Five Takeaways From Our Annual Investor Meeting

Over the past three decades, EQT has navigated market cycles, recessions and technological shifts. Today, we’re preparing to tackle the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Here are five takeaways from our Annual Investor Meeting earlier this month in Stockholm:

Scale matters even more

Scale provides a competitive advantage. That’s even more important today due to geopolitical uncertainty and the pace of change, driven by AI, according to Per Franzén, EQT’s chief executive officer and managing partner.

Scale is also key to infrastructure, the backbone of the economy. Pursuing energy independence, expanding AI data centers, power assets and connectivity, and strengthening transportation infrastructure are all trillion-dollar opportunities.

We’re ready for the AI era

Multiple megatrends, from the energy transition to demographic shifts, are unleashing opportunity and disruption. One of the biggest megatrends of all is AI. With the AI super-cycle accelerating, we’re ready to play both offense and defense to drive performance, transform our portfolio companies and future-proof our own business.

At EQT, we’ve been investing in our AI capabilities for more than 10 years. As AI rapidly evolves, we’re moving forward with a sense of urgency and a mindset of continuous improvement, seeking to drive performance, transform our portfolio companies, strengthen our own business – and seize one of the most important opportunities of our generation.

“Who is going to win in this market?” asks Bert Janssens, co-head of private capital for the EU and North America. “It comes down to courage, curiosity, and urgency. Standing still is not an option. We have to lead with conviction and act where others hesitate.”

We’re at a key intersection in Asia

Attendees heard how in the Asia-Pacific region, only three percent of global PE capital is chasing about 60 percent of GDP growth. EQT is well-positioned as technology-driven innovation spurs earnings and unlocks value. In developed markets, such as Japan, AI will help tackle the challenges posed by an aging population. In developing countries, including India, it is helping businesses make the leap to the digital age.

Europe has an opportunity to shine

Europe is known for its talent, leading research institutions and vibrant startup hubs. But with less funding and lower valuations, the region has struggled to scale up businesses and compete with the U.S. in areas such as life sciences and technology.

“Europe as a whole is a very underappreciated market because we have so much choice,” says Felice Verduyn-van Weegen, a partner on the EQT Life Sciences team based in Amsterdam. “But at the same time, there’s so little capital available.”

The Scaleup Europe strategy, launched in Brussels and led by EQT, will help boost the region’s competitiveness and narrow the economic gaps. EQT’s team will be on the ground across every region of Europe, meeting founders, researchers, and operators in a bid to accelerate the scale-up of the next generation of European companies.

Better never ends

From the global financial crisis to Covid-19, we’ve lived through multiple shocks. Each time, we’ve learned important lessons and become a better owner and investor. We can’t predict what’s coming. But we’re always striving to refine our approach. This is at the heart of EQT’s “Better Never Ends” brand relaunch, which coincides with our ATP sponsorship, the first official private markets partnership of the ATP Tour through 2030.

“We will keep sharpening and investing in our capabilities,” Franzén says. “Our philosophy is that everything can be improved everywhere – at all times.”