Impact Labs Introduces Vegan-Themed Index-Tracking Portfolio Simulator: Vegemize.com

SAN FRANCISCO, September 9, 2019 (Newswire.com) - ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Impact Labs announces Vegemize.com, a first-of-a-kind vegan-themed portfolio simulator. Vegemize.com demonstrates the unparalleled level of customization available with the company’s “direct-indexing” technology for values-driven investing.

Impact Labs enables a new investment experience. Instead of requiring a values-driven investor or their advisor to sort out a mix of prepackaged investment products with the “closest fit," the investor shares their own definition of responsible investing and the portfolio optimizer takes care of the rest: incorporating client's return, risk, and relevant diversification needs. Green bonds are also an option.

Direct-indexing

Impact Labs’ direct-indexing software creates and manages an investment portfolio algorithmically to track an index, much like most exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or index mutual funds. But, unlike owning a prepackaged fund, users can further customize the holdings, individually.

“I’ve yet to meet a vegan who did not care about ingredients,” says Jason Escamilla, CFA, Impact Labs’ CEO. “But when it comes to ‘putting your money where your mouth is,’ Vegan or ‘green’ clients must still demand maximized returns and optimized risk when investing their savings. Our software can deliver on both, while also quantifying the client’s impact where it matters most.”

Reportable impact metrics include CO₂ emissions, gender equality stats and a wide range of custom environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores.

Tax-alpha: focusing on net returns

Portfolios managed algorithmically can be further optimized for tax impacts.

“In my experience, a vegan-themed index-tracking portfolio is ripe for the additional benefits of tax-alpha,” says Jim Blachman, CFA, Impact Labs’ Product Strategist with 15 years of direct-indexing experience, including tax-alpha seeking portfolios that are managed to outperform their benchmark on an after-tax basis.

Beyond indexing: complete personalization

“With the software behind Vegemize, advisors can instantly deploy a comprehensive vegan investment solution,” says Anthony Schmitz, CFA, Investment Strategist at Impact Labs. 

He adds, “Unlike ETFs, our direct-indexing allows clients to retain proxy voting rights and even include IPOs such as Beyond Meat to further tailor their portfolios. ETFs, by design, tend to come with rigid rules, both for the ETF and for its underlying index. The S&P 500 index, for example, with trillions benchmarked to it, requires a full year before the inclusion of IPOs. However, we do not have these limitations.”

About Impact Labs Inc.

We believe in the power of private capital to create a better tomorrow.

With refined software-as-a-service (SAAS) technology built by a team of experienced finance/ESG professionals and veteran product engineering & design technologists, the company's tools are used by financial advisors to build socially selective customization, factor-tilt, and tax-efficiency into investment portfolios while quantifying their impact.

The portfolio generation, simulation, and reporting engine at Impact Labs was built by more than a dozen engineers and CFA-charterholders, the majority from M.I.T., the rest out of U.C. Berkeley, Georgia Tech and Eastern European Universities.

Media Contact:
Jason Escamilla
​650-200-0028
​[email protected]

Source: Impact Labs Inc.