eQ Asset Management announces record closings in private equity

Press release
31 January 2022, 2:00 pm

The new eQ PE XIV North held its first closing at 196 MEUR on January 27, 2022. eQ PE XIV North invests in private equity funds targeting unlisted small and mid-market growth companies in Northern Europe. The fund aims to diversify underlying holdings in different geographical regions, development stages and industries and across different vintages. Commitments will be made to primary funds and, to speed up capital deployment, in selected secondary transactions. The fund will also be able to make co-investments.

Simultaneously, eQ launches its fourth private equity secondary fund, eQ PE SF IV, with a first closing at 85 MEUR. eQ PE XIV North’s entire secondary allocation will be invested through eQ PE SF IV. Fund raising and investment periods will be the same for both funds, as well as investment focus on same geography and underlying company characteristics.

Furthermore, eQ VC fund held a second closing increasing the fund size to 56 MUSD. eQ VC invests in early stage and growth venture capital funds targeting approximately 200 technology firms mainly in the United States. TrueBridge Capital Partners acts as the appointed advisor to the fund.  

All the aforementioned funds will continue fund raising from professional investors only.

Staffan Jåfs, Head of Private Equity at eQ Asset Management comments:
”Our previous European fund, eQ PE XII North, held its first closing at 126 MEUR. Growth is very strong. Bulk of commitments came from existing investors for whom we build systematic PE programs but we also received commitments from new investors. Our funds focus on small and mid-sized companies coming at lower acquisition values than larger companies, with lower debt and multiple exit options. The secondary fund eQ PE SF IV offers diversification in vintages in the same company universe and enables faster allocation to private equity.”

”The investee companies in eQ VC fund operate in emerging technologies and in markets with efficient scaling opportunities. Similar to eQ, TrueBridge is a very experienced investor with excellent access to the most sought after VC funds in the US. Our aim is to build over time a family of VC funds to complement our PE funds with a new VC fund every second year with TrueBridge as a strategic partner”, concludes Jåfs.    

Helsinki 31 January 2022

eQ Asset Management Ltd

Further information:

Staffan Jåfs, Head of Private Equity, eQ Asset Management Ltd, +358 (9) 6817 8736, staffan.jafs@eQ.fi

eQ Group is a Finnish group of companies specialising in asset management and corporate finance business. eQ Asset Management offers a wide range of asset management services (including private equity funds and real estate asset management) for institutions and individuals. The assets managed by the Group total approximately EUR 11.0 billion. Advium Corporate Finance, which is part of the Group, offers services related to mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions and equity capital markets.

More information about the Group is available on our website at www.eQ.fi.