TL;DR
Sunhat just raised €9.2M (Series A) to speed up how enterprises turn ESG and compliance data into ready‑to‑send proof. (Source: SunHat Blog)
For Customer Success (CS), this is bigger than sustainability. It’s about closing the “proof gap” so you can answer audits, vendor forms, and security reviews in minutes, not weeks.
Faster proof = faster deals, smoother renewals, and higher trust.
The Signal: Funding That Targets A Real Enterprise Pain
Most teams don’t struggle to do the work. They struggle to prove they did it.
Policies, certifications, audit trails, and ESG facts live across SharePoint, tickets, emails, and point tools. When a security questionnaire or supplier assessment arrives, the hunt begins.
That lag is the proof gap: the time between knowing internally and proving externally.
Sunhat’s raise is aimed at shrinking that gap with an AI engine (“Proof AI”) that maps requirements (ISO, CSRD, CDP, etc.) to verified, current evidence.
Think “time‑to‑proof” as a new speed metric. The company already supports users in 20+ countries and is expanding integrations across enterprise, ESG, and finance platforms.
If you can deliver instant, verifiable proof, you win deals faster, avoid renewal risk, and build trust at exec level.
Why This Matters For Customer Success (And Your Number)
CS owns trust in the messy middle where promises meet reality.
The biggest blockers I see in renewals and expansions aren’t product features; they’re proof bottlenecks:
Security + Compliance reviews stall signatures because evidence is scattered.
Supplier and ESG questionnaires steal weeks from CSMs and SMEs.
Renewal justifications lack clean, auditable proof tied to outcomes.
When you shorten time‑to‑proof, you:
Protect Revenue: You keep deals moving by answering risk questions fast.
Scale Responsibly: You avoid one‑off heroics that burn your team.
Elevate CS: You show up as a control point for governance, not just “relationship owners.”
If you’re building your operating system for renewals, I break this down in a practical playbook on defending renewals without discounts, including coverage math and rollout plans, read it here: Defend Renewals Without Discounts: The CS OS
From “Find The Doc” To “Send The Proof”
Here’s how modern CS teams can operationalize this shift:
1. Make Time‑To‑Proof A Core KPI
Track the clock from request received to evidence sent.
Trend it by customer tier and by request type (security, ESG, infosec, data processing, accessibility). Then publish it in QBRs.
If you need a structure for that conversation, see The Ultimate QBR Playbook: 42% Upsell Tactics from Gong & Snowflake (search QBR Frameworks: Turn Updates into Strategic Growth on The Customer Success Café) for templates to turn data into an executive‑ready story.
Unlock Steps 2–5 (Build the Proof Library, Automate Intake & Routing, Add Guardrails Early, Pilot “Proof Packs”) + “What Sunhat’s Proof AI Delivers” + “What You Can Do This Week” — upgrade to access.