Dcycle, a UK and Madrid-based sustainability data management platform, today announced the acquisition of ESG-X, a Munich-based software company specialising in AI-powered sustainability reporting solutions, to expand its presence in the DACH region.
The acquisition merges Dcycle’s infrastructure for managing non-financial data with ESG-X’s AI technology for double materiality assessments and corporate sustainability compliance. As a result, Dcycle claims that it now provides specialised local support in the UK, Spain, and Germany, the three key markets covering most European sustainability reporting regulations.
Juanjo Mestre, CEO and co-founder of Dcycle, said, “The European ESG software market has entered a clear consolidation phase. With over one hundred solutions competing to solve isolated parts of the problem, the fragmented model no longer meets the real needs of the companies we serve. Our vision is clear: the only way to scale sustainability data efficiently is through integrated platforms that enable companies to own their data infrastructure. This acquisition is all about building the best possible product for our customers.”
Founded in 2020 by Juanjo Mestre, Jacobo Umbert, and Luis Escámez, Dcycle is a B2B SaaS platform that enables companies to centralise, manage, and operationalise their data. It helps them collect, validate, and operate every piece of data needed by each team to drive and communicate non-financial performance.
According to Dcycle, European businesses are undergoing a pivotal shift with the first wave of CSRD-aligned disclosures now underway across the EU, while UK companies are initiating data collection ahead of the forthcoming Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS), and with assurance requirements placing increasing scrutiny on the quality, traceability and governance of ESG data. Dcycle notes that these shifts are driving demand for integrated sustainability data infrastructure rather than fragmented reporting tools.
“Today, most companies collect the same data repeatedly, from the same sources, without reusing or connecting it across teams, projects, or decisions. That fragmented approach doesn’t scale and doesn’t generate real value. We’re building a different model, a workspace that connects data, people, and projects so ESG information becomes a real lever for revenue, management and decision-making,” noted Mestre.
ESG-X was co-founded by software engineer Paolo Mazza, former Tesla business development executive Valentin Aman, and ESG consultant Jean Bauer. Founded through the Antler accelerator programme, ESG-X is an ESG management platform specialising in AI-powered sustainability reporting for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed SMEs (VSME).
“From the beginning, ESG-X was built to help companies manage ESG data in a way that is accurate, scalable and future-proof. This acquisition by Dcycle allows us to take that mission much further, combining our technology with a platform that has the scale, ambition and operational maturity to define the next phase of ESG data management in Europe,” said Paolo Mazza, co-founder of ESG-X.
ESG-X claims that its infrastructure is hosted entirely in certified German data centres and complies with security, data protection, and GDPR requirements. The company also mentions that its AI technology is developed entirely in Europe in accordance with the European AI Act. It claims to be known for its proprietary AI models capable of automating materiality assessments and mapping existing company data to ESG requirements.
ESG-X serves mid-market companies across the DACH region from offices in Munich and Düsseldorf. According to Dcycle, Germany is a strategic priority for Dcycle as one of Europe’s most mature and demanding markets for ESG management. The company adds that ESG-X’s team, based in Munich and Düsseldorf, brings deep knowledge of DACH regulatory requirements and mid-market operational needs. The three founders will also join Dcycle’s team to accelerate the company’s DACH expansion.
This acquisition strengthens Dcycle’s platform across several areas, including Improved image recognition for fuel and energy consumptions, AI-powered double materiality assessments aligned with CSRD requirements, EcoVadis rating optimisation, automated ESRS reporting with European AI Act-compliant technology, and local data residency in certified German data centres.
“The combination of structured data, artificial intelligence, and an integrated platform is the model that will inevitably dominate the non-financial data market in the coming years. Our acquisition of ESG-X is a decisive step toward leading that transition in Europe,” added Mestre.
Dcycle serves over 2,000 clients across Europe and claims to be the only software in Spain certified by TÜV Rheinland for ISO 14064 carbon footprint calculation. In December 2024, the company raised €6 million in a Series A funding round led by Samaipata. The company has raised over €10 million from investors, including Samaipata, Ship2B Ventures, Sabadell Venture Capital, Draper B1, and Angels Capital.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/02/uk-and-spain-based-sustainability-data-platform-dcycle-acquires-germanys-esg-x-to-accelerate-dach-expansion/
