HACE
Founded 2020 · 15 employees on LinkedIn · 2 known investors
HACE builds data products that detect and assess child labour risks in corporate supply chains, providing insights for asset managers and investors to inform sustainable investment decisions. The company works at the intersection of child labour, financial markets, and data.
Also known as HACE: Data Changing Child Labour
Founders & leadership
HACE was founded in 2020 by Eleanor Harry.
Investors · 2
Also in the syndicate · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026HACE ("HACE: Data Changing Child Labour") is a UK-based technology and sustainability consultancy that applies data and AI to identify and assess child labour risk in corporate supply chains and investment portfolios. Its offering is described as an ecosystem of technical tools comprising a global Child Labour Benchmark, risk datasets and bespoke consultancy. Its flagship product, the Child Labour Index, is an AI-powered specialised ESG rating that scores companies and portfolios on child labour performance across three dimensions — company disclosure, public perception, and supply-chain (commodity-level) exposure — and is paired with a Stewardship Toolkit intended to help investors engage with portfolio companies.
Alongside the Index, HACE publishes the Corporate Child Labour Benchmark, an open-source, data-driven assessment of how large publicly listed companies acknowledge, identify, mitigate and remedy child labour in their deep supply chains. A 2025 edition ranked companies including Philip Morris International among top performers, and Barry Callebaut cited its inclusion in annual reporting. HACE subsequently launched a Sectoral Corporate Child Labour Benchmark covering the Technology Consumer Hardware sector, evaluating public disclosures of the top 10 listed companies with over $1B in revenue, and framing risks around AI infrastructure demand for mineral extractives and online exploitation.
The company also runs the HACE Child Labour Network, a paid professional membership community for companies, asset owners, investment managers, lenders, standard setters, professional services firms, government bodies, academia and CSOs/NGOs. Member benefits include training sessions, a membership badge, quarterly meetings, functional groups (Human Rights/Sustainability & ESG; Legal; Investment Professionals; Supply Chain Audit; Investor Relations, Marketing, Communications & PR), 0.5 days per year of on-call support, and three consultancy days per year. HACE also hosts a Multistakeholder Roundtable and publishes research and commentary on child labour in cocoa and chocolate, fast fashion, jasmine, indium and EV/AI mineral supply chains.
Founding story
HACE was founded by Eleanor Harry, described as an expert on child labour who advocates for its distinction from modern slavery and works to drive investor action on the issue.
Business model
HACE commercialises data products and advisory services: subscription-style access to the Child Labour Index and risk datasets for financial institutions, bespoke consultancy engagements, and membership of the HACE Child Labour Network, which bundles training, quarterly meetings, functional groups, on-call support and consultancy days. The Corporate Child Labour Benchmark is published as an open-source resource.
Revenue is derived from data products and ratings for investors, paid consultancy, and organisational membership fees for the HACE Child Labour Network.
Traction
HACE has published a 2025 Corporate Child Labour Benchmark cited by Barry Callebaut in its annual reporting and referencing Philip Morris International as a top-five performer, and has released a first sectoral benchmark for Technology Consumer Hardware. It ranked 51st on the StartUps100 Index and was named on the ESGFinTech100 list, and its CEO is regularly quoted in coverage of child labour in chocolate, fashion and cosmetics supply chains.
Latest developments
HACE launched its first Sectoral Corporate Child Labour Benchmark focused on the Technology Consumer Hardware sector, evaluating the public disclosures of the top 10 publicly listed companies with over $1B in revenue, and is recruiting members to the HACE Child Labour Network, with functional groups set for 2026/27 and a Multistakeholder Roundtable held in 2025.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
HACE positions its Corporate Child Labour Benchmark as a standard for corporate child labour governance and its Child Labour Index as a specialised, quantitative ESG rating focused specifically on child labour, distinguished from broader modern slavery frameworks. External recognition includes placement at number 51 on the StartUps100 Index and inclusion in the ESGFinTech100 list.
The company focuses narrowly on child labour as a distinct issue from modern slavery, combining a three-part scoring methodology (disclosure, public perception, supply chain) with commodity- and jurisdiction-level risk data covering deeper supply chain tiers, where it states roughly 70% of child labour occurs in agriculture and raw commodities.
Technology
HACE uses AI and data analytics to interrogate supply chains at scale. The Child Labour Index scores companies and portfolios on three components — corporate disclosure, public perception, and commodity-level supply chain exposure to child labour — to provide a quantitative, real-time metric. Supporting products include risk datasets and a Stewardship Toolkit for investor engagement.
Go-to-market
The company reaches investors through a strategic advisory relationship with financial services, an open-source benchmark used as a public reference point for corporate governance, a membership network, and extensive media commentary and thought leadership by its CEO in ESG, fashion, food and financial trade press and podcasts.
Asset managers, wealth managers, asset owners, institutional investors, investment and asset consultants, banks, insurers and professional services firms, alongside corporates, lenders, standard setters, government bodies, academia and NGOs seeking to address child labour in supply chains.
Geography
Headquartered in the UK, with press describing it as a Manchester-based company and featuring it in a Greater Manchester regional tech report; its benchmarks and datasets address global supply chains and listed companies internationally.
History
Founded and led by CEO Eleanor Harry, HACE began publishing research on child labour definitions, data and financial materiality from at least 2021-2023. It appointed Eric Solomons as board chair ahead of launching its proprietary Child Labour Index, raised £450,000 in pre-seed funding in February 2024 to complete the build of that product, and has since released the Corporate Child Labour Benchmark (2025), launched the HACE Child Labour Network with functional groups planned for 2026/27, and published a first sectoral benchmark covering technology consumer hardware.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 7
launches, deals, and filingsHACE launched its first Sectoral Corporate Child Labour Benchmark, evaluating the public disclosures of the top 10 publicly listed technology consumer hardware companies with over $1B USD revenue on how they acknowledge, identify, mitigate and remedy child labour in their deep supply chains.
HACE published results from its 2025 Corporate Child Labour Benchmark, with Philip Morris International ranked among the top five performers and Barry Callebaut citing its inclusion in the benchmark in its annual reporting.
HACE established the HACE Child Labour Network, a membership community for companies, asset owners, investment managers, lenders, standard setters, professional services, government bodies, academia and CSOs/NGOs, offering training, quarterly meetings, functional groups, 0.5 days per year of on-call support and three consultancy days per year, plus a 2025 Multistakeholder Roundtable.
HACE raised £450,000 in pre-seed funding, beating its initial target by 20%. The round was led by Manchester Angels with participation from GC Angels, Ada Ventures, Found Capital and angel investors. Funds were earmarked to complete the build of its flagship Child Labour Index and Stewardship Toolkit.
HACE was included in the second annual ESGFinTech100 list published by FinTech Global, highlighting technology solutions helping the financial sector address ESG challenges.
HACE was placed at number 51 on the StartUps100 Index for using AI to interrogate supply chains at scale in pursuit of a future free from child labour.
HACE appointed Eric Solomons as chair of the board ahead of its next stage of growth and the launch of its proprietary Child Labour Index.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- HACEthisishace.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does HACE do?
- UK company using data and AI to measure and benchmark child labour risk in corporate supply chains and investment portfolios.
- Who founded HACE?
- HACE was founded by Eleanor Harry in 2020.
- Who are HACE's investors?
- HACE's investors include GC Angels.