, Sweep was positioned as a top 3 sustainability and ESG reporting solution. Meanwhile, in a recent report by the US-headquartered global market intelligence firm IDC, Sweep was named a sustainability management software leader. I’m very proud of these recognitions!
On the partnership with BearingPoint. How does the collaboration look like?
BearingPoint is an important strategic partner for us. Our collaboration is all about helping businesses to make smarter decisions about sustainability. Together, we do this by offering Sweep’s advanced software, and connecting data-driven insights with action to create a lasting positive impact both for the environment and for the business itself. Our joint solutions are tailored to each client’s needs.
BearingPoint’s expertise enables us to support businesses to manage their sustainability data effectively, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive meaningful business transformation. We are proud of the work that we have already achieved together across several geographies, including at Maxeda (a Dutch do-it-yourself group).
The consulting landscape is competitive. Why BearingPoint?
BearingPoint has extensive expertise in transformation and sustainability, and is a management and technology consulting firm with European roots and a global reach. Additionally, both Sweep and BearingPoint are certified B Corporations, reflecting our shared commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
